Do you have any tips on summering this teaching method? Or do you just start all over after the summer break? Or do you school all year long?

It's okay to feel angry. (((Leta)))

All of the things that Sue said. I can add one more: "At least you have (your 20 mo) to comfort you." I've had 6 miscarriages. When I was pregnant with my 6th, I found out why. It's an hereditary blood clotting disorder called Factor V Leiden (FVL).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Early warning signs: (This list includes warning signs for conditions other than simple learning disabilities Preschool: Look for clusters of symptoms </i > Social differences: if your child does not have many friends, does not seem to know the rules for playing, if other kids don t seem to like your child, or if there is not normal eye contact. Other children are often a very accurate indicator of differences. Language differences: delayed talking, talking in stock phrases, using an odd tone of voice, echoing what people say, inability to follow multi-step instructions, flat tone of voice when singing or reciting Physical differences: toe walking, chronic constipation or diarrhea, chronic difficulty falling or staying asleep, frequently slumps or falls off chair when sitting at the table (may look like this is on purpose), physically clumsy, toe walking, difficulty with gross motor skills, high pain tolerance Difficulty with fine motor skills (these are sometimes delayed, particularly in boys, but if there are any other flags, have them evaluated) Over sensitivity to light, sound, clothing (tags, etc), aversion to several smells, picky eater Stimulus seeking: impulsive, hyperactive, always into mess, likes swinging, spinning, makes constant noise, etc. Emotional/behavioral: behavior is not responsive to normal disciplinary measures, high level of anxiety, hysteria, crying, and temper outbursts If there is a cluster of these flags seek help immediately and keep seeking help until you get an explanation that accounts for your sense of what s not right. Some conditions can be completely remediated , without drugs, if treatment is pursued early enough. Preschool readiness: Lack of awareness or enjoyment of rhyming, does not know nursery rhymes even if you read them to her, lack of interest in writing own name, messy coloring (scribbling), lack of interest in oral memory games (I m going on a picnic and bringing a . ) or visual memory games (concentration), cannot find visual similarities in like things , still talks baby talk or transposes sounds in words: aminal, emeny, aks, pacific (specific), stumble over sounds trying to pronounce new or long words. (These are all indications of learning disabilities) Beginning instruction: Has difficulty with associating letters of the alphabet with sound, difficulty with phoneme awareness (cannot rhyme, cannot tell you how many sounds are in dog; can t tell you what stop without the s sound would be: See Reading Reflex or Overcoming Dyslexia for short list ), grossly deficient motor skills (not just a dislike of writing, but very distorted letters, drawing ability behind other children his age), can t get 1:1 correspondence needed to count, etc. (These are all indications of learning disabilities) If your child is not progressing in any one of the 3 R s by age 7 , it s wise to seek an evaluation. They can be done sooner. Your child may be progressing, but your gut tells you that progress is slower than it should be or more of a struggle than it should be. (This assumes you are providing consistent instruction.) (These are indications of learning disabilities). Why I am writing this, and who am I? I m writing out of concern for kids with learning disabilities not being served well some prevalent beliefs in the homeschool community. I m a former educational and children s mental health professional, a former foster mother of two kids with learning differences, and the mother of two biological kids with learning differences. I have incorporated information from current professionals I know, and many, many helpful suggestions from other mothers of children with special needs on the special needs board. Though I ve done the best I could, as I suspect others have, I, too, have made mistakes in waiting (in our case till age 7). A huge thank-you to you, SWB, for maintaining these boards. The advice and direction I have received on the special need board has totally changed the life of my most severely affected child. I might still be searching for the right information, might still be wondering if I was overreacting or whether there was something wrong. Again, I want to repeat that none of what I have said is intended to be condemning of a parent with a child with special needs, whatever decisions you ve made. I believe that most parents do their very best with the information available to them. . I am intending to challenge some belief systems in the homeschooling community at large in the hope that moms like you and children like yours have the best outcome possible. I am aware that challenging widespread beliefs will create conflict, which I would prefer to avoid. However, if this information helps even a few moms and their children with special learning problems or other special needs, I m taking a deep breath and ducking! Thanks to the folks on the special needs board who have helped me hone this. Please head over there if you have questions that you want to start exploring. This post is already very long and I couldn t include everything.

