Reading Without Tears

My youngest son is finally starting to read. He is one of my later readers, but with the older students doing well in school, it has been easy to feel relaxed about it. However, it is one of my goals for this season to get him reading fluently. Once a student is reading, they can move much more easily into independent learning, as well as being equipped to absorb tons of information naturally as they read.

It is also one of my goals to keep learning an active process as long as that is needed, and to keep learning tear free. Some of my son's work involves writing in a workbook (Explode the Code, Cursive Copywork), so for other reading activities I try to incorporate games as often as possible.





Some of these games I have referred to in other posts, but I made up a few new ones this week..



Word Pick Up- My son had dumped a huge tub of Duplos on the floor. I told him that for every word that he could read, I would pick up a Duplo, for every word that he could not read, he would have to pick up a block. It not only got the toys picked up without tears, but it also got lots of reading done.

Obstacle Phonics-Another afternoon with a messy floor, but this time the floor was covered with stuffed animals and a bin of toys. My son set up the toys as an obstacle hop, and for every phonogram he answered correctly he could take a hop forward. If he missed one, he would have to go backwards. He loved the extra challenge of jumping over his toys, and was happy to take his time about getting through the obstacles.

Mosaic Spelling- I had a pencil outline of a heart, and for every word my son spelled on his little chalkboard, I would glue a scrap of paper inside the heart. I explained to him that when the heart was filled in, he would be done with spelling. This helped him focus enough to pay attention to improving letter formation, and helped him see that there would be an end to the task.

None of these activities took me much time in preparation or clean up. The mosaic activity was a left over art project from our history day, that I really wanted him to do as a record of our day. The other two activities helped get toys picked up, and in every case, the reading, and the activity, accomplished dual purposes. Cleanup, exercise, and crafting, all got done along with the reading.



I can't always make reading fun, but when possible, I will take the time to make school an opportunity to build connection, and show my son how well loved he is.

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Resources For Special Needs Homeschooling

Some Great Resources For Parents of Special Kids

1. www.nathhan.org  A lending library, family directory and discussion board are just a few of the resources available here for families with special kids. This Christian ministry also helps match adoptive families with special needs babies.

2. www.hslda.org  Home School Legal Defense Association has counsel at their website for parents of special needs children as well as being a great resource for all your home education questions.

3. Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready by June Oberlander- This book is full of developmental activities for children to age 5 and a list of what is “normal” development.

4. Homeschooling Children With Special Needs by Sharon Hensley- Another book, this one a great overview of how to homeschool a child with special needs.

5. Homeschooling the Challenging Child by Christine Field- One of my favorite books about homeschooling special kids, full of practical advice, checklists and resource lists.

6.Too Wise To Be Mistaken…. by Cathy Steere-  A memoir about one family’s journey through helping an autistic son. It also includes a good list of resources and explains some of the nutritional aspects of special needs as well as giving an overview of the neurodevelopmental approach to helping a child with autism. 

7. The Out Of Sync Child-Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A.- The first book that really gave me insight into my daughter. It includes many exercises to help children overcome hypersensitivity. It also includes an excellent checklist to help parents determine if their children have sensorimotor issues.

8. Healing The New Childhood Epidemics by Kenneth Bock, M.D. - This is a fascinating book which links asthma, autism, adhd and allergies to toxins that children are exposed to as infants. I appreciated the information about the impact food allergies can have on learning and function and I feel it is important for parents to be aware of the connection between nutrition and behavior.

The 2013/2014 Curriculum Plan

I love seeing what other moms are using for curriculum. I can get into a rut of using what we have on hand or have always used. If it is working, it is not worth changing, but it is nice to know what is out there so I can evaluate whether I have the best fit for each child.

I don't have individual Bible for each child this year. My husband has assigned Bible readings for each day and we copy the verse that stands out to us. We also spend the first hour of our school day in worship and Bible reading. We are finishing Long Story Short which we have loved, reading the daily passages and looking for the next Bible curriculum. My second daughter is also in a Kay Arthur study group on the book of Revelation.

I also haven't listed reading selections. The older three are voracious readers, and with the next 3 I am assigning special books that they have not yet read. I usually assign books that go along with the history curriculum for the year but since this year is a special focus on art history, we are changing that routine a bit by just filling in some of the books that are important to us.

This year's plan for our family,

4 yr old (boy)

Explode The Code- Get Set for The Code

Handwriting Without Tears, Letters and Numbers For Me

Little Giant Steps-a wonderful multi sensory math program for preschool

Lots of good picture books, and listening in on our Bible, science and art studies.

SWR phonogram flash cards

Playing with puzzles, coloring, play dough and other fine motor skill activities

Swimming, going to the park, and other large motor skill activities

Calendar time, crafts and Bible verse memorization

6 yr old  (girl)

Math U See Beta

Explode The Code 41/2

Spelling Power Book A-freebie busywork for days I don't get to spelling

Handwriting Without Tears, Cursive Success

Reading-Rod and Staff Readers only, BJU Heritage Studies 1

Apologia Elementary Science- Swimming Creatures with Jr Notebook

How Great Thou Art-Barry Stebbing

Drawing With Children-Mona Brookes

Mommy It's a Renoir

English For The Thoughtful Child

Spell To Write and Read

10 yr old (boy)

Teaching Textbooks Grade 6 Math

Daily Grams, Grade 6 (We started with Rod and Staff Grammar Grade 5 but it was not working with him)

IEW Writing, Finishing All Things Fun and Fascinating and then picking another book by them.

