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Yes, You Can Home School Struggling Readers—HSLDA Can

Help!

Presentation By:

Faith Berens, M.Ed., Reading Specialist HSLDA Special Needs Consultant

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Overview

• Intro to HSLDA—Who we are, what we do • Benefits for homeschooling struggling learners and

children with unique challenges • Benefits of Lexercise program for homeschoolers • Steps to Take to Protect your Home School • Caution about Utilizing Public School Services • Funding Sources • Roadblocks and How We Can Help Navigate • Q and A Time • Most Frequently Asked Questions and Concerns

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Who is HSLDA?

• Home School Legal Defense Association was established in 1983, by Dr. Michael Farris, Esq.

• Nonprofit, advocacy organization established to defend and advance the God-given, constitutional right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children and to protect family freedoms—parental rights and religious freedom

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What does HSLDA do?

• We advocate for parental rights and constitutional freedoms in the courtrooms, before government officials, and in the public arena. Additionally, we assist other educational organizations in similar activities, where possible and appropriate

• We provide homeschooling-related legal advice and representation to our 84,000+ member families, promote home school-friendly legislation at the state and federal levels, and offer information and resources to encourage and support all homeschoolers

• After a family joins HSLDA, there are no further charges of any kind for defending them in court. HSLDA pays, in full, all attorney fees, expert witness costs, travel expenses, and all other court costs permissible by state law for us to pay

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Legal Services Provided:

• Range from legal advice to full court representation

• Answers and advise regarding homeschooling related legal questions and clarification on your state’s home education law and requirements

• Assistance if you experience conflict or misunderstanding with a government official

• Correspondence on your behalf with government officials who are confused about your state’s homeschool laws and requirements

• Assistance if government officials outright challenge your right to home school

• If your homeschool-related legal situation ends up in court, HSLDA provides full representation at every stage of legal proceedings

• No matter what services are necessary to help you, there are no further charges beyond your annual membership dues

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Foundations We believe…

1. God has entrusted children to parents/families. 2. All children are special/unique creations of God. 3. All children can learn. 4. Each family needs to take the most appropriate

steps to help their children reach their full, God-given potential.

5. The special needs consultants at HSLDA are here to help encourage and equip you as you instruct these wonderful children at home.

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Do I have the right and/or is it legal to home school children with special needs?

• Protection of the First and Fourth Amendments of our U.S. Constitution

• Includes children presently who have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or ISP (Individual Service Plan) set up by a regional/early intervention program or public school system

• Most states have statutes regarding homeschooling; these laws typically come under the compulsory school attendance statutes; may contain stricter provisions for families homeschooling children with special needs; Check with your HSLDA Legal Representative for your state

Frequently Asked Questions/Concerns

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Home Schooling Special Needs Statistics:

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• 2007, U.S. Dept. of Education reported 1.5 million homeschoolers

• Home school experts now say that number is closer to 2 million

• 2007 survey of parents found 21% said they decided to homeschool due special needs; 11% due to physical and mental health reasons

Home Schooling Special Needs Statistics (Cont’):

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• 5 to 15 % of Americans—14.5 to 43.5 million

children and adults, have dyslexia (ldonline)

• if 5-10% of all school children have learning

disabilities (U.S. Department of Education, 1993),

then the number of such children educated at

home may be as high as 100,000.

• Now that number is reported at about 15% of

school age children are dyslexic

Home Schooling Special Needs Statistics (Cont’):

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• Many state and local leaders of homeschool associations report the special needs population is rapidly increasing

• According to homeschool research, homeschooling

growing by at least 15% each year

Benefits of Homeschooling Struggling Learners:

• Freedom of flexibility • Freedom from too fast a pace of instruction • Freedom to make learning fun • Freedom to have a good “fit”—specifically designed

program • Freedom for child to find his/her giftings • Freedom from fear, failure, and frustration • Freedom from many distractions • Gift of a loving parent providing security,

consistency, one-on-one, direct instruction!

