Homeschool Curriculum Blog Online Learning for PreK-8th

One of the very first things I noticed when we first started using Time4Learning was its accommodation for students with special learning needs.  As the mom of  a child with dyslexia, this is always an important factor when choosing homeschool materials. If you are considering different homeschool curricula for your child with LD, you might be curious just what Time4Learning has to offer in the way of assistive technology.

• Multimodal lessons – Many of the lessons in the Time4Learning program are not only full of educational content, but designed to be appealing to different learning styles.  Some are animated, many have audio, and some require the kinesthetic input of the student.
• Text to Speech – Even though not every lesson in the T4L curriculum is  multimedia, they are all still accessible to the student with reading difficulties.  All written lessons can be read aloud by a screen reader in the form of a talking parrot named “Peedy.”
• Writing Supports – Students using the Odyssey Writer program to complete written lessons have access to multiple supportive writing tools including virtual note cards, outline creator, spell checker, graphic organizer, and rubric assessments
• Math Toolkit – For students who need assistive supports in math, Time4Learning provides a wide variety.  Depending on the grade level and math lesson, students have access to: algebra tiles, base ten blocks, calculator, counters, data charts, fraction manipulatives, a geoboard, coordinate graphing tool, number lines, probability tool, solid shaper, and transformation tool.  Virtual manipulatives have been shown to greatly increase the success rate for students with math deficits.

As you can see, some of the most advanced assistive technology tools available to students today are wrapped up in one single curriculum.  Many parents of children with learning disabilities are successfully homeschooling or supplementing their child’s education with the Time4Learning curriculum.  If you would like to find out more about how Time4Learning can help your child, click here for more information.

Posted under Special Needs Learning, homeschool curriculum, learning disability, learning styles

Homeschooling a child with special needs can sometimes feel like a crash course in special education.  Each of my boys has special needs.  My oldest son has Tourette Syndrome, and my youngest has OCD, Anxiety, and Dyslexia.  So from the first year of homeschooling, I did my research - - figuring out what methods, materials, and tools would help them (and me) the most.

After what seemed like months of study and investigation, I found out several things that all good programs for homeschooling special needs kids have in common. 

• Allows the child to work at his or her own pace. Some of our worst curriculum experiences involved programs that either expected too much too soon, or bored them with unnecessary drill and review.
• Allows for different skill levels on different subjects. Nearly every special needs child has unique strengths and weaknesses.  Standardized subject and grade levels simply do not apply.  A child who is excelling in math, may need remedial instruction in reading, or visa versa. 
• Presents materials in different modalities and by varying methods. Learners with special needs often need new information presented to them in more than one way and involving more than one of their senses.  The best special needs curriculums for these children will me multimodal and multisensory.
• Creates a supportive learning environment and sets each child up for success.  Nothing is more detrimental to the learning process than a feeling of failure.  But a curriculum that is well organized, goal oriented, and flexible can encourage a true love of learning in a child.
• Balances learning and fun.  The content of any homeschool curriculum for special needs kids should not only stimulate their brain, but get them excited about the learning process.  By including games, activities, and interactive elements, a homeschool program will successfully keep special learners engaged with their learning.

The Time4Learning homeschool curriculum successfully fulfills all of these requirements.  It provides a comprehensive curriculum that allows children to easily get comfortable with the system. The levels for language arts and math programs are independently set for each child. This helps children who perform or progress at vastly different levels in these major subjects. Children progress at their own rates using multisensory learning that helps each learning style. The computer is very engaging. Some children, when faced with text books or non-interactive environments, exhibit ADD/ADHD-like behavior, but, when faced with an interactive system, they are often successful in focusing and learning. The computer is impersonal so children on the Autism spectrum(specifically children with Aspergers Syndrome and high-functioning Autism) learn without the distraction of interpersonal relations.

If you have been searching for a homeschool curriculum that will work well with your special needs child, why not give Time4Learning a try?  To find out more about how T4L works for specific special needs, click on the applicable link on the special needs page. Or, to check out demos of some of the lessons, head over to the lesson demos page.  My son has used Time4Learning successfully for three years now - - I hope it will be helpful for your child too!

