by Kathy Kuhl Helping bright, disorganized teens Out-of-the-box thinkers can struggle with organization, tests, deadlines, and more Do you have or know a teen like this not working up to his or her potential? One parent’s question appears below in italics; my comments are in boldface. She wrote: We’re running up against some issues with H (16, 10th grade). He’s extremely bright and standardized tests have backed up our observations on that. He’s rarely scored lower than the 99th percentile on a standardized test.  However, he’s not working up to his potential. I thought there were just ge ..read more

By Kathy Kuhl     Nature journals can give your homeschool just the boost you need. When children keep nature journals, they become more observant. It’s perfect to start anytime and continue whenever you go outdoors or travel–even travel down the street. And it’s easier than it sounds, thanks to some great tools. What are nature journals? A nature journal is a way to record what students notice outdoors. In a notebook, the student can draw or paint what they see in nature and write comments about it. Recording makes us observe more carefully. What colors did you see on that rock? Wha ..read more

by Kathy Kuhl     When I saw that Raising Emotionally Healthy Kids, Eliza Huie’s newest book, had come out this year, I was delighted to see this short, helpful book for parents. This experienced counselor packs a lot of information in a very short book. Eliza Huie takes a broad view of the child: emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual. Her psychological training is evident, yet her style is lucid. She explains the child’s growing  development, needs, and our best responses over their stages of growth. Her chapter titles will give you the practical and holistic flavor of the ..read more

by Kathy Kuhl     Homeschooling a child who struggles to focus? A very impulsive teen? A child who cannot sit still? Homeschooling with ADHD or other attention issues isn’t easy, but it can be easier with the new course I launched October 28.    The post New course equips parents to homeschool distractible, impulsive kids appeared first on Learn Differently. New course equips parents to homeschool distractible, impulsive kids was first posted on October 28, 2022 at 6:31 pm. ©2016 "Learn Differently". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not r ..read more

by Kathy Kuhl   Christopher Woodin recently sent me great news. “I recently completed a comprehensive Gen Ed. Primary Numeracy program. You will like it. It parallels my work with Nessy. Check it out.” And it’s free! Who is Christopher Woodin? Mr. Woodin is one of my best sources of help for students who struggle with math. If you haven’t read my earlier posts on teaching math, you may not know his work. He’s the chair of the math department at the Landmark School, a school for students with learning disabilities. Outstanding for his creativity and clarity, Chris Woodin has created ..read more

By Kathy Kuhl       If your student struggles to take notes, do you know the best tools to help him or her succeed? I bought my son a smart pen years ago, and it helped. But the technology has changed and improved. The best way I’ve found to keep up with all kinds of assistive technology is following Joan Green. (I’ve blogged about her work before here and also here.) She’s a former public school speech pathologist who struggled to get the best tools for her students. Sometimes by the time the school adopted them, there was something better–and often cheaper. (She’s great at fin ..read more

by Kathy Kuhl     As I teach parents how to teach math better, I’ve wished everyone could learn from the expert who taught me Multisensory math, Marilyn Zecher. And you can! Marilyn has offers recorded webinars and workshops teaching her Multisensory Math Approach. It’s easy to create a free account there and have a look. She’s a great teacher, insightful and enjoyable. Who is Marilyn Zecher, creator of Multisensory Math Online? “Marilyn Zecher, M.A., CALT is a specialist in applying multisensory strategies to a variety of content areas and study skills. A frequent speaker at nationa ..read more

by Kathy Kuhl What misconceptions keep parents from enjoying homeschool: a customized education for their kids and teens with ADHD and other learning challenges? (From a recent talk for CHADD of Northern Virginia/Washington DC. Link to the talk and resources for the curious are below.) The other day, my neighbor told me she is so glad her four girls are back in school. “I could never homeschool,” she declared. “It was so hard keeping them on task.” “But, I answered, “homeschooling would be completely different. You would choose the materials, activities, and schedule.” She looked surprised, a ..read more

by Kathy Kuhl      This week, a mother wrote: Hi Kathy, I am homeschooling my five kids. We have found out that our oldest (9 years old) has dyslexia. And I have realized that I have also have dyslexia. I have been doing the Barton tutoring with him. Which has helped a ton! But I am trying to figure out if I need to do another whole curriculum or if there’s anything else I can be doing to help him? Thank you! I told her I’m glad Barton is helping, and started to reply. Some of you may have similar questions. So I here’s what I wrote. Reading Curriculum for Dyslexics Some people ..read more

Review by Kathy Kuhl    Feeling weary? When you raise a child with special needs, you enter a lifetime of giving. If you’re not careful, it can become a burnt-out life. That’s why I recommend a short new book. To help you replenish your soul as you raise kids with challenges, Stephanie O. Hubach has written a 31-day devotional book. It’s called Parenting and Disabilities: Abiding in God’s Presence. (Though I say it’s for parents of kids with challenges, I suspect all parents would benefit.) In this book, Stephanie Hubach provides short Biblical messages to encourage fellow paren ..read more