Question: “I am a homeschooling mother of 4, (ages 7-12). I’m at a loss as to how to homeschool my son Nathan, who is 12 years old.  He’s behind in everything. It takes him all day to do his work. He freezes when he looks at his math papers. It takes him forever to write anything.  I know he’s smart, but he says he’s “dumb.”  I want him to be an independent learner, but don’t know how to get him there.”

 

Answer:  It sounds like Nathan has shut down on school work, and is giving up.  He is doing this because he doesn’t have any other strategies to move on past the “stuck” phase.  This is  the exact population I taught in my 6th, 7th and 8th grade Resource Room.  I called it my “Intensive Care Unit.”  All my students had given up on learning.  In spite of good parents, teachers, and effort on the student’s part, they met with more failure than success.  I knew that I needed to do something different than was going on in the regular classroom, using regular curriculum. They needed what I call, “Healing Teaching.”

 

What is Healing Teaching?

 

Healing Teaching is a teaching method in which the teacher comes along -side a child and gives him learning strategies.  It teaches the child how to use his brain, by modeling this with him. It sets up each lesson to ensure immediate success.  It takes many baby steps towards that success.  There is no “getting behind”, because the work is done together in a finite amount of time, with the goal to learn the material…not necessarily to do all the problems, or all the worksheets.  

 

The content of the grade level is never compromised, but the method of teaching is turned “upside down.”  As they are gently led to the right answers (and wrong answers ignored, versus pointed out), they begin to relax, and enjoy learning, and become confident in their ability to learn.  This is why I referred to it as my Intensive Care Unit.  I saw these wonderful students as having a severe case of the “learning flu”.  This process can easily be done at home, even with other siblings to teach.

 

Examples of Healing Teaching Methods

 

Leading to Correct Answers
We are going to use gentle methods to lead them to the correct answers.  For example, in my Remedial Reading class, my students came into the room, and folded their arms; resistant to any reading aloud, or any phonics program.  What to do?  I took away the non-essential parts of decoding…such as writing, tiles or remembering rules.  I wrote long words on an overhead transparency with the “decoding unit” that we were working on in color in the long word. I also had a picture of the decoding unit, and the sound it gave, taped on the overhead transparency.  If a student sounded out the word incorrectly, but used the decoding unit (like “au”) correctly (remember we had the “au” over the picture of a saw), I would say, “I agree with the first part of the word, now let’s look at that tricky last part. Then I would re-write the last part on the transparency, and we would see if we could find a little word in a big word, or some other strategy.  When we did that, the student found he could always decipher the word correctly. We never went on until we had questioned (together) each part of the word to see how we could tackle it (not a fast method…but a healing method). Their confidence grew, and after a week or so, they were asking to have a chance at the longest word in the list for the day.  You can see how by the end of the year they all tested two years ahead in reading!

 

Jazzy Spelling
Spelling was always hard for them.  So I showed them how to use their wonderful photographic memory.  We took the longest word, like “psychology” and jazzed up the letters, giving funny meaning, color, and even blood on some of them.  In only one session they found that they could not only spell that word, and the other words we were working on forwards, but they could just as easily spell them backwards. Using Healing Teaching they learned to believe in themselves as learners as they had the secret strategy to easy spelling.

 

Paragraph Blobs
Writing paragraphs or papers was not easy for them.  We tackled this job together. No workbooks, worksheets or curriculum.  We did this together on the board. We came up with an easy topic, drew “blobs” to put our ideas in, added one word reminders of sentences, and then added the transitions to this Right Brain Webbing method.  The students found that the paper practically wrote itself.   

 

Careful Correcting
When we were done, we “corrected them together” using an overhead transparency.
At first, they were terrified of this process, and did not want their paper to be used.  But, then they saw what I meant by “correcting”.  I began by giving them points for every good thing they had on the paper.  For example, if they started with a capital letter, they got a point, had an adjective in the sentence, they got a point, ended with a period, they got a point.  I read it out loud, ignoring any spelling errors, and just pointing out the good thoughts, words, or grammar, and giving points for all of that. At the end we added up the points together for prizes (like gum)…they loved it.  

