Dyslexia Resources for Homeschoolers

Dyslexia Resources for Homeschoolers
by Topsy-Techie

Disclaimer: The opinions stated in this essay are those of Topsy-Techie and do not necessarily represent those of AVKO.

When homeschooling parents first discover that their child has dyslexia, they can feel overwhelmed. Very few of them have degrees in special education, so they often wonder if they are up to the task of helping their child learn to read and write. Online homeschooling forums are full of questions from parents who are second guessing their ability to handle the education of a child with dyslexia.

The most comforting thing a homeschooling parent of a child with dyslexia can hear is that they are not alone. Thousands of parents just like themselves are successfully guiding their children through the challenges of a learning disability.

One of the reasons that homeschoolers are able to meet these challenges is because curriculum publishers are starting to understand that homeschoolers make up a large share of their business. More and more companies, such as AVKO, are targeting their materials specifically to homeschool families. AVKO’s Sequential Spelling program, for instance, is written in a homeschool-friendly format that does not bog you down with classroom-only style instructions and examples.

Many other publishers are following suit, and are seeking to provide materials and helps for homeschoolers with learning disabilities. Check out some of the following resources designed for, or adapted to, homeschoolers:

• Time4Learning Online Homeschool Curriculum-- a full curriculum with built-in supports for special learners such as spell-checkers, graphic organizers, text readers, and interactive multimedia lessons
• Explode The Code- specific phonics instruction for early elementary students
• Saxon Phonics Intervention- the popular homeschool publisher has created a remedial phonics program for older children with dyslexia that can be used without any special training or preparation
• Earobics - software program for children with auditory processing difficulties
• Read, Write, and Type- a multisensory approach to learning to read, that is especially helpful for children with dyslexia

Because of the abundance of homeschool programs and curriculum available for children with dyslexia, parents can rest assured that they will have adequate support for teaching their child. In today’s world, you do not need a special education degree to teach your struggling son or daughter. You simply need a desire to help them reach their potential, and a knowledge of where to find resources that will support your educational goals.

Author: Topsy-Techie is a homeschooling mother and online writer. She writes the blog about learning to write at Time4Writing.com and the homeschooling blog at Time4Learning.com.

www.avko.org www.spelling.org