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Research Supporting Homeschooling

Struggling Learners:

• Results of exploratory study by Dr. Steven Duvall (1997),compared home school students with L.D. with public school students with LD; found home school students were academically engaged 2 ½ times as often as the public school students; the homeschooled students made more progress in reading and written language; equal gains in math

• Dr. Brian Ray (1997) showed that homeschoolers outscored public school students in achievement tests by 30 to 37 percentile points across all subjects

• www.hslda.org/research

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1. Arrange for regular evaluations and document your child’s progress

• Keep accurate records of how you are meeting your child’s needs

• Keep records or documentation of progress • General rule of thumb, the more severe your

child’s needs, the more frequent and thorough evaluations should be

Steps to Take to Protect Your Home School:

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2. Obtain assistance in meeting your child’s special needs

• Support Group • HSLDA Special Needs coordinators • Educational Consultants • Universities and Colleges • Local, charitable organizations such as Scottish Rites and

Shriners Hospitals • Your medical specialists • Private Educational programs and consultants, therapies such

as speech and language, physical therapy, occupational therapy, applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy

Steps to Take to Protect Your Home School:

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3. Types of evaluations:

• Medical/neurological • Psycho-educational tests (cognitive / IQ &

achievement) • Evaluations for speech and language

therapists, OT, PT, ABA provider, etc. • Assessments by reading specialists,

educational diagnostician, and/or educational consultant

Steps to Take to Protect Your Home School:

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4. Other assessments:

• Standardized achievement tests or skills tests • Curriculum based assessments, records,

reports and check lists • Parent-teacher made assessments, rubrics,

check lists, assessments • Portfolios and work samples

Steps to Take to Protect Your Home School:

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Caution about Utilizing Public School Services:

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Caution about Utilizing Public School Services:

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• Legal department’s stance is that private services, if at all possible, are best

• Best to avoid possible legal entanglements/difficulties with the state

• “Free” services are not truly free; often come with strings attached

• Varies from state to state if homeschoolers have access to special education services; check out our “In the States” section of the Struggling Learner website, www.hslda.org/strugglinglearner

Benefits of Collaborating with an Educational Consultant or

Professional :

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• Offer consistent support, resources, feedback • Provide teaching ideas and strategies to

implement • Available to assist with goal setting, program

planning, and progress monitoring • Provides added “security” and stress relief

What is the best curriculum to use for children with special needs? (cont.)

• In general, for children with learning challenges, look for a curriculum that is: Multi-sensory (many modalities) Uses direct instruction and modeling For reading, any program should have a strong phonics

component, but also address the 5 Pillars of Reading Instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, as well as written expression and handwriting

A good fit for your child’s preferred learning style(s)

Frequently Asked Questions/Concerns

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Frequently Asked Questions/Concerns

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What programs/interventions does HSLDA’s Struggling Learner department recommend to parents teaching

struggling readers and dyslexic students?

Frequently Asked Questions/Concerns

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• Orton-Gillingham based interventions and materials

are strongly encouraged

• Look for reading services and dyslexia specialists

that provide individualized, multi-sensory, sequential,

structured and cumulative, phonics-based programs

• Find a dyslexia specialist in order to outsource

services (Academy of O-G Practitioners and

Educators or IDA)

Recommendations:

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• Scottish Rites program/centers

• Wilson Language trained tutors

• Lexercise

• Lindamood Bell Centers

• International Dyslexia Association’s “Find-A-

Provider” list

• Contact HSLDA—for “Find A Professional”

Database

Services and Consultation:

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Benefits of the Lexercise Program—A great fit for many homeschooling families:

• Offers free, on-line, initial screening tool • Thorough, affordable diagnostic evaluations • Convenience • Training/collaboration for parents • Highly trained and skilled professionals delivering web-

based lessons • Direct and individualized instruction • Interactive

LEXERCISE PROGRAM

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• http://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.c

om/2012/10/lexercise-review/

• http://www.spelloutloud.com/2012/10/dyslexia-tutoring-via-lexercise

• http://thedyslexiasociety.typepad.com/my-blog/2012/12/affordable-accessible-testing-lexercise.html

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Homeschooler Blog Posts about Lexercise:

Other Good, Multisensory Materials and Techniques for Struggling Readers

• Lindamood-Bell programs • Barton System for Reading and Spelling (does not

include written expression) • All About Reading and Spelling • Dianne Craft’s materials and teaching strategies • Reading Reflex/Phono-Graphix

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Who Pays? How do I pay?