 

Harvesting Mistakes
They soon were adding many adjectives to their sentences, and more sentences, until we were doing multiple paragraphs.  What did I do with their misspellings (which were numerous)?  I “harvested” them.  That means I made mental notes of the spelling words that we were going to put in our spelling list the next week, and “jazz up” the troublesome letters. They were beginning to feel smart, as they wrote longer, more sophisticated papers each week.

 

Nathan’s Success
Nathan’s mom reports that just by doing the math on a white board (no video or workbook), modeling how to do them and then making a “template” to put on the wall, that she saw Nathan smile all day.  He was getting things right without having to cross out a checklist in a workbook. Mom said she wanted to cry and even put it in capital letters in her email, “SMILING.”

 

Grace’s Success
Grace’s mom wrote me about her 15 year- old daughter who was having such anxiety about schoolwork that they had to technically stop schooling her because of the tears and frustration. Upon switching to Healing Teaching with each subject, Grace’s mom says that she is now doing all subjects, and enjoying school!

 

Emma’s Success
Emma’s mother contacted us because her twelve-year-old was spending a lot of time crying during the school day.   She was frustrated having to re-do her workbooks or because she was experiencing trouble remembering how to do a math problem she had just learned the day before.  We sent Emma’s mom a plan to switch Emma’s school day to include the subjects she needed, but with an entirely “healing” way to teach her, leading her to the right answer each time.  

 

Her mother called, and Emma told me that she now likes to do school.  She likes to write paragraphs, and loves spelling with her photographic memory.  She is remembering how to do her math problems because her mom has made a zany “template” of each process and kept it on the wall.  Her mom found the secret to helping Emma feel smart.  

 

Mom made the statement that she had to do an entire “paradigm shift”.  It is difficult to adjust to teaching to success by ignoring mistakes. But, pointing them out tends to wound our already wounded kids. Of course, we eventually want to correct the mistakes, but we wait until the next day, and incorporate that in the lesson, without pointing out the error.  This keeps the healing going.

 

Long-Term Success
We don’t have to do this forever; in fact, not usually for more than a year. Then they can go back to regular learning.  No more “getting stuck” for these guys!  Experience a “Success-Driven” school year.  It’s easy!

 

To see more of Dianne’s resources, visit

www.diannecraft.org

 

 


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It’ that time of year again, when everything is pumpkin flavored, field trips consist of visits to apple orchards, corn mazes, and pumpkin patches…and school starts to develop a routine.

 

I am all for routine, and so are most of our special education homeschooled kids, but sometimes it’s nice to add a touch of the season to our school lessons.  So, if you’re feeling the need to add some seasonal flair to your special education homeschooling, here are 20 ways to add some fall spice to your schedule.

 

20 Fall Special Education Homeschooling Activity Links

  1. Fall Candy Science – Ideas on how to use candy corn for a variety of STEM activities
  2. 10 Fall Movement & Sensory Activities – Both inside and outside fall activities
  3. Pumpkin Craft for Speech Activities – Craft and activity that can be used to work on any speech goals
  4. Fall Themed OT Activities – 30 fall activities to choose from to add a seasonal theme to your home-based OT
  5. Fall & Thanksgiving Themed Unit Study – Ideas for fall and Thanksgiving books, crafts, activities, studies, writing projects, and games
  6. Why Do Leaves Change Color Science Project – Using just simple things you already have in your yard and house, you can teach this easy seasonal science lesson
  7. Autumn Sensory Story – Lots of links and ideas on how to create a sensory storytelling experience for a child with multiple learning delays and/or who is blind/visually impaired
  8. Halloween Social Stories – 16 different stories to help teach children learn how to deal with Halloween social situations, as well as 2 videos parents will find helpful
  9. Fall Lego Building Challenges – 20 Lego building challenges all based around the fall seasonal theme
  10. Fall Tree Luminaries Craft – Easy craft project that turns basic jars into glowing works of art
  11. Leaf Preservation Ideas – Learn 3 different ways to preserve beautiful fall leaves
  12. Fall Sight Word Scavenger Hunt – Make reading more active, while working on sight-words with this great outdoor scavenger hunt
  13. Scarecrow Alphabet Activity – Help your child work on letter recognition with this fun scarecrow activity you can create with felt, a die and some stickers
  14. 20 Fall Speech and Language Activities – Lots of great fall resources on this post to help you work with your child on speech and language goals
  15. Fall Leaf I Spy Game – Free printable game of Leaf I Spy
  16. 30+ Pumpkin Learning Activities – Great list of many ways to use pumpkins to teaching learning concepts
  17. 40 Fall Fine Motor Activities – Extensive list of ideas on how to incorporate the fall theme into fine motor skills practice
  18. Fall Books for Speech Therapy – Learn how to use 4 popular fall books to work on speech goals
  19. Pumpkin Writing  – This cute craft and writing project will get your child writing with simple prompts what require short answers on how to step by step carve a pumpkin
  20. Fall Unit Study – This study contains ideas on ways to incorporate the fall theme when teaching literature, language, art, math, science, and even history to your child


