Switching a 5 year old to homeschool. Tips, ideas, help??

[Guest petalsky]

*I was told I should post this here, versus the main forum. :) *

----------------

 

My daughter is 5. She is bright and very creative, but has phonological disorder (articulation delay) and mild Aspergers. She is currently in public school kindergarten and having a lot of issues with listening to the teacher and having meltdowns. She loves playing with the other children, but comes home stressed and crying most days. There is far too much pressure on her to do things the ‘correct’ way. I hate it. I want to have her in homeschool by this January (this will give me time to purchase supplies, fill out paper work to abide by state regulations, etc.)

 

My problem is that so far she has been hard for me to teach. She is a wonderful seeker of knowledge but seems to learn differently than a lot of others her age. In some ways she seems advanced. She has taken several state tests due to her speech and has always scored way above average (in areas other than speech.) She has a near photographic memory and can remember a book word for word or understand complicated science theories. But, in other ways she is behind her peers. She still does not know even half of her letters, she can barely use her scissors etc. This is after spending a lot of time at home practicing these skills with her.

 

So, how do I teach her? What methods would work the best and what materials would support her creative, investigative spirit? She can do worksheets but they bore her. I want to homeschool her and she desperately wants to be homeschooled, but she gets frustrated and bored SO easily. I am also a single mom on a fixed income, so I am trying to figure out how to afford all of this and the options are very overwhelming.

 

So basically... I am looking for tips or ideas. A point in the right direction.

 

Thanks in advance for any answers you can provide me with. :001_smile:

[EKS]

My suggestion is to try what you think will work with the idea that some or all of it may have to

change. 

 

Also, just pick a few subjects to start with--math, reading, and handwriting, for example.  You can do read alouds for everything else.

[PeterPan]

Well sure, on LC or SN, either place would be fine.  SN seems to go more medical and LC more educational, but jump in where you feel comfortable.  :)

 

Is she receiving OT through the school?  Is she on any form of insurance that provides for OT?  It sounds like she needs it, and that would be a really good thing to work on advocating for.  I didn't realize our state has an autism (and a disability) scholarship that basically replaces FAPE (Free and Appropriate Public Education), giving you that money to use through "providers" for academics, therapies, everything they need.  So maybe your state has something like that?  Whatever they have, definitely try to advocate for those resources.  Does she have an IEP?  If you push for more services, in your state will she continue to receive them when you homeschool?  

 

I would encourage you *not* to purchase a ton upfront.  You're going to have a lot of misses as you go into this.  Are you in a community with homeschoolers to where maybe people would let you *borrow* things for a bit to see if they work?  Just talk with people and see if they can help you.  

 

If you actually want to know what you're looking for... Well Cindy Gaddis would be out there in that go with the kid, stop cramming them into the box....  That would fit her.  When you say she has a  photographic memory, that's wild.  So can you use whole word with her?  Not every child sounds out to learn to read.  Hyperlexia and using that visual memory will be the norm for some kids.  Sounds like it might be a good way for her to get reading.  

 

Does she enjoy audio books?  

 

My ds (newly 6, verbal apraxia, getting evals for the rest) enjoys watching biology videos with my dd.  He enjoys videos a LOT actually.  It sort of makes up for his inability to read by allowing him to connect with more complex content.  I read to him a variety of things.  Some of the things that work with a typical dc this age for read alouds TOTALLY FLOP with him.  For instance The Whipping Boy is very abstract and was totally lost on him.  But the "true stories" books one of the Sonlight cores uses resonate with him.  Last week we read the Five True Dog Stories and this week we read Dolphin Adventure (also true).  We enjoy reading and then looking up where things happen on the map.  Guest Hollow has a geography study she might enjoy.

 

I'm saying for us right now it's sort of a mix.

 

-things he does in ways he likes because he likes them

-things I throw at him to create a rich environment, but in genres that he connects with

-things we do because I say so

-things we do because they have to be done

 

It's not all one of those categories but a mix.  Don't be afraid to have that mix.  You don't have to turn EVERYTHING into thing #4 or thing #1, kwim?  Mix it up, enjoy the freedom, be confident that you're doing the right thing to give her freedom in areas.  