Funding Sources for dyslexia testing, services, or interventions/materials:

• Medical insurance • Medical savings, FLEX accounts • Family/grandparents “grants” or monetary gifts • Local, charitable organizations (Lions, Rotary Club, American

Legion, Veterans, Scottish Rites/Shriners) • Some states have special scholarships; Florida McKay

Scholarship • The Home School Foundation—HSLDA’s charitable arm; Special

Needs Children’s Fund grant, www.homeschoolfoundation.org

Frequently Asked Questions/Concerns

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HSLDA’s non-member benefits:

• HSLDA website, connecting you with news, research, ideas, and other resources to help you homeschool more successfully

• Early Years, Struggling Learner, and High School sections of our website, focusing on these specific areas of homeschooling

• @home e-vents online workshops • Home School Heartbeat radio program • HSLDA Store • Selling privileges at the HSLDA Curriculum Market • HSLDA E-lert Service

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HSLDA’s member benefits:

• Eligible to apply for SNCF grant through HSF

• Member discounts on other HSLDA programs and services, such as @home e-vents, the HSLDA Store, Patrick Henry College Preparatory Academy’s online AP courses, Michael Farris’s online Constitutional Law course, and Generation Joshua membership

• Buying and selling privileges at the HSLDA Curriculum Market

• Subscription to The Home School Court Report, HSLDA’s member magazine packed with homeschooling news, tips, and encouragement

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HSLDA’s member benefits:

• Members-only website containing detailed information and HSLDA-designed forms to help you comply with your state’s homeschooling regulations

• Specially negotiated member discounts with national vendors through the HSLDA PerX program

• Free, personal consultations by phone or email with HSLDA’s qualified, experienced staff of homeschool consultants, who can answer your specific questions about homeschooling during the Early Years (preschool through middle school), Homeschooling thru High School, and Homeschooling a Struggling Learner

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• Go to www.hslda.org and complete an on-line application • Join over the phone, 540.338.5600 • Call to request a hard copy application form be mailed to you

Cost: • 1 year membership=$115 • 2 years=$230 + the choice of Drive Thru History DVD set,

Adventures in Odyssey (CD set), Do the Right Thing DVD set by Colson

• 5 years=$500 • Lifetime memberships are $1,000. • *Monthly payment plan $10/month (first payment $25)

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How To Join HSLDA:

HSLDA offers discounted rates to:

• full time pastors • full time missionaries • active/retired/disabled military • individuals who are a member of a group that is part of HSLDA’s

Group Discount Program

Discounted membership rates: • 1 year = $95 • 2 years $190 + the choice of Drive Thru History DVD set,

Adventures in Odyssey (CD set), Do the Right Thing DVD set by Colson

• 5 years = $450

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• www.interdys.org, International Dyslexia Association

• Orton Academy, www.ortonacademy.org • Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity,

www.dyslexia.yale.edu • Institute for Multisensory Teaching, www.orton-

gillingham.com • LDonline, www.ldonline.org • www.greatschools.net

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Resource Links:

Roadblocks

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Roadblocks:

1. Feeling Fearful

• Not a trained teacher or specialist • Intimidation by school officials or other professionals • Criticism or worry from family and friends

2nd Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind.” Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?”

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Roadblocks (Cont’):

2. Feeling Inadequate

• I haven’t had any formal training in this area of disability or special need

• I don’t know where to start • I don’t know what curriculum/materials to use

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”

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Roadblocks (Cont’):

3. Feeling Frustrated (both teacher and child)

• My child ends up in tears • My child is not cooperative/shuts down • I have gone over and over this material, information, etc. and

he can’t remember it • It takes so long to work with my one child (struggling learner)

and I have several other children to teach, as well – “maybe I should send the child with special needs to school”

• This curriculum is not working

Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest.” 39

4. Unrealistic Expectations (of homeschooling and of your child)

• Homeschooling is not a magic bullet • Take into consideration your child’s functioning levels • Start with the end targets – what do I want my child to

learn/accomplish this year? • Not every day will be “perfect”

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Roadblocks (Cont’):

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Am I legally required to have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for homeschooling?

• Public school systems use IEP’s as a legal contract/agreement to define the special services they will deliver, develop specialized teaching plans, how/where services will be delivered

• If you do not choose to access any special education and/or related services through the public school system, then your child will not get/need an IEP

• We encourage parents to be responsible with their homeschooling by planning and evaluating children’s progress; some home school parents choose to write a Student Education Plan or home education plan (even if not required)

• Check with your HSLDA legal representative to find out if you have any additional requirements under your state’s law to have a Student Education Plan

Frequently Asked Questions/Concerns

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Lessons Learned:

• We tend to teach the way we prefer to learn, but they may not be a good fit for our child

• Always remember, if a child is not learning with the way I am teaching, then I must change the way I teach!