Handwriting Without Tears, Can Do Cursive

SWR Spelling

Apologia Elementary Science, Swimming Creatures

How Great Thou Art

Abeka World History

Various Literature Selections, He just finished Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis and will start Treasure Island by R.L. Stevenson next.


13 yr old (boy)

Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1

Rod and Staff Grammar (gr. 6)

IEW writing

Apologia General Science

Understanding the Times (Worldview's)

Latin's Not So Tough

15 yr old (boy)

This year he is taking three classes at a local Jr. College. He goes twice a week with an older sister who is graduated.

Algebra 1 (Jr. College)

Elementary Music Theory (Jr. College)

Political Science, Constitution (Jr. College)

Apologia Chemistry (home)

Bob Jones Spanish 2 (home)

18 yr old (girl)

For our second daughter who has learning difficulties we chose to use a charter school this year. She just turned 18 (today) and we wanted to get the testing done and possible diagnosis before she graduates. We have done lots of private testing and therapy but wanted her to have the opportunity to go on to college or get work with the adaptations she may need. There is a lot of pressure in the charter to pass the high school exit exam, because of this, the charter has added lots of work. We are in line for private tutoring and testing for special needs so when that comes through it may prove to have been worth the hassle.

Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1

Holt Grammar 6 (charter, 12th grade grammar)

Holt Literature

ELA workbook (for exit exam)

Math workbook (for exit exam)

Abeka Health


The oldest children go to martial arts twice a week which helps with covering physical education. The 6 year old does ballet, I wanted her to learn to be graceful before she learned how to gouge someones eye out.

We also have the oldest 6 children in piano, voice or guitar lessons. However, I am terrible about enforcing music practice so our progress, until they start practicing on their own is slow.  Thankfully, several of them want to learn, and take the time to practice.

I am sure I have forgotten something, I was up till midnight making a birthday banner, baking a paleo pumpkin breakfast cake, consulting with my daughter on her anthropology homework and washing my husband's jeans. Life with little ones and college students is very busy, but very fun and fulfilling.

Happy Homeschooling!

An Extra Busy School Day

This is the beginning of a completely different school year for us. I have 6 students this year and to my great joy, after nearly a year of being mostly gone with work and Bible School, my oldest daughter is home to go to college as well. Today was a really big day for all my students. My 19 and 15 year old offspring left at 6:15 am for their first day of college. Meanwhile my second daughter was at her volunteer job this morning while I did school with the youngest four. In between reading aloud, checking school work and cajoling the four year old to pick up the Duplos he had scattered throughout the school area, I made a batch of paleo pumpkin bread and tidied the house for our upcoming visit from my daughter's educational specialist.

For our second daughter I am using a charter school this year, which is a big leap in a different direction for me. I have consistently resisted government oversight in my schoolroom. I don't want to burden my kids with tests when they could be designing amazing projects or immersing themselves in quality literature, but with my second daughter nearly 18 and nearly out of school, I decided it was finally time to seek a label for her learning difficulties, mainly so she could get some extra help if she chooses to go to college.

Busy Students

We spent an hour with the E.S., going over forms and talking about the tests, yes, tests that my lovely girl would have to pass to get a diploma, while the younger four quietly played with Lego's. We then rushed out the door to speech therapy where we sat for an hour reading books and playing games until big sister was done. After a quick stop at Trader Joe's we hurried to relieve a friend of her children for a special night out and then home to get the lowdown on the older students' first day at school. I perused the stacks of assignments my children would be required to hand in this month, put away the groceries and then headed to the park with a combined total of 6 children under 12.

The Baby

It was a day that highlighted lots of changes. The biggest change is the realization that my older children are not going to be quite as available to work on family projects and help with little ones while they are busy working to finish their education. These older ones have been a big help, and for a few years now I have had built in babysitters for doctor's appointments, quick shopping trips and even the occasional pedicure. Having to adjust back to an earlier time when I only had young children and had to take them on every appointment and errand I was doing is a good way of also realizing that I need to develop some better sitting skills in the young ones.  Raising children who can both manage a home and handle a challenging class is a manageable feat, but it may have to happen in separate seasons.

Eight Great Resources for Parents of Special Needs Kids

#1 www.nathhan.org 

A lending library, family directory and discussion board are just a few of many resources here for families with special kids

#2 www.hslda.org  

Home School Legal Defense Association has counsel at their web site for parents of special needs children

#3 www.avcsbooks.com

Sharon Hensley has 28 years of experience counseling home school families with special needs kids. Her ministry includes book sales, a private umbrella school and counseling.

#4 www.help-with-learning.com

Help with Learning Neuroeducational Consulting is dedicated to helping children and adults reach their full God given potential.
They provide testing and a home program of activities to help children with a variety of disabilities.

#5 Homeschooling The Challenging Child

This book by Christine Field is one of my favorites for home schooling special kids. Full of practical advice, checklists and resource lists.

#6 Too Wise To Be Mistaken, Too Good To Be Unkind

Cathy Steere writes a memoir about helping her autistic son. It includes a good resource list as well as an overview of the neurodevelopment approach.

#7 The Out of Sync Child

Carol Stock Kranowitz writes this wonderful book which includes many exercises to help children overcome sensory difficulties. It includes helpful checklists.

#8 Healing The New Childhood Epidemics 

Kenneth Bock’s fascinating book which links autism, asthma, ADHD and allergies to toxins that children are exposed to. I especially appreciated the information about the impact food allergies have on learning as well as the nutritional information.