Schooling with Dyslexia
First and foremost, I want to emphasize that, as someone with dyslexia, I view it as a GIFT. It allows me to see the world from a unique perspective, which I consider to be a true advantage. As a child, I went through various therapies to help me succeed in school—each one a building block that helped unlock my brain's potential. I'll share a few of the books my mom read during that time, as well as some resources I’ve used.
Teaching a child with dyslexia, or any child who processes information differently, is all about ensuring the material truly resonates with them. Since I have the opportunity to sit with my kids while they learn, I can gauge their understanding through their body language—whether the "light bulb" has gone on or if we need more practice to solidify the concept in their muscle memory. Unlike a traditional classroom, where repetition and visual aids are more readily available, homeschooling requires us to creatively replicate these elements and find ways to connect with their unique learning style.
I believe that being willing to pivot is extremely important in homeschooling. If something is not working, it’s crucial to be open to trying something else. Recently, we had been using an ELA curriculum for a few years, but it just wasn’t working. I wanted so badly for it to work, but it was causing frustration. So, we pivoted. Yes, there is some expense involved in pivoting, I understand, but I believe it is worth it. Also, remember that what worked for one person may not work for you and your child. We are here to tailor-make an education, not to educate the masses. In my next blog, I will cover some tips on saving money on curricula.
I have personally found that I need to be comfortable with the way the material is laid out in order to teach it, and the kids need to be comfortable with how the material is organized and presented to learn it.
You may need to pull from one curriculum and combine it with another. Use what works, and don’t get stuck in the neat packages of things. For example, for my 6th grader, we are currently using Logic of English to review some phonics and help with spelling, BJU Writing and Grammar, and readers and handwriting from Good and the Beautiful. It’s what is currently working for her.
I have a few podcasts where I bring in experts to talk about their therapies. Here’s a list of a few we have utilized:
We used a private one-on-one tutor trained by Susan Barton in the Orton-Gillingham method.
We have also used the Logic of English online portion as a refresher.
For the motor skill and reflex aspect of dyslexia, we have used MNRI Therapy (The Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration) to integrate our primal reflexes and rewire the brain.
In our free time, we have enrolled in activities such as dance classes, which cross the midline, and rock climbing, which helps integrate ATNR.
I hope this brings hope to the families that are blessed to have a Dyslexic child!