• Don’t be afraid to try new techniques, strategies, ways of presenting material and concept

• If the child is fearful, upset, frustrated, learning shuts down. • There will be some trial and error – it is part of the process.

More Frequently Asked Questions/Concerns

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How can I “fix” my child?

• With an accurate diagnosis, can come knowledge, more wisdom and understanding, empowerment, as well as opportunities for assistance for your children (such as standardized testing accommodations, help from college’s special services department, etc.)

• Remediation and compensation • Seek supplemental help, services, and support • *Dysgraphia is the most over-looked difficulty; often

goes undiagnosed/untreated

Frequently Asked Questions/Concerns

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What do I do about standardized testing and documenting progress?

• Be sure to find out what you are required by your state to do for progress monitoring/assessment (home school statutes)

• If your child will be unable to take or is unsuccessful with standardized testing opt for alternative assessment

• Substitute psycho-educational battery of tests (from psychologist or educational diagnostician)

• Consider renting and administering the Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills from our Struggling Learner Department

Frequently Asked Questions/Concerns

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What should their high school program look like?

• Start with the end/target in mind • Plan to integrate in study skills, independence,

character, responsibility and planning, technology, social skills, job skills, perhaps conflict resolution and public speaking, etc.

• Find out what perspective community colleges and/or universities want to see on a transcript

• Keep a literature log • Portfolios of high school work

Frequently Asked Questions/Concerns

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What should their high school program look like? (Cont’)

• Volunteer work, ministry • Travel • Internships • Dual Enrollment • Extra Curricular Activities

Frequently Asked Questions/Concerns

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Transcripts for Students with Special Needs?

• Research and learn how to create them before high school begins

• Transcript by year • Transcript by subject • Courses measured in credits or half-credits • 120-180 hours of work=1 credit • Complete a high school textbook from a reputable

publisher • One semester of community college class= 1 credit • www.hslda.org/highschool

Frequently Asked Questions/Concerns

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How can I grant my special needs child a diploma?

• In many states, home schools are considered private schools, so they can award diplomas the same way other private schools do

• Check with the legal department or your local/state home school association regarding any graduation requirements

• State’s department of education’s website as a guide (or local high school)

• Families determine the requirements • Families design a course of study that is most appropriate

for the child

Frequently Asked Questions/Concerns

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DIPLOMA OPTIONS

• Use cover/umbrella school to issue (Keystone, Hewitt Homeschooling Resources, etc.)

• Create your own • GED

Frequently Asked Questions/Concerns

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What Do We Mean By Struggling Learners?

• Child is working too hard to learn • Child may exhibit difficulty in one or more academic

areas • Child may exhibit behavioral problems • Child may exhibit attention/focus difficulties • Child may be twice exceptional; gifted with a

learning glitch

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When Is a Child Considered to Have

Special Needs?

• Child working 2 or more years below age/grade level

• Child may have formerly been receiving special education and/or early intervention services (had an ISP or IEP)

• Child may already have a formal diagnosis • Child has disability that greatly impacts his/her

ability to learn

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Severe Learning Problems/Disabilities:

• Below average IQ • May have additional language delays and

difficulties • Other impacts in adaptive/independent daily living

skills • Behavioral issues • Below average or below expected achievement (not

performing up to what he/she is capable of)

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Dyslexia:

“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”

International Dyslexia Association, Aug. 2002

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Dyslexia:

Dyslexia as a language disorder, involves:

1. Phonological processing

2. Rapid Naming

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Dyslexia (Cont’):

Orthographic Dyslexia – Refers to problems with acquisition of decoding and encoding skills caused by problems with rapid and accurate formation of word images in memory.

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Dyslexia (Cont’):

Children with this so-called orthographic dyslexia often: • Have difficulty recalling sight words (so are slow to

develop fluency and automaticity in reading) • Have trouble storing mental representations of

phonetically irregular words or gestalts • Confuse similar leading letters or words • Rely primarily on phonetic principles for reading

and produce phonetically accurate misspellings

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Encouragement

Lamentations 3: 22-25 “His compassions never fail; they are new every morning—great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, the Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for Him.”

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