 

It's cheaper to try things through the library and learn how you like learning together (or how she likes learning without you) than it is to buy and have things flop.  Curriculum can be very expensive flops.  Use your library and watch your child.  There is NOTHING she has to do that you probably can't accomplish through the library for free.  

[Lecka]

What speech therapy is she in?  Can you get her speech therapy?   

 

Have you looked for speech therapists who might have a sliding scale or different price structure for people not on insurance?  Or found out what your insurance will cover? 

 

My son also had phonological processing issues (they just called it phonological processing) and his articulation was very delayed, and he had trouble learning his letters.

 

What may be happening ---- she does not hear the letters just the same way each time they are said. So -- she can never quite make the connection "mmmm means m."  Or -- it could be more that it is fuzzy, so that she hears "fuzzy sound like mmmnnnnnmmmnnnnn" and then sometimes she is told that is m and sometimes she is told that is n ----- and how is she supposed to learn her letters with that going on. 

 

Then -- when she should be listening to directions, some of the words could be getting lost, or she could think a different word was said ---- so that then following directions becomes very difficult and extremely frustrating. 

 

This is my older son, he has had this and he has also had OT ---- they often go together.  I can't remember quite what I was told, but there is something (?????) and it makes it common for these to go together. 

 

As a parent -- you can try Lips or Earobics, or things like that (if you search either of these on this board, you can see other names of programs people use).  If you can get her in speech therapy -- that would be great.  My son was in speech therapy for 2 years and did not make any progress (literally -- his age equivalent went down 3 months, which they said is a rounding error and not actual decrease -- but he did not increase) in the group kind of speech therapy that so often does help kids with articulation.  Once he got identified with the phonological processes they started doing more with him to recognize the different letter sounds. 

 

For my son -- this was pretty treatable.  He made improvement in speech therapy (once he was in it).  He started following directions better and I realized that it had been about understanding what he needed to do (I had thought it was just how he was choosing to act). 

 

I also would consider looking into dyslexia resources for learning to read and learning letters.  They use a multisensory approach.  This means it is not so reliant on hearing. 

 

The thing is ---- she has got problems at the phonological level.  For learning to read -- having trouble with phonemic awareness is a common reason (not the only reason -- but a common possible reason).  But -- phonological awareness is foundational to phonemic awareness.  So if she has trouble there -- she will have some problems with phonemic awareness as a result.  So -- it is understandable that she is having a hard time.  But -- there are definitely programs designed around kids with this problem, and you can use them. 

 

I also agree with OhElizabeth. 

 

But I do think -- if she has articulation disorder, she needs speech therapy or she needs something to address this, so that she can speak as clearly as she can, and hear things as clearly as she can.

 

But -- when you are in homeschool, she does not have to be defined by that, you do not have to make that the thing you define homeschool around.

 

It also sounds like she has got a lot going for her!

 

I personally do not agree with recommending visual reading just b/c she has a great memory.  That is going to help her a huge amount with reading, in the near future, I bet.  But -- I don't think it is okay to bypass learning letter sounds.  I also think that, to some extent, working on letters and sounding-out in reading helped my son to reinforce his speech and hearing.  If he is not quite sure exactly what word he is hearing -- and then he sees it -- and he is sounding out the word and matching the letters to what he hears -- then that helps him with knowing just what he is hearing.  But -- to get to where he was doing that process -- I will be honest and say it was pretty difficult to get to that point.  But, I feel he needed to go that direction for his speech/hearing as well as his reading.  If he was just memorizing letters -- he would not necessarily be able to match up the letters he saw with the sounds he was (or should be) hearing.  Most kids will automatically come to this process -- b/c they are hearing the sounds easily and just put it together.  But when there is an issue in phonological processing -- this is not something where it just comes together. 

 

If there are any books in your library about phonemic awareness -- they may have some phonological awareness activities, too.  I think you also might ask for a meeting with the speech therapist at school, ask for any practice materials she might have in her filing cabinets.  But -- if the usual articulation stuff has not lead to progress, she might need more where she is learning to tell apart the letters and learning how to look at her mouth in the mirror to see what sound it is, seeing the differences between the sounds, and then when *she* knows what sound she is making b/c she can *see* it or she can *feel* it b/c she knows what shape she is feeling and what he different speech-producing things are doing -- then she can *know* what sound it is -- and after a while (kind of a long while maybe) that can help her hear which sound it is -- b/c she knows which one it is based on things besides just hearing it.  That is how my son learned to some extent -- but it is different for different kids, too, there are different things.  But it is possible the speech teacher might have some materials you could photo copy.  You might ask the special needs teacher, also, if there is anything you could photo copy. 