For more fall SPED homeschooling ideas, make sure to check out our SPED Homeschool Fall Pinterest Board.  There are new pins being added to the SPED Homeschool Pinterest boards every day, so subscribe to all of them so you don’t miss a thing.

 

 


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By Peggy Ployhar

 

Years ago, I pre-programmed a customized workout on my treadmill.  The program I set was extreme.  But, because of the way I modulated the settings and learned to keep my mind off the fluctuating program and instead on a book or movie, I can endure the workout, and burn more calories, than if I had just used one of the pre-set programs.

 

Years ago, I pre-programmed a customized workout on my treadmill.  The program I set was extreme.  But, because of the way I modulated the settings and learned to keep my mind off the fluctuating program and instead on a book or movie, I can endure the workout, and burn more calories, than if I had just used one of the pre-set programs.

 

By varying the speeds and incline, to almost my breaking point, but then quickly having the program alternate the speed and incline to the opposite extreme, the program tricks my body into thinking it’s getting rest at each change.  Additionally, with my mind focused elsewhere than the switch’s timing, the workout can be rather enjoyable as well as rewarding.

 

Circumstances, the Treadmill of Life

God tends to work the same way through my life circumstances.  He pushes me hard enough to reach a peak, and then changes my circumstances to press on me at a different speed and towards a different obstacle. At the same time, He gives me a completely different focus to set my mind on, a promised eternal life with Him (the best story out there if you ask me).

 

Instead of starting and stopping the work-out when the fatigue is too great, God makes calculated changes to continue building my strength and endurance.  This is how we as humans learn best and increase our endurance.  The work-out of life is just that, a work-out.  Our job is to stay on the treadmill no matter what the next change in the program brings and to focus on the reality of a beautiful life yet to come.

 

…be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 15:58

 

Endurance is the Goal

As followers of Christ, we are called to endure, to be steadfast, to keep on walking and to not get discouraged.  In doing what we are called, just putting one foot in front of the other and keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, we grow stronger and learn how to be more like Him while showing people around us God is greater than our circumstances.

 

In looking back, the things I felt were such tough obstacles now look like mole hills in comparison to what I am facing today.  But, I am prepared, because God supplied the training I needed to tackle these mountains, through the workouts of my yesterdays.

 

The Special Education Homeschooling Workout

Some days the task of special education homeschooling seems like an unbearable workout.  The program set for your treadmill of life is daunting to even think about.  And, many days it takes all the energy you have to stay on your feet and keep walking.

 

We at SPED Homeschool understand your struggle.  We have lived through those experiences and still are increasing our stamina and endurance with new struggles we experience on our own homeschooling journeys. This is why we are here for you, not because we have all the answers, but because we have learned some lessons we can share which hopefully will give you encouragement and resources to make your workout just a little bit easier.

 

Together We’ll Endure

Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel or podcast channel, join in our live events or get connected with our SPED Strong Tribes

 

We have new content coming out all the time to help you endure. 

 

Together we can do this. God has set the program, now let us be obedient and show the world how His plan can work as we lean into Him for the strength we need and endure the workout ahead of our children and helping them achieve their own version of success!

 

 


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