The Late Bloomer Myth: I know I ll get a lot of flack for calling this a myth. I know people will recount how they waited and their child suddenly clicked at age 10. In the a longitudinal study of over 400 children that has been running for over 20 years, cited by Sally Shawitz in her book, Overcoming Dyslexia, there was no evidence found of this. On the other hand, prevalence of dyslexia was relatively high. They tested their sample at the beginning of the study and found that as many girls as boys have dyslexia and that about 20% of their sample met the criteria. (Studies using school identification for the criteria set the percentage lower and may reflect bias related to behavior rather than reading issues. ) My own experience is consistent with this. For a number of years, I administered individual achievement testing for the homeschool community (required in our state). I probably tested about 50 kids per year, and saw many of them year after year, so I had a chance to track their progress. You would think that I would have seen many late bloomers if they are as prevalent as it appears on homeschooling boards. At first when I thought about this, I remembered 3 (out of probably a total of around a hundred different kids). Then as I thought more, I remembered what I knew of their educations (I knew all the moms.) All of them were relaxed homeschoolers, who believed the late bloomer myth, and taught accordingly. In other words, believing that the time for clicking had not yet arrived, they relaxed their teaching. I believe that could well have had something to do with the late blooming in hindsight. (As an aside, 2 of the 3 moms ended up having another child who never bloomed because of LD s. They are now working hard (and spending megabucks) to get their children on track. I asked a friend of mine who s taught public school in 3rd-5th grade for 28 years how many kids she s seen who struggle through 1st and 2nd and then suddenly click in 3rd-5th grades. She s known none. I think it s time for the homeschooling community to take a good, hard, logical look at the belief that it s okay to wait until a child is 10 or 11 before worrying about anything being wrong. On professionals: Seeking help from a professional does not mean that you are relegating control of your child s schooling;rather, you are getting a consultation to help you make the best decisions you can, and be the best teacher you can. You can decide to let a professional intervene, as in tutoring, or you can just make use of their data. You can decide whether what she is saying makes sense or not for your child. Some people fear that seeking professional help increases one s chances of being reported to CPS. While I think there is reason to take into account the rather unchecked power of CPS, I think we can get a skewed perspective of risk because in the homeschooling community, many hear about HSLDA s horror stories, but we don t get a newsletter with all the positive contributions professionals make in the lives of homeschooling children. Your best bet is to know your professionals. Ask around in your community and learn about people s reputations. You might try contacting HSLDA to see if they have suggestions in your area if that would make you comfortable. In recommending making early use of professionals, I am not saying that networking with other parents is not also an excellent source of information and support. I am saying that we shouldn t avoid professionals. ~~con't~~

