Category Archives: Special education

Top Tips for Home Educating Any Child

Christian Education, Homeschooling, Special education, Special Needs Homeschooling, , , ,

 

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by Heather Walton

If you are considering homeschooling, just starting out, or burning out, check out the following tips for homeschooling any child.

  1. Relax. You don’t have to do it all. You don’t have to do it all right now. You don’t have to do it all at the same time. Enjoy your children’s childhood with them.
  2. Make a list of goals for each child and check it at intervals. Include spiritual, academic, social, emotional, physical, and life skills goals. Check them at predetermined intervals, such as monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly.
  3. Curriculum is a tool. Make it your servant. You are not its slave. You do not have to have prepackaged curriculum. If you choose textbooks or packaged lesson plans, you do not have to do everything that is recommended by the publisher.
  4. Balance is important. Homeschooling takes a lot of time and energy, but you also need time for other things, like housework, errands, and exercise. You may even have a part-time or full-time job. Trying to work on academics 6-8 hours per day is likely to burn you and your child out.
  5. Delegate when possible and practical. Which chores you can teach your children to do? Do you need to partner with tutors or homeschool enrichment programs, such as cottage schools or cottage schools? Are there things that other family members, such as Dad, grandparents, or your older children, can teach or model?
  6. Education is not just academics. You can count a variety of things, such as life skills (grocery trips, chores, etc.), social skills training, creative arts, specialty lessons, swimming, exercise, nature walks, therapy sessions, service, theater and museum visits, and more.
  7. Don’t isolate yourself. Find a homeschool support group, in person or online. There are lots of local and national groups on Facebook and elsewhere. Some are even specific to certain ideologies and methodologies. Meet other homeschool families for outings or just to hang out. It helps to know you’re not the only one. On difficult days, you have someone to reach out to for encouragement. You also can bounce ideas off each other.
  8. Invest in homeschool PD (professional development). Give yourself permission to buy books, watch videos and download materials that will help you learn more about homeschooling. You may even want to attend homeschool conferences. If you don’t have a budget for this, there are many blogs and other resources available online for free. Taking time to educate yourself will make you a better homeschool teacher.
  9. Know your state’s laws and follow them. Ask veteran homeschoolers in your state how they comply with the regulations.
  10. Join HSLDA and your state homeschool organization. These groups work hard to keep our homeschool rights intact. They also have many resources available, including consultants in a variety of areas and legal support. I would not consider membership in these organizations optional.

Why homeschool a child with special needs?

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homeschool mom girl 2By Heather Walton

Sometimes parents wonder if they should homeschool a child with special academic, social, or emotional needs. Even if they believe they can properly educate a neurotypical child, they may feel intimidated about working with their children who struggle. Others are considering homeschooling specifically because they have a child who is having difficulty in school. Though homeschooling any child has its challenges, an individualized education can be a delight and a blessing, both to the child and the parent. Here are several reasons to consider home education for a struggling learner:

  1. You can create a program that targets your child’s specific needs. You can remediate those areas of challenge, while also giving him opportunities to do things he’s good at, so he experiences success.
  2. You eliminate the social stigma that comes with being “different.” Often kids (and even teachers) will look down on a student who struggles academically or socially. Unfortunately this is par for the course in many schools.
  3. You can work with your child when she’s at her peak time of day to be successful. You don’t have to keep the same schedule as the schools do. Your state may require a certain amount of hours, but that doesn’t mean you have to work at the same times as the local schools operate.
  4. You can incorporate the educational components that most schools leave out, such as life skills and social skills. These are important for all young people to learn, but even more for struggling learners. Home education provides you the opportunity to spend necessary time on instruction in these vital areas.
  5. Children who need to see therapists and tutors have more time in the schedule to do so, and it counts as part of your home education plan. Often parents of children with special needs spend afternoon and evening hours shuttling exhausted kids to appointments.  However, the sessions would likely be more effective, and the family less frazzled, if they could be fresh for these appointments.
  6. No more fighting over homework after an already long schooldays. Since you can create a tailor-made education program for your child, no need for homework, and hopefully you can have an enjoyable learning experience with your child.
  7. Avoid bullying. Many kids, especially kids who are perceived to be different by their peers, deal with bullying, which is so destructive to a person’s self image. Today, more than ever, bullying presents huge risks, including and up to suicide. It’s not something to mess around with.
  8. Avoid social pressure to conform. Let’s face it: Everyone wants to fit in, and kids with special needs are often tempted more than neuortypical children to do whatever it takes to be accepted.

