When my husband and I began to homeschool our two sons, we discovered the flexibility of homeschooling. We loved that we didn’t have to worry about following a strict timeline of concepts that had to be taught within a certain time frame. Instead, our boys were free to pursue their interests on their own schedule,
After two or three years of researching every curriculum available to homeschooling families and spending lots of money trying out programs that weren’t right for us, I realized how important and difficult the selection process can be. I felt I had an advantage as a special education teacher since I was familiar with a variety
When I was working as a homeschool consultant in the early 1990s, it was my responsibility to guide families through the homeschooling process while simultaneously raising and teaching children with their own exceptional needs (learning disabilities, physical disabilities, emotional or behavioral disorders). The responsibilities ranged from pre and post-assessments, curriculum development and selection, and special
When I began my own homeschooling journey in the late 1980s, I didn’t know anything about how it worked and certainly didn’t know anyone who was homeschooling. This meant I had to get creative in the ways that I did my research. I began talking to local support group leaders, visiting the state homeschooling conference,
When my seven-year-old son was diagnosed with visual-perceptual disorder I found myself seeking answers, hoping not only to understand the diagnosis but to find ways to understand what my son needed from me. When we first received Josh’s diagnosis, I didn’t know what “visual-perceptual disorder” was, and in the midst of the confusion I was
It was 1980; I was fresh out of college and ready to begin my career as a special education teacher. At the time, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) had just made it into the Diagnostic Statistical Manual and was becoming a more popular topic in my new line of work. Since I wasn’t a mom yet,
Longtime homeschool families have likely been acquainted with the A+ TutorSoft product for some time, as the homeschool-centered math learning program provides everything students need to excel in math. However, this great deal just got even greater for our HomeLife Academy families: A+ TutorSoft now offers HLA families 40% off the Family Math Package! This
Every student needs support. Support can look different for everyone, that’s why HomeLife Academy is excited to announce our new partnership with TelePlay Therapy! When we heard about the services offered through this program, we knew they would be a wonderful resource for our homeschool families who may no longer receive therapy benefits through their
Welcome to our “First Glance” blog series written by Trudy Abel! Over the next few weeks we will be featuring different Special Needs topics - introducing you to each concept through the lens of Trudy’s initial experiences with various diagnoses, starting off with Trudy’s unique introduction to homeschooling! Trudy Abel holds a M.A.Ed. in Gifted
I have a learning disability. And I’m actually thankful for it. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the things I never would have grown to understand if everything had been easy for me when it came to my education. Many students struggle with one subject or another. For some kids, it’s reading or even
