Growing In Grace

100 resources for Homeschooling ADHD, Dyslexia

October 30, 2018Tracy2 Comments

Our homeschool is creative chaos, a constant series of ups and downs, highs and lows. And I love it. I love homeschooling ADHD, creating that specialized education plan that fits who they are. I love how homeschooling dyslexia allows me to progress at my child’s pace, to piece together resources that are the perfect combination. I love to see my children with learning differences LOVE learning. That’s not to say that it’s always easy. There are definite challenges. But what many people don’t realize is the vast amount of resources available both to help you understand ADHD & dyslexia and to help you succeed at homeschooling ADHD & Dyslexia.

From books and ecourses, blogs and printables, fidgets and curriculum options—here is your go-to list with over 100 resources for homeschooling ADHD/dyslexia, and everything that comes with it.

100+ resources for homeschooling ADHD, dyslexia

5 Surprising Benefits of Teaching Typing Early

October 23, 2018Tracy

For each of my kids, I’ve started teaching typing early, as soon as they’ve got the basic idea of letters making words and words making sentences. Why so early? Shouldn’t I just focus on reading and writing?

Teaching typing is my stealth-mom way of sneaking in a few reinforcing lessons to all that I’m teaching them in reading and writing; it’s kind of like sneaking the veggies into the pasta sauce. Here are the 5 surprising benefits I’m sneaking into their day by teaching typing early.

5 Surprising Benefits of Teaching Typing Early

A tour of my Homeschool Planner (plus, a free download!)

October 1, 2018Tracy

I’ve tried a number of different homeschool planner options through the years, and it always seems that there is something that bugs me.

I can’t do my planning online; it has to be on paper.
I don’t like the feeling of my pen scratching across cheap paper.
I hate large planners; the 8×11 planners are just too big and clunky.
And I hate plain and ugly; I need something beautiful if I’m going to be successful.
I don’t prefer days of the week on the planner, since our homeschool week doesn’t include the traditional Monday through Friday schedule.

Maybe I’m a planner-snob, but I just know if I’m going to be faithful to use something every day to plan, it has to be something I enjoy using. Because I’ve had so much trouble finding something that fits all my criteria, I finally took some time last winter and made my own homeschool planner. I’ve loved it! My homeschool planner is so much fun that I’m actually disappointed when I’ve got all my planning done. I spend a few minutes wondering if there is anything else I could possibly write down.

Here’s a look at what’s included in my homeschool planner (and info on how to get it for free) as well as how I set up and use my planner.

Seventh Grade Homeschool Curriculum for a Classical Charlotte Mason education

August 15, 2018Tracy

My young seventh grader is highly motivated with exceptional language skills. He thrives on challenge and uses his ADHD firing-on-all-cylinders brain to explore a variety of subjects and interests. Last year, he tackled Latin, Greek, and Spanish completely of his own volition. He loves to code on Scratch, play guitar, build in woodshop, write novels, and read voraciously. Choosing his seventh grade homeschool curriculum is always fun because he always so enthusiastic.

Fifth Grade Homeschool Curriculum for ADHD and Dyslexia

August 14, 2018Tracy

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from homeschooling dyslexia is to teach my child, not a grade level or a curriculum. I’m learning to just do the next thing, regardless of what the level is or what the number on the cover of the book says. I look closely at what my daughter is capable of, what the scope and sequence charts recommend, and what the table of contents show. Yes, I may look at a placement test, but the fact is my daughter doesn’t always test well. So these aren’t 100% accurate either. I have to do my research. But the result is a fifth grade homeschool curriculum that challenges her appropriately while inspiring her and instilling her with confidence that she CAN do it.

Our fifth grade homeschool curriculum for her is a mix of resources ranging from 3rd grade in some areas to 4th/5th grade in others, a customized learning plan for her success. And we are excited about it.

Our Classical-Charlotte Mason homeschool curriculum for ADHD & Dyslexia

August 13, 2018Tracy

Creating a curriculum plan to fit my wild spectrum of learning needs plus the educational values and goals that we believe in can be quite an enormous undertaking, and one I’m constantly evaluating. I believe our family’s ADHD and dyslexia is a gift, not just a struggle, giving my kids unique strengths and perspectives. Can a dyslexic child pursue a literature-rich education? Absolutely! But I can’t force it to look like everyone else’s. Can a child with ADHD handle the rigors of a classical education? Absolutely! The discipline teaches some great skills to my kids with executive function challenges, but it also has to accommodate their creativity and need to move—energy under control. A Classical-Charlotte Mason homeschool curriculum is the perfect combination for our ADHD/dyslexia family.

Classically, we’ll be studying the same time period together this year as part of our four year rotation (Early Modern: Colonial to Pioneers). While my oldest delves deeply into the logic stage, I’ll be keeping my fifth grader at the grammar stage, continuing to lay foundations for her and allowing her to make connections at her own pace. Here’s what our Classical-Charlotte Mason homeschool curriculum looks like at each level.

First Grade Homeschool Curriculum for a struggling starter

August 13, 2018Tracy

My first grader is an active guy who loves nature study and the outdoors. And while he loves listening to a story, reading on his own has been quite a struggle. Remembering letter sounds and sequencing those sounds has been a challenge, and his writing skills were such a painful struggle last year. In the back of my mind, I’m wondering about dyslexia and/or dysgraphia, since it runs in our family. But I’m waiting to see how much is just developmental. After all, even if I knew for sure, there wouldn’t be anything in my current approach that I would change.

I’m customizing his reading and writing curriculum to match his struggle. I’m using the resources and strategies that helped his sister with her dyslexia challenges, and I’m making adjustments to fit his needs and his pace rather than strictly adhering to grade level. All the screenings for him have indicated an elevated risk for dyslexia but not profoundly so. It’s going to be a year of just doing the next thing and seeing what happens. Our first grade homeschool curriculum choices reflect this struggling start and the tension between his strengths and his weaknesses.