These are several great reasons to homeschool a child with special needs. The list could go on and on, as reasons are as diverse as are the children we love. Now that we have explored some reasons to homeschool your child, stay tuned for tips on how to successfully work with students who have challenges.

 

Consultation/Coaching Services help maximize your homeschool potential

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561284_511132125589882_1418835041_nHomeschooling is often challenging, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes a helping hand is all you need to go from frazzled to thriving.  A+ Education Solutions offers homeschool consultation/coaching services, working together with you to troubleshoot and create an individualized plan for your family. You may benefit from checking in biweekly, monthly, or just every once in awhile. You might just need a one-time consultation. Having someone to consult with can give you the boost that you need to get a solid start in homeschooling or to stay the course. Coaching takes place in person and online to accommodate your needs. Whatever your need, A+ Education Solutions is here to help. Call 502-438-4680 for details.

How Can A+ Help Me Homeschool?

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I’m done! I guess God doesn’t intend me to homeschool anymore. 

These were my thoughts in 2009, when I just didn’t know how to do it. I had loved homeschooling my daughters for six years, but with two babies, and with the girls getting older and pushing back on me, I decided that season of our lives was over.

I loved teaching, though, so I went back to school and got my Master’s Degree in elementary and special education, and then I taught for the next eight years. I learned many skills and strategies that I wished I would have had when I was homeschooling. Now I am back to homeschooling, this time with my boys and a baby girl.

By no means am I saying that you should have a teaching credential if you’re going to homeschool. However, if you are struggling because you’re overwhelmed with curriculum choices, or because you have a child with learning or behavior issues, it can be helpful to work with someone who has some expertise in strategies and research-based learning.

Over the past eight years, I’ve worked with hundreds of students and families in schools and in private tutoring. Many of those parents struggled to find and educational fit for their children, and many of those children struggled academically, socially, or behaviorally. I have been able to assist those families and students in formulating plans to see academic growth and to increase positive social and behavioral interactions.

Sometimes we just need some informed encouragement. I am able to come alongside you and encourage you to stay the course, and to collaborate with you to formulate a plan for success. Whether you need to evaluate your curriculum options or to have a tutor for a few hours a week (in person or online), I can work with you to meet your family’s individualized needs.

I understand a good deal of what homeschoolers struggle with, because I’ve lived it. And I have children with special needs and academic challenges. So as a fellow traveler, I can relate and help you form a workable action plan. If this sounds like the thing you need, contact me at heatherpwalton@gmail.com or 502-438-4680.

A+ Education Solutions offers a range of educational services

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I started A+ Education Solutions in 2013 because I had a strong desire to help students who need a little extra help to reach their goals. In the process, I started a cottage school that morphed into a more traditional model of a school, partnered with my husband as he pastors our church, moved, had a baby, had a couple of children leave the nest, taught at another wonderful Christian school, and most recently, realized that I need to return home and center myself there. Through all of it, my mission for a vocation has not changed: I believe God has called me to creatively facilitate Christian education for a diverse population of students.20170612_074936

Though I no longer run Jubilee Academy, the model I began there still lives in my heart. What is that model? Well, for starters, it’s a kinder, gentler model of education — an individualized model, where students are seen as real people who have struggles, but who also have much to offer the world. God created each of us with unique gifts, and those gifts are meant to be shared with the world. However, some people buy into the cultural lie that academics and athletics are the prized intelligences, and that others are inferior. Can you imagine a world without artists, mechanics, electricians, fast food servers, and on and on? Two of the most important jobs in the world are plumbers and trash collectors. Think about that for a moment.

But we all have to get through the academics, at least for 13 years. Some of us really struggle, though. And we just need a helping hand, maybe just for a season, and maybe all the way through. Sometimes the student needs direct help, in the form of tutoring and assessment. Other times, the student needs indirect assistance, such as an IEP advocate at school or homeschool support for his parents. A+ Education Solutions is here to help with these needs. Rates are reasonable and assistance is personalized to your family’s needs. Because I’m focusing on health and family, slots are limited, but there are a few left and I am happy to put others on my waiting list. For more information, email heatherpwalton@gmail.com or text/call 502-438-4680. I look forward to hearing from you!