This is an appeal from the heart to my sisters and brothers in the homeschooling community. Many children and families in the homeschooling community are needlessly suffering because of some of our widely accepted beliefs that are closer to myth than to reality. The children that I ache for are those with learning problems. You may prefer to call them learning differences or disabilities, but these are kids who are not learning at the expected level for their age group even with adequate instruction. The advice often given by the homeschooling community when the mother or father begins to search for answers can lead to heartache. To simplify, I d like to use the analogy of a cake recipe. Often there are variations that change the flavor of a basic recipe. To keep this simple, the gender of the parent will be female, and the child male. The basic recipe calls for: One child, somewhere around the age of 5-6 eager to learn. Unbeknownst to anyone, he has specific learning disabilities. One homeschooling mom, wanting to provide the very best in education for her child, eagerly looking for curriculum suggestions, reading books, optimistic about what she can provide. Like every loving parent, she wants her child to be normal and it will be sorrowful to her to find that her child has an actual problem, that he is not just like other kids. Please note: mom and student are the same in either variation. It s the way the homeschooling community responds that changes the outcome of the cake. Variation 1: Heartbreak cake Once the mother begins to notice, or even intuit problems, she begins to ask around for help. This particular cake calls for a homeschooling community that will add the following: 2 scoops of advice such as better late than early, or many kids don t click till age 10-11 1 cup of mistrust of professionals; for those who like a less spicy version, this can be the do-it-yourself-ism that is a strength at times of homeschooling;for a spicier version, add fear that that CPS will end up involved if you pursue help Make sure the homeschool community bowl is free of any oil of early warning signs of learning disabilities. Even a small pinch of this can result in celebration cake instead (see below) 7 teaspoons of encouragement to switch curriculum as the answer If the batter begins to bubble, continue adding reassurances that her kid will eventually get it and be just fine; if that still doesn t work, add a few more tsps. of encouragement to switch curriculum Add one scoop of fear of formal labeling. Natural labeling will occur as the cake bakes over the next few years. (Choice of flavors is typically determined by the child; most common variety is stupid ) Bake another 4-6 years or longer if desired, until age 10-12 or longer, waiting for the click. If there is no click, you ll have heartbreak cake: a child who has labeled himself stupid, bad, and /or weird and who feels so bad about himself that the original LD is no longer the major problem; a child who may have passed the optimal window for remediation; or who has given up. This cake will likely be glazed by deep parental guilt. * (Note: if you ve baked this cake and didn t mean to, good news at the end. I am in no way condemning you as the parent. I am trying to prevent other heartbreak cakes.) Variation 2 : Celebration cake: To the same basic recipe, as the mother begins to notice, or even intuit problems, and begins to ask around for help, this cake calls for a homeschooling community that will add the following: 10 scoops of affirmation to trust your own sense of things as a mother and teacher that something is wrong, even if you can t put your finger on it 1 scoop of information about early red flags of learning disabilities 3 cups of networking about effective therapies and strategies 2 spoonfuls of encouragement that seeking help is not a sign of failure, and that professionals can be a homeschoolers best friend No traces of better late than early or late bloomer myths oil in the bowl; this can cause celebration cake to not peak to its highest potential and to revert to heartbreak cake. If you see traces of the myth oil above, add one Pascal s wager: if there is nothing wrong, and you get an evaluation, you will have wasted only time and money, and gotten some reassurance. If there are specific learning disabilities present, and you wait till it clicks, you cannot give your child back those lost years, your child will likely have emotional repercussions, you may well have missed the best window of opportunity for remediation, and your child s future may be negatively impacted. Which is riskier? If fear of labeling begins to emerge in the batter, add 1 scoop of reality: if your child is different, he will be labeled, by himself and his peers, at least. His labels will be stupid, bad , and/or weird . Adults may throw in lazy or disobedient . The formal labels of learning disability, sensory integration, Asperger s etc. explain what is happening, help the child know he isn t uniquely defective and help you identify strategies. (((hugs))) to a parent who may be facing the grief of acknowledging that her child is not normal Baking time: no longer than age 7 to begin the process of seeking help; bake for shorter period if problems show up in preschool; after this initial period, turn the heat down slightly and bake as long as it takes, using all the strategies gathered formally and informally, professional help and whatever else it takes Voila! Celebration cake! A child who would have struggled through life under other circumstances, but who in the very special oven of homeschooling has had his strengths emphasized, and his education tailored specifically to him. He may have totally overcome his learning disabilities, or he may have been helped to learn effective strategies to navigate around them. Some notes: Following the notes are some early warning signs If you are a parent reading this, and you realize that you have a heartbreak cake on your hands, I know that you will grieve. Please don t spend a lot of time in guilt. There is still much that can be done. I believe in a God who can redeem even our mistakes and make something beautiful happen. But if you ve got a child who is 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 . and you are just realizing that there is not going to be the magic click run, don t walk, to get help. Please get an evaluation, and if you are starting this process at this point, consider some professional tutoring or coaching to help you get things on track. A book that you will find encouraging: One Mind at a Time by Mel Levine. Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz is another that is helpful, but you ll have to ignore her belief that only professionals can help a child learn to read. Please also consider putting the energy that you might have put into guilt into preventing this from happening to other families. If you are a parent beginning to teach a child to read, check out Overcoming Dyslexia from your library. I think it should have been better titled, Preventing Reading Problems. It will have some useful information for you, too. If you are a parent reading this, and you sense you could have heartbreak cake in the making, please get some help. Here are some places to start: Where to go for help: Post on the special needs board; you ll find the moms and some professionals who post there very helpful. If you suspect something on the autism spectrum, developmental disabilities, or something very unusual, see if there is a Center for Development and Learning near you. These are often associated with teaching hospitals, and can be one stop shops. If your child demonstrates oversensitivity, stimulus seeking, fine motor skills problems, and/or physical clumsiness, go to an occupational therapist. Problems in speech and language, or for young children having problems with rhyme, see a Speech and Language Pathologist. Learning disability: some psychologists, reading specialists, educational evaluators all can do some of the relevant testing. For reading disabilities, getting an individual achievement test such as the Woodcock Johnson, or Woodcock Reading Mastery Test should be in the $75 range, and give you some good information. The public school system provides free testing for children not yet of school age. I believe it is up to the state or in some states, local districts, as to whether they will test school age children who don t attend. I ll post a link of relevant federal law that also includes a list of advocacy organizations by state. ~~con't~~

Have we had this posted over here on the new board? If not, does anybody have it handy?

