homeschooling ADHD Archives - Page 2 of 7

ADHD & Dyslexia Summer Reading Recommendation

June 14, 2019Tracy

I was compensated for my time reviewing this product, 
writing this review, and hosting the giveaway. 
I was not compensated for my opinions, and all opinions are my own.

Homeschooling a child with learning disabilities is no small task, but perhaps the hardest part of it is facing down all those fears that what I’m doing won’t be enough, or that I might even make our struggles worse. Part of my strategy for facing these fears is knowledge: I read a lot. Each summer, I spend a portion of my summer reading on “professional development,” just a couple of books that help me to understand my kids (and husband) better. Specifically, that means I’ve always got at least a couple of books on my ADHD-dyslexia summer reading list. This year, one of those books was Helping your Child with Language-Based Learning Disabilities by Daniel Franklin.

Honestly, this book easily made it into the list of my top five on the topic. It’s encouraging, positive, and filled with great info! Best of all, I love that his approach focuses so much on relationship.

Parenting ADHD: Appreciating your child when you can’t enjoy the moment

June 12, 2019Tracy

There are moments in parenting that are amazing, that fill you with admiration for your child and with wonder that you have the privilege to be in his or her little life. There are sweet, cuddly moments filled with all the warm fuzzies we mommies dream of. And then there are other moments, moments when parenting is hard, moments that make you question everything in your life. Parenting ADHD, much less multiple children with ADHD, is filled with both moments. In one moment, I am in awe at the imagination, energy, and innovation of my kids, absolutely stunned by the 50+ million thoughts a day that pour out of their brains. And then there are moments that rock my world, that shake the core of all by beliefs, and I’m left in the ruins of impulsivity and emotional dysregulation. Parenting ADHD is awesome! And parenting ADHD is stinking hard.

Then comes the sage advice to “enjoy the moment” because they grow up so fast. But honestly, there are some parenting moments that I just can’t enjoy. Some moments, honestly, we just survive. So how do you appreciate your child, even when you can’t enjoy the moment?

5 Ways to Appreciate Your Child When You Can’t Enjoy the Moment

Our experience with Heart of Dakota (pros and cons)

February 21, 2019Tracy

This past year, I decided to break from the curriculum we’d been using from the very beginning and try a few new things. I was trying to find relief during a particularly busy stage of life, and trying to wrap my head around my son’s 7th grade year and his changing academic needs. So we took a detour from Tapestry of Grace and tried Heart of Dakota for a few months.

All in all, we used Heart of Dakota (three different guides) for about 14-18 weeks, one child going a little further than the others. I dropped my youngest’s guide first: the pace was just too slow. Months into the program, and our Pilgrims still hadn’t left Holland. Compared to what we were used to (Story of the World and Tapestry), it felt like a snail’s pace, and my voracious first grader wanted more. So did I.

I hung on a little longer with the older two, trying to adapt the guide and make changes that fit us best. But the Heart of Dakota guides really aren’t made for the kind of customizing I was wanting. The changes made the guide confusing; it was just too restrictive for our style. So here’s a little more about Heart of Dakota, and why we ended up right back where we started—with Tapestry of Grace.

4 small adjustments to your homeschool year (that make a BIG difference)

December 11, 2018Tracy

My daughter’s dyslexia has created a lot of anxiety for her over the years, which means a lot of meltdowns during a homeschool day and week. Homeschooling a child with learning anxieties is no small feat. In fact, this summer we couldn’t even discuss the start of school without my daughter emotionally shutting down for the rest of the day. I knew we needed to make big changes this year, but I’ve been surprised at how small the adjustments were that created those big changes. Little by little, we’ve tackled our homeschooling in different ways to try to help her in this area, each year making more progress. And this year, it’s been the best yet.

The adjustments we’ve made this year were largely due to some of my summer reading, particularly a book called The Self-Driven Child. (Check out more reading suggestions on homeschooling ADHD here.) I loved this book because it helped me to understand her stress and the remedy—giving her more control. The 4 small adjustments that have made such big changes to our homeschool year largely include giving my child more control of her day, not necessarily more independence but more control. Here’s what that looked like for us.

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

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.