 

I hope it goes well. 

 

In the meantime -- maybe you can talk to people at school.  Ask for more visual strategies, let them know that her auditory is weaker.  That might help with meltdowns.  See if they will do anything like that.  Even if you can start in January, it is worth doing it.  It is amazing how sometimes they will do stuff if you just go and ask, and give a suggestion ---- even if it seems *so* obvious.  It is worth trying -- maybe they will realize and get her some visual supports and things.  If she has an IEP -- ask for a meeting with the lead person or case manager -- tell the problems and say you is showing a need for more supports, and say you think her phonological disorder is causing the problem with her letters, ask if she can get a program to work on this added to her IEP.  You might get some ideas when you see what they might have her do -- or you might not be impressed.  It could go either way. 

 

 

[justasque]

I can't speak to your dd's specific disabilities, but I do have a few thoughts -

 

I would be very careful about leaving her in for another few months if she comes home stressed and crying most days.  Ask yourself - if this was an enrichment class at a local arts center, would you still be keeping her there?  What makes kindergarten different?

 

I would network heavily in the homeschooling community and find several local park days - even if you have to drive a while to get to them.   Many of these groups provide unstructured creative play with what is usually a very accepting group of kids (thought not all are this way - try a few different ones).  You don't have to be bestest friends with everyone at play days, or use the same educational approaches, for your dd to get something out of the event.

If she enjoys read-alouds and learns well from them, find a well-stocked library (even if you have to drive a bit) and visit weekly or bi-weekly.  "Unit studies" is a great approach for kindergarten.  Basically, pick a topic she is interested in, or one that relates to an upcoming event, and read books all around the topic. For example, a visit to the zoo might inspire an interest in penguins.  So get out books on penguins, arctic habitats, other arctic animals, arctic explorers, birds, ice, oceans, etc.  Thanksgiving might inspire books on pilgrims, turkeys, native Americans, etc.  Find picture books and other fiction that relate to the unit.  For each unit, you might do a craft, a field trip (perhaps with another homeschooling family), a special meal (ditto), a project (like growing something for science), etc.  Do each unit for as long as you both are interested, overlapping a new one as new topics come up.  Get armfuls of books from the library each week - some to read together, some for you to read for background if you like, some that you may not end up reading, but that's ok - the idea is to create a mini-library at home for whatever your current unit is, from which you can pull as needed.

 

Make heavy use of games and other hands-on activities with math and reading content, rather than more formal curricula.  

 

As for formal work, I would do something towards reading, something towards  math, and something that involves writing or small motor skills every day - but not to the point of frustration.  Daily short sessions will be more fruitful than longer, stressful ones.

 

This kind of approach gives you a structure that is flexible but content-rich.  Spend mornings on your reading/math/small-motor, as well as your unit studies.  Spend afternoons out and about with other people several times a week, at park days and field trips.  At bedtime, read your literature and snuggle.  

Continue any therapies or other approaches that work; drop those that don't.

My main thought is to rely less on formal curricula, and more on what interests your child.  As with any advice, take what you like, and leave the rest.

[Guest petalsky]

Hi, sorry for the lapse in replying. I never got a notification of replies. I will try to answer all of the questions, let me know if I miss anything!

---

 

OhElizabeth: She is now getting outpatient speech therapy through the school. It took them 2 years to get her the speech she needed because I didn’t have a way to get her to the classes and they would not provide a ride. :( I live quite a few miles from the nearest homeschooling co-ops and I am a single mom on disability so I do not have the funds to drive back and forth. I am a member of a few facebook groups in the area though.

 

Thank you for the suggestions!

 

Lecka: The only speech therapy for her age is through the public school system around here. I would be able to take her to speech therapy as outpatient after I get a car. We are in a kind of transitional situation right now. Thank you for the Lips and Earbonics suggestions. I will look into that for sure!

