When a Child Doesn’t Remember What He Reads!

Classroom Help, Informative, Preschoolers, Special Needs

Published with Permission
Written by Dianne Craft, MA, CNHP
www.diannecraft. org

One of the most puzzling situations a homeschooling mother finds herself in is when she has a child who can read the words in a book but cannot answer the questions or tell her what has just been read. These moms frequently hear the phrase “I don’t remember” when queried about the reading material.

When working with bright, hardworking fourth- through eighth-graders in my reading class, I often had students who were experiencing this particular reading difficulty. I realized that these students were not proficient at converting the words they were reading into a “movie” in their head, as the rest of us do when we read. They were merely doing “word calling” much of the time. I found that “movie making” was a skill that could be developed in them, using an easy fifteen-minute-a-day exercise. This exercise did not involve paper or pencil but only the use of the brain. (more…)

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Home School: Books, Children, Kitchen, and Husbands

Burn Out, Classroom Help, Informative, Preparing for College, Preschoolers, Single Parents

Published with Permission
Written by Ronald E Johnson, C.Ph.D.
www.pacworks.com

Someone once observed with tongue in cheek, that the best candidate for managing a Fortune 500 corporation would be a home school mother who successfully educated half a dozen children while keeping her marriage intact.  Anyone who knows anything about education, marriage and home management smiles in agreement.  The fact is that home education is no easy accomplishment.  It requires a genius level mental capacity, industrial level production, Wall Street management skills, and athleticism at the Pro-bowl level!  And oh yes, the effective home school mom demonstrates a good sense of humor, tough hide, romantic touch, culinary skills, and academic competency at the Ph. D. level. 

Nothing short of praise and admiration are due to moms who home educate their children.  The women who decide to train their children at kitchen tables and living room desks deserve credit far beyond the accolades splashed on traditional school teachers.  Not only do home school moms keep house (laundry, dishes, meals, diapers, mopping, and dusting), they are acutely aware of sensitive relationships with their husbands.  It is one thing to keep children focused diligently on arithmetic, grammar, penmanship, and science projects; it is quite another thing to maintain a positive and endearing relationship with husband after a grueling day with diapers, arithmetic, biology, grilled-cheese sandwiches, and research assignments. (more…)

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Can Learning Disabilities Be Mitigated?

Classroom Help, Informative, Preschoolers, Special Needs

Published with Permission
Written by Dianne Craft, MA, CNHP
www.diannecraft.org
www.TOSMagazine.com

On a sunny morning, twin 5-year-olds were practicing writing their names. Cara wrote her name on the paper and proudly showed it to me. John also wrote his name and proudly showed it to me. Cara’s name was written well, albeit with the primitive spacing and angles that 5-year-olds often use. John, however, wrote his name in total mirror writing! As a special educator, I knew that reversing a letter in writing is typical for a child who is just learning how to write, as 5-year-olds are. However, I knew that total mirror writing was a whole different story. That told me that this child was having big issues with an internalized midline that would only lead to bigger issues when older, if not addressed early. (more…)

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