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

I’ve been watching an interesting thread in the Time4Learning Parent’s Forum this week.  The thread is called "Accidental Homeschooler," and the parents involved in the thread have been venting about the dilemma they are faced with.

It seems that the school system their children have been enrolled in has failed them in one way or another.  Either their child wasn’t learning enough, had special needs that the school system wasn’t adequately addressing, or had grades so low it was affecting the child’s self esteem.

As a parent whose hard-earned tax-dollars are funding the schools, this can be an incredibly frustrating experience.  No one expects perfection out of the public school system, but they do expect that their child will be adequately prepared and educated.  They expect teachers and resource workers to be adaptive to children’s particular learning needs.  And they expect that when a child is failing, that every effort will be made to bring him or her back up to grade level.

When these expectations aren’t met, some parents consider a whole other alternative - - homeschooling.  These "accidental homeschoolers" had not started out with a plan to homeschool, but because of the failures of the school system,  decided to see if homeschooling would be a better choice for their child.

The parents in the forum thread I’ve been following have decided to try out the Time4learning online homeschool curriculum for their child because it better meets their child’s learning needs.  Time4Learning is:

• Standards-based
• Engaging and Interactive
• Affordable
• Easy-To-Use (especially for first time homeschoolers)
• Adaptable for use with both special needs and gifted learners

If your child’s school system is not meeting his or her needs, and you are thinking of schooling your child at home, then click here to download our free Welcome to Homeschooling guide for new homeschoolers. Who knows…maybe YOU will be the next person to join the forum thread to tell the story of how you became an "accidental homeschooler."

Posted under Homeschool, Special Needs Learning, homeschool curriculum, homeschooling manual, new homeschoolers, problems at school

Posted under Gifted Learners, Homeschool, Online Learning, Special Needs Learning