I'm so sorry, dear. There are no words to help, just praying for God's comfort to surround you now.

Any of you attending a conference this year? I'd like to attend this one: http://www.arkansashomeschool.org/convention.asp?ConventionID=21

Yesterday, our ST was here and she related to me part of a recent conference she attended. The guest speaker was Taylor Crowe. He's a 26yo young man with autism. One of the things his parents did was to ask all of the teachers, friends, parents of friends, coaches, etc. to help them with social situations. They must be trusted friends, etc. They just said, "If my ds does something that out of the ordinary or strange, please just tell him what the right way to handle that situation socially."

Michelle, No help, but you just described my 12yo ds. :001_huh:

Shurley Grammar does this. :001_smile:

We have had to put away at least one curriculum for each of the reasons you've stated as a choice. :glare:

I have read through this post and have agreed with so many books mentioned. I have also added to my 'must read' list! This book is my biggest single impact: Victory Over the Darkness by Neil Anderson. Hands down!

The plan looks like this: Tapestry of Grace year 1 (history, literature, geography, worldview) Apologia Physics ChalkDust Algebra II (geometry last year) Spanish II Economics/Health IEW Gov't Latin Road to Eng Grammar II Argumentation from Teaching Co. These last three things need to be finished up. Not sure what we will replace them with. I'd love to enroll ds in a dual enrollment class this year. We'll see.

We tested today too. I'm in the same state. This year was different than last year. Last year we tested for three days. They were tested for Reading, Lang Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies and probably some others I'm forgetting. This year it was just Reading, Lang Arts and Math. It is great to be finished.

We use VO5. It was recommended by our hair stylist.

I know that not many of you know me, but I just had to comment when I read your subject line. I have said the very same thing about History. :willy_nilly: In our meager homeschool career (not so meager, 11 years) I've tried Sonlight, TruthQuest History, Greenleaf, and one that I can't remember the name. :glare: I've been with TOG for four years now. TOG is so versatile! It does move quickly, especially year two. If we fell into something we enjoy, we'll just take an extra week. I use SOTW as a spine for my youngers and assign the reading for the olders. Love it!

Laurie, Thank you for this! I can't wait to dig through this with my ds in mind! :001_smile:

Hello Ladies, In reading the 'do you have your plans together?' thread, I noticed that many of you are having your youngers doing copywork. What exactly do you use? Is it always the same length passage? How long for, say, a 2nd grader? Also, I'd love to look at some real time schedules; especially from you moms of many. How do you do something two days and something else for three days, etc? I am a chronic planner but am a disabled scheduler - odd combination! Lastly, I'd like to bring attention to the fact that I now own 50 posts! :thumbup: Thank you for your advice.

Here's another science option: Life Science with Real Books http://www.booknestguides.com/science/life/life.html We enjoyed the Stratton House Science kits too. I have succumbed to the history, though. As great as TOG is, it is all consuming. Science just happens at our house, but I find that I have to teach history.

We absolutely loved TQH! I so admire Michelle Miller. But we were spending too much time reading history. <as I type that, I wonder if that's possible> We decided to get something with more of a schedule. We went with Tapestry of Grace.

I just want to say that you have all given me much to research and I'm not ignoring you or anything, just busy loving my guys. :D

Janice, I want to apologize for asking so personal a question here about your husband! I misread your post as a dx for your dS. I suspect my dh of being ADHD, he also has many strengths and I understand where you are coming from! :001_smile:

Ottakee, He can read, it just takes him a while. By the time he gets a sentence out, he's put forth so much effort and taken so much time, he has no idea what he's read and neither do I. He performs well but forgets easily. If I ask him to chunk up a word, it takes a while, but he can usually get it as long as the vowels don't prove to be an exception. I can quiz him on his spelling words, spelling bee style and he will get them all right 99% of the time. If I give him dictation sentences on the same words, he misses about 60%. Does treatment of ADD Inattentive involve like ritalin? We've tried caffeine and it seems to give him a boost. He always did better with his BrainSkills when he had a little Mt. Dew before the lesson.