Traditional Roles vs. College for Girls; Does My Child Have Dyslexia?
By Heather Idoni
Added Monday, October 15, 2007
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The Homeschooler's Notebook
Encouragement and Advice for Homeschool Families
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Vol. 8 No 80 October 15, 2007
ISSN: 1536-2035
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Copyright (c) 2007 - Heather Idoni, FamilyClassroom.net
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=================
IN THIS ISSUE:
=================
Notes from Heather
-- Traditional Roles, College Trends
Helpful Tips
-- Pebbly Brook Farm Audio Series
Resource Review
-- 'Apples' Spelling Curriculum
Reader Question
-- Does My Son Have Dyslexia?
Additional Notes
-- Searchable Archive
-- Our Email Group
-- Sponsorship Information
-- Reprint Information
-- Subscriber Information
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Notes from Heather
=======================
We had many insightful answers to Andrea's question last issue regarding
whether our readers see a trend in homeschooling families to encourage
more traditional roles of stay-at-home wife and mother for girls -- or
higher education, particularly college level studies and degrees that
can lead to a career. Some of our readers shared their observations of
the homeschooling movement overall, while others shared their own
particular decisions and the reasoning behind those decisions. It all
makes for interesting reading!
---
"Personally I am directing our daughter to the more tradtional role
of wife and mother and her children's teacher. I feel that society
has put down the most important role God gave women and there is a
detrement because of it -- a big one. My daughter is 8 and we
already talk about her homemaking and homeschooling her children.
We can't afford to ignore God's design for the family anymore. My
family is teaching our children how God set up the family structure
and the roles of everyone in it. If my daughter has a specific
talent she can learn how to benefit people in her lives and her
future family by following God's direction. My son is being taught
that he will be the breadwinner and make the money to take care of
his family and also that traditional college is not necessary. There
are apprenticeships, trade schools, and God's providence for him to
be the breadwinner. So, yes - we follow the more traditional roles."
-- Sandy
---
"I have three daughters who are homeschool graduates. None of them
took the path to college. It was my desire for them, but the two
oldest married their childhood sweethearts one year after graduation.
All three did well on the ACT, and I thought were prepared well for
college, but the desire of each one of them was to be a keeper at home.
The third graduated this year and works part time for a business owned
by a fellow church member. No courtship is presently in the works but
her desire is to be married and she does not want to pursue college.
I am not disappointed. My two oldest married best friends that were
also homeschooled. The two men were enough older to be established in
their careers. The girls are doing very well. All of their friends
went to college, but it just wasn't the path for them.
I have 4 more to graduate and 2 are sons. I would love for them to
continue their education. For our sons we talk about it more as a
natural step past high school. That being said, neither my husband
nor I will step in the way of the direction God leads them." -- Lesa
---
"I want our daughters to continue their education past high school
for these basic reasons: We don't know our daughters' futures, or
our own as parents. Some may marry later in life. Unless we are
arranging marriages, they may not meet their mate for many years.
Shouldn't they be prepared to serve in a ministry or do mission
work? Some may have to provide for themselves. Should they not
be prepared -- educated and trained to make a living? Also, I want
my daughters who home educate their own children to have a great
education!" -- Madelyn
---
"I am of the mind that although I wouldn't encourage my children to
spend four years in a traditional college setting, I would love to
see all of them pursue higher education to whatever extent they wish.
I do hope that my daughters will choose to be at home with their
children because I believe this is what children need, but they may
not have children, and may not even be married, so I think it is wise
to prepare them for work outside the home. Also, we all know that
everything in life does not turn out as we plan it and it is always
wise to have an 'alternate plan'.My husband and I have not always
had the financial resources for me to not work, so I have used my
degree to supplement our income when we have had financial need. We
have never had to place our children in the care of an institution,
however, even while I was working.And if, for some reason, we again
needed more income, I would be able to find a job that pays a lot
better than minimum wage, which is about all you can hope for without
a college degree or lots of experience these days (at least in my
experience -- I am not able to speak for everyone)." -- Jennifer
---
"I have five boys, and I do intend to teach them as though they are
all going to attend college. However, if I did have girls I would
take the same approach with them. Even if a parent's ideals lean
toward more traditional roles, as mine do, I understand that God may
have very different plans for each of my children. Let's assume that
a daughter is raised solely for the purpose of marrying and raising
a family. She learns no real marketable skills and does not attend
college. She marries and has a wonderful family. There may be
several small children or just one. Before she and her husband are
really on their feet, and before he has an opportunity to really
think about things such as life insurance, an accident or illness
occurs that takes him from this world or disables him. Now the burden
of providing an income is placed solely on the wife, who isn't going
to start out making very much money. Over several years as her
experience increases she will earn more, but for now the financial
strain is tremendous. This is obviously a worst-case scenario. One
would hope that there would be family to help or savings to live on,
but that is not always the case. In my very humble opinion, a wife
should be prepared to be a support and help to her husband in all
aspects;she should be able to adequately run a household, maintain
a budget, and give wise counsel. She should also be prepared to
assist financially should the need arise. The Proverbs 31 woman
didn't stay home and pray that nothing horrible would happen to her
husband. She earned money and made wise purchases wherever possible.
