Creating a supportive homeschooling environment for your child with dyslexia is important. The benefit of homeschooling is that you can implement strategies to meet your child’s needs. Below are some tips to help you on your journey.
Quiet and organized. Minimize distractions as much as possible. This will help keep your child focused on the assignment in front of them. It is already difficult for them to keep things straight and organized on the page, so make it easier by keeping an organized space. This will look different for every home and for every child. Your child may not even be distracted by what is around them! It will be trial and error to see what visual aids are helpful and which are distracting.
Accessible resources. Keep resources that you need readily accessible. These may be flash cards, reading assistance devices, fidget toys, or teaching manuals. Keeping needed materials close by will help the day go smoothly as well as allow your child to quickly grab what they need without having to look for things. (As we all probably know, looking for things can be quite the delay to school work!)
Your child will benefit from knowing they have what they need close by and that they know how to find it. It will give them peace of mind, responsibility to put it back, and assurance.
Multisensory learning. Incorporate visual, auditory, and hands-on activities into lessons. Use visual flashcards and other cues to help your child see what the concept is. Or, perhaps, your child prefers to listen to the lesson or reading passage. Engage as many senses in your child as you can to help them be involved in their learning. You may find that they benefit with one form of learning than another.
Literacy program. There are several literacy programs available for students with dyslexia. Invest some time into looking into what may work for your child. Orton Gillingham is one and Linda Mood Bell is another. There are more, so see what works best for your child.
When choosing your homeschool curriculum, see if their reading program is phonics-based or sigh tword-based. Phonics-based will be best for dyslexia. Learning phonics helps the child to see how words are built as well as learn spelling rules. Sight words, however, may be more difficult because of the memorization and mixing up words that look similar.
If the homeschool curriculum you have chosen is not phonics-based, don’t feel tied down to choose reading from it. You can use a reading program from a different curriculum while still using math, language arts, etc. from the curriculum you are comfortable with.
Interactive learning. Incorporate as much interactive learning as you can into your child’s learning. Leaving them with just a workbook to complete assignments may not be the most effective. Students with learning disabilities tend to learn best with engaging and interactive learning. This will look different for every family, but I will share some ideas.
Use hands-on manipulatives when possible. For example, consider using Scrabble letters to teach your child spelling or using colored paper to help identify phonetic blends (writing ch on a red piece of paper, for example).
Engaging with your child by helping assist them in reading, understanding, and completing the assignment is another way to be interactive. This is a time commitment on your part, but it will pay off when your child develops into a strong reader!
Using technology is another tool you can use. I don’t recommend relying on apps and other programs to read and write for your child, but they can be useful when used occasionally to help your child be more engaged.
Individualized learning plan. I believe one of the best parts of homeschooling is the personalized education. You can fit the curriculum to suit your child’s individual needs. If something isn’t working for your child, you can just change it. You can work at your child’s pace and do not have to conform to what 20-30 other children are doing.
Plan out what curriculum you will use and how you will use it. How will it work with dyslexia? Does it have a simple reading program? Is the math explained well and simply? These are all things to consider when deciding on the curriculum and how you will implement it.
Also consider how breaks will work. How often does your child require a short or a longer break? Of course, this could vary day by day, and you can go with the flow. It will take some trial and error to see what works best for your child.
Flexibility. Another great advantage of homeschooling is the flexibility. Like I mentioned above, your schedule day by day could change. Some days, your child will be more productive and other days may just be a play outside and explore day. Both are fine!
You also have the flexibility to change lesson plans or curriculums when needed to suit your child. If something isn’t working, you can alter it. Your child could also be in different grades in certain subjects (grade 1 math, but grade 2 reading, for example). Enjoy the flexibility homeschooling offers!
Build confidence. Building confidence in your child is critical. I know for my students with dyslexia, their reading abilities increased substantially once their confidence grew. Once they knew that they could do it, they did it. I loved seeing them proud of themselves for reading a paragraph, page, or even an entire book that they thought that they couldn’t.
Resources. Look for resources for yourself too. Find support groups or look for additional help when needed. Take time to read about different literacy approaches and methods of teaching reading. There are lots of options out there. It can be overwhelming, but you, as the parent, are capable! You know your child best. You need to be the advocate for your child. If something isn’t working, look for other solutions. It is out there!
Conclusion
Although homeschooling your child with dyslexia may seem overwhelming at first, it is very possible and perhaps what is best for your child. Your child will receive one-on-one attention and instruction and will not be lost in a crowd. You can tailor the curriculum to meet your child’s individual needs and alter it when necessary. Don’t forget to reach out to homeschool community and support groups if you need more support or encouragement!
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