We often receive emails from parents with children who face learning challenges, such as dyslexia, ADHD, dyscalculalia or other challenges. These children fail to thrive if they use school-like education programmes, that demand that they keep up with a pre-determined programme set by a curriculum- or distance education service provider.
Here’s one such email and our advice for home educating children who are not ‘average’ but gifted in some areas and facing challenges in others.
Email received from a parent:
My seun (11) het disleksie en hy is in graad 4. Ons kom van ‘n remediërende skool en hy is nou by ‘n tutorsentrum waar ons [‘n aanlyn KAPS-program] gebruik. Vir my is dit ongelooflik “content heavy” en na ‘n dag by die sentrum moet ek hom steeds smiddae leer. Vraag: Ek kyk na [‘n gratis aanlyn tuisskoolprogram] maar kan ek byvoorbeeld hul sillabus gebruik, maar dan Voetspore vir geskiedenis gebruik? Kan dit so werk?
English translation of email:
My son (11) has dyslexia and he is in grade 4. We come from a remedial school and he is now at a tutoring center where we use [an online CAPS programme]. For me it is unbelievably content heavy and after a day at the centre I still have to teach him in the afternoons. Question: I’m looking into [a free online homeschool programme] but can I, for example, use their syllabus but then use Footprints for history? Could that work?
Shirley’s reply:
We often encounter parents who start out with a programme like [your CAPS-based online programme] and then find that it isn’t meeting their needs or circumstances adequately. It very common.
As your child has dyslexia, you need to give him a customised learning programme, where he is free to progress in every subject or skill at HIS OWN pace. You don’t need a one-size-fits all, grade by grade programme that demands that you keep up with their schedule. Your child’s self-confidence will take a huge knock if he can’t!
You start where he is at, and you move at his pace. You look for progress and mastery, however much or however little that may be in each skill/subject. You monitor his sense of accomplishment and motivation. You help him to discover what he is GOOD at, instead of hammering him to always focus on what he struggles with and the things that are his weaknesses. You heal his self-image.
In adult life, he is going to be successful if he majors on his strengths and talents and avoids the things that are a struggle for him – or finds a way to manage those things.
My husband is dyslexic, so he always uses a spell-checker on emails, gets me to do admin or an accountant or a lawyer to look over paperwork for him. One of his many strengths is being spatially gifted and so he has been highly successful in commercial diving, building and many of the hands-on skills it requires, property speculating and a few entrepreneurial ventures that didn’t require too much reading and writing. He is just one example of someone who succeeded in spite of dyslexia. There are PLENTY others – some famous millionaires too.
Your job is to build up your son’s self-confidence so that by the time he reaches adulthood, he knows what he is good at and he is confident that he will succeed at whatever he puts his mind and heart into doing. He can hire people to do the things he is not good at.
So, for a curriculum: I am not all that familiar with [the free online programme you mentioned], but I’d suggest that you start with a few subjects there for now, if that’s possible. You can definitely use Voetspore or Footprints on Our Land – South Africa’s Heritage for social studies.
[For younger children, consider Barefoot Days / Kaalvoetpret and Little Footprints and our other programmes in English and Afrikaans for older children.]
I’d recommend Voetspore for the very reason that all the stories will improve his language and critical thinking skills. It requires a lot of reading aloud but YOU do the reading aloud and share that wonderful story-based journey with your child. You can pick and choose from the assignments – some require writing and you can adjust them to suit his ability if necessary, some are more practical and will develop other skills, where he might show real creative flair! The goal is to find out what he can do and what he LIKES to do and then do a little bit of what is a challenge to stretch him to grow and improve in those areas too.
You might also consider some of the options listed by Cape Home Educators as resources in Afrikaans here. Oolfant.com is also a super resource for Afrikaans language programmes made specially for home education.
Avoid anything that looks like it was made for or adapted from a school-like programme. The best options are those created specifically for home education by home educators (not school educators).
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Natuurskattejag 2R5 640.00
You can add a curriculum for Maths, Voetspore 1 and Natuurskattejag includes Natuurwetenskap so Social Studies and Sciences is covered and if you want you can add a Language programme for Afrikaans…but be warned that all the Voetspore and Footprints programmes include a lot of activities for writing which develops language skills too – so don’t load too much onto your plate. Start out slowly with one programme at a time and see how it goes, before you add another curriculum resource.
Your child won’t get “behind” because you are no longer on the same track as anybody else. You are now taking a scenic route, giving your child a customised education and travelling at his pace. There is no deadline in life. There is no deadline to reach matric or whatever alternative exit exam you might choose to end his home education years. You will know when he is ready for the next stage and you won’t mess up his education by doing it this way. Some children are ready for the next phase at age 16, some at 18, some at 20. It doesn’t matter.
We always say, “Ons maak nie kinders groot nie, ons maak grootmense groot!” [We’re not raising children, we’re raising adults!]
Building his confidence, training his character, teaching him to persevere through hard things but also developing his talents is the goal – not keeping up with a curriculum provider, completing random assignments and stressing over tests and exams. That is mostly a meaningless jumping through hoops, to please the administrators of a system! You need to find what he is good at, what delights him, what motivates him and then encourage him to do what it takes to achieve his goals. Be patient…some kids, even those in their late teens, still haven’t found a specific career goal!
Start by asking him what he thinks he needs to learn to become a successful, independent adult. Get him to see the purpose for learning maths, language skills, business skills, touch-typing skills and whatever else he thinks he needs or wants to learn. Then find resources to help him learn those things.
I’ve given you a very long answer to your question, but I hope it will help you to make a mindshift and give you courage to venture onto a new educational journey. Read this article about how to help your child to be successful and to stand out from the crowd and perhaps discuss it with your family: Unlocked Learning at Home
Also read about Deschooling – “You’ve taken the child out of school, now take the school out of the child – AND YOU!”
To sum up, your child needs:
1. Self-paced learning that allows him to master each skill
2. Time to find out what he is good at, his strengths and talents
3. To (re-)build his self-confidence and heal any negative evaluations of himself
4. Daily reading aloud to improve his language and thinking skills
5. To discover his own motivation for learning and have the freedom to follow his interests and passions
6. Parents who have the guts to give him a customised education and who believe that he will succeed, in spite of his challenges!
Articles about SEN Homeschooling
Wendy has shared a series of articles based on her experience, to encourage parents Homeschooling Children with Special Education Needs
Here’s another story that demonstrates the importance of recognising the talents of children who are wired ‘differently’:
What Parents Can Learn from Gillian Lynne (a millionaire ballerina with ADHD)
Homeschooling A-typical children – a homeschool mom’s perspective
Labels – let them define, not confine
Finding professional assistance
How to encourage children with special needs in social situations
Benefits of home educating a child with special needs
Why Homeschool Moms are Better than Teachers
Video: Neuro-diversity and special needs, a homeschooling mom’s perspective – interview with Wendy Young
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