 

I agree on focusing on her phonics. Because she literally remembers every word on the page of a (children’s) book, word for word after seeing/hearing it once. However, she could not point to a single word, or even letter on the page when asked. She just memorizes the sentences... I think. I am thinking she may be a very visual-spatial learner? It is the same with memory games, numbers and abc’s. She can also ‘write’ a number of words, maybe 15 or 20 and she knows what they are but if I ask her the letters or what sound the word makes? Complete blank face.

 

We live in a smaller town, the library does not have much. I have tried to find what I can though. The school is horrible and they have done everything to make it worse for her. They see her problems as ‘defiance’ and she keeps getting into trouble for behavior stemming from her Aspergers and inability to communicate. She has an IEP, but for speech only. She also sees a child development specialist and a therapist who is fighting hard with the school to get her treated more fairly.

 

justasque: The only reason I am waiting is because I fought so hard to get her into speech therapy. I will be getting settlement money by Christmas time, so it will provide me with the money to purchase a car. Right now I would have to pull her out and deny her speech therapy that took us 2 years to get. I feel guilty about it either way, to be honest. :/

 

We get books often, she loves books and wants to learn to read. I’m wanting to do unit studies with her! I am just really overwhelmed and feel like I will mess something up if I just wing it myself. Thank you for the ideas though, maybe by the time January comes I will feel more confident in my teaching abilities.

 

 

Thanks again, everyone! :)

 

 

[PeterPan]

Petalsky, it sounds like you are making the hard decisions!  I agree, ST is very, very important so I'm glad you're able to get it through the school.  If the school's ST is ineffective, does your state law provide for a process to get it privately and have the school pay for it?  You might talk with disability advocates in your state if you feel the therapy is not appropriate or effective.  My ds receives PROMPT, which is meant (only) for apraxia of speech, a motor control problem.  I know people who've successfully worked to get the ps district to be required to get their ST *trained* in PROMPT because it's the most effective (and sometimes only effective) therapy for apraxia.  So talk with advocates and see what the school can be compelled to do.

 

You might do some reading on hyperlexia.  

[Lecka]

That is very disappointing about the school.  I am glad you have the therapist and child development specialist on her side.  

 

It sounds like your daughter is all the way back at ---- not understanding letters, that letters have a sound, that we blend the sounds to make a word.  That is how my son was, too.  It is not so obvious when you do not hear the sounds so well in the first place.  He does not have the visual strengths -- those are good for your daughter, I bet once she does start to get how letters work, that she will make good progress.  I used dyslexia-type reading interventions for my son, it helped him.  Can you call her speech therapist on the phone?  I have been personally kind-of disappointed, and had speech therapists who didn't really know how to tie the speech therapy in with reading.  But maybe your speech therapist would be able to.  He/she might also be able to photocopy materials for you to use to work on phonological awareness or phonemic awareness -- that, I have been able to get.  But, what I have gotten hasn't necessarily been what I have wanted to use.  But -- it is good to see the kind of stuff that is out there, I guess.  

 

There is stuff where they are working on noticing what position the mouth makes, and linking that to a letter/sound (instead of linking a sound to a letter).  There is stuff where they have "minimal pair cards" and the child sorts them in some way, or you say a word and the child points to the correct picture.  (Like -- shin and chin -- you have a picture of both, and the child points to one ------ but if they can kind-of do it, this is good practice, but my son started out on these getting 50-50 like he was just guessing -- so just doing the sorting did not teach him anything -- but when he was farther along it did help him to practice).  I don't really know -- those are some kinds of things.  Maybe the speech teacher could tell you more. Maybe you could send in a note, or request a phone call.  I don't think you would need to go in person, if the person is helpful they will be helpful with a note or phone call ----- if not helpful, then not helpful. 

 

Good luck.  

[Mom22ns]

I didn't start homeschooling my SN kiddo until 6th grade, so I don't feel qualified to answer any of your questions. I just wanted to say Welcome!

[PeterPan]

This workbook has been helpful to my ds with auditory discrimination.  http://www.greatideasforteaching.com/SearchOurCatalog/ProductDetails/tabid/75/ProductID/216/Default.aspx  Our SLP uses a lot of things by Jean DeGaetano (the author of this).  

[Lecka]

That book looks great.