Posted under Online Learning, Special Needs Learning, homeschool curriculum, learning styles

One thing about homeschoolers that always stays the same is that they never stay the same!  The very nature of homeschooling is flexibility.  We like to tweak, freelance, imagine, improvise, and discover new and better ways of learning.  Call it fickle, if you like, but one of the most rewarding parts of homeschooling is its variability.

If one method isn’t working for a child, we use our creativity to find another solution.  If one child has a different learning style, we adapt our teaching and materials to match their best mode of learning.  If one curriculum isn’t meeting our needs, we try out other programs.

Many homeschoolers would, in fact, categorize their homeschooling style as “eclectic.”  By that, they usually mean that they pick and choose from a variety of materials, styles, and programs to create a mix-and-match approach that works for their family.  Eclectic homeschoolers might combine classical materials with unit studies, faith based curriculum with secular curriculum, Charlotte Mason with traditional boxed curriculum. 

Many homeschoolers also see the need to emphasize some sort of technology into their home education.  In a world where most future jobs, college experiences, and daily life will be seamlessly intertwined with technology, parents want to prepare their kids for the digital age.  That is one reason why Time4Learning is becoming such a popular homeschool curriculum. 

Besides providing kids with valuable computer skills, it is also flexible enough to  be used as a core curriculum or as a supplement to other programs.  Many Time4Learning subscribers combine T4L with programs such as: Charlotte Mason, Singapore Math, Saxon Math, Abeka, Five in a Row, Sonlight, and BJU Press in order to find just the right combination of materials for their children.

If you are one of those eclectic homeschoolers who has been looking for a fun, interactive, web-based curriculum to supplement the other programs you have been using, why not try out our demo lessons to see if Time4Learning would be  a good fit with your homeschool. 

After all, it is a homeschoolers prerogative to change his or her mind!!

 

Posted under Online Learning, eclectic homeschooling, homeschool curriculum, learning styles

Every child is born with a preferred learning style.  Although most people can learn with different modalities, they have a specific way that they most easily process new information.  Researchers have pinpointed many different styles of learning, but they usually still fall into three main categories: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.

Visual Learners

Visual learners tend to learn best by having information presented visually.  They benefit from having charts, pictures, graphs, and other visual aids.  Visual learners often think in pictures, as well.  Color can be very important to a visual learner.  They naturally gravitate to visual mediums such as television and computers.

 

Auditory Learners

Auditory learners grasp concepts more easily by hearing.  Things that they might miss out on by reading, can be taken in more efficiently by listening to a lecture or a book on CD.  They can often pick up on even subtle differences in tone or pitch in someone’s voice.  Auditory learners follow spoken directions very well, and in turn, are good direction givers, and explain ideas well.

 

Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners

Sometimes tactile learners and kinesthetic learners are separated into two different learning styles, and other times they are lumped together.  Generally, a tactile/kinesthetic learner learns by touch or movement.  They are hands-on learners.  They don’t often enjoy sitting still for long periods of time, and would rather be experiencing things for themselves.  Tactile/Kinesthetic learners also do well in subjects that allow a lot of movement, such as drama, dance, and physical education.

 

One benefit of homeschooling with technology is that it often incorporates all three styles in one platform. Time4Learning has unique features that allow it to work with almost any style of learning.  Visual learners enjoy T4L because it is an online curriculum full of visual stimulation.  Auditory learners can benefit from Time4Learning because many of the lessons are presented in both text and voice.  Even the non-animated lessons can be read by the computer with T4L’s built-in text-to-speech engine.  Tactile/Kinesthetic learners enjoy learning on the computer because the multimedia format can simulate physical demonstrations.

To see how the Time4Learning curriculum can fit into your child’s learning style, why not try out the lesson demos?

Kids like using the computer to learn. Time4Learning is proven effective for kids of all learning styles and all levels of achievement from learning disabled to gifted. It also has a low monthly price, and provides a money-back guarantee so you can make sure that it works for your kids, risk free!

Posted under Online Learning, homeschool curriculum, learning styles