There are those who would disagree with me, and I understand their
position. This is just a humble opinion from a woman who has been
there." -- Deidre in TN
---
"Warmest greetings, Andrea! I think there's a bit of both -- more
tendency toward traditional roles, but also encouragement to pursue
individual gifts, interests, and callings, which may or may not include
higher education. One advantage of homeschooling is the opportunity
to completely individualize each child's educational program, and by
the time a student completes her home education requirements, she is
very perceptive about her abilities and aptitudes, and about God's
unique plan for her life. As you suggest, I believe there is a trend,
but the trend is to not follow the crowd -- an example set by the
parents who chose not to follow the crowd when they decided to home-
school.
Homeschool girls see more stay-at-home mothers and fewer career women
than girls who attend conventional schools. Because role models have
a tremendous influence on children, it is to be expected that there
would be a higher percentage of homeschool children following the
traditional gender roles, because it's what they see and value.
If you continue to observe many homeschool families, you will also see
an increase in the number of entrepreneurial boys who are establishing
their own businesses. Some of them go to college, and some don't,
depending on the type of business. This trend is coming from the
experience of observing their fathers placing a high priority on time
with their families, and a call to be a leader, not just an employee.
Since the very fabric of homeschooling is woven in the home, it culti-
vates a deep appreciation of home and family, which has a considerable
effect on the decisions of homeschooled young adults." -- Mary Beth
---
"I hear from young mothers every day (and older ones too!) who
have decided to swim against the cultural flow of working outside
the home in order to take on the traditional role of keepers at
home. After listening to their stories for many years, I have a
few theories about why we have seen this trend in the homeschool-
ing community.
Most of us grew up during the 60's, 70's and 80's. Before World
War II, only 25% of women were in the work force, and most of those
were young and unmarried. These numbers crept up slowly during the
50's, but when the feminist movement hit full force in the 60's, we
saw a huge number of women enter the work force. The traditional
role of homemaker was maligned and women were told that in order to
live up to their true potential, they needed to get out there in
'the man's world'. Many of us are children of those moms who
turned in their aprons for briefcases. Now, 40 years later, we can
look back and see the effects this shift had on home and family.
Those of us who, as young children, yearned to be home with mom but
were instead sent to daycare, tend to think that maybe this wasn't
such a good thing for us.
So, when we started to become mothers ourselves, we decided to
trade in the briefcases for aprons again. But, it hasn't been
easy. There is so much support out there for working moms -
probably because they represent a whopping 75% of mothers in the
U.S. Those of us in the 25% minority who stay home full-time
find ourselves having to defend our choice from time to time.
Lots of young mothers tried working outside the home, only to
find that the monetary rewards were little consolation when
weighed against the guilt and sorrow they felt at having to leave
their small children in the hands of another. Many women look
back with regret at the years lost with their small children;
years they can never regain.
With all of these experiences under our belts, many of us have
decided to teach our young daughters that being a keeper at home
is a very noble vocation. We want to train them to pursue their
roles as wives and mothers with as much excellence as others who
pursue careers. This is practically a lost art in our day and
age. Today's young mothers came from homes of working moms, so
they missed out on the basic mentoring they needed in cooking,
childcare, homekeeping, etc. I hear from these young moms every
day who long to be taught these things.
I have five daughters. I don't discourage them from seeking a
college education. However, I have always taught them that, most
likely, they will become wives and mothers. I want them to
understand that this will be the most important job they will
ever have and they ought to devote themselves to the task whole-
heartedly. There is always time later in life to pursue other
interests.
As you said, there may not be a black and white, right or wrong
answer to this question. Some women will find themselves in
situations where they must work outside the home. But we ought
to encourage our daughters to be ready to take on the role of
keeper at home when and if that day comes for them, teaching and
training them to do so with excellence."
-- Lisa Vitello
New Harvest Homestead
http://www.newharvesthomestead.com
---
"I am in St. Louis where there are many home schoolers. I have
noticed that the most fundamentally Christian parents are the ones
that tend to teach the girls they have the option of staying home,
and almost encourage it.
But it seems that the majority are assuming their girls are going
to college. It just seems responsible to make sure that everyone
has the ability to work if they need to. Plus, how many would
actually marry at a young age? Not even the most religious who
would prefer their girls to raise a traditional family would want
their girls to marry young.
I think that we're all just realizing that not every career neces-
sarily needs the college degree immediately upon leaving high school.
The fact that we're just now talking about this, I believe, shows
that it's a 'revolutionary notion' to even consider not immediately
going to college.
It is worth a thought to consider whether certain careers would be
worth financing the price of college and paying interest on the loan
far after one switches careers, especially when you consider oppor-
tunity cost. (I mean the amount that could have been earned while
in school.)
I remember the feeling I had with my summa cum laude degree when I
realized that experience was more prized than a degree. I guess
it's just being realistic to admit that some jobs would be better
suited to experience." -- Heidi
---
"I plan to encourage my daughter to attend college unless she shows
a strong interest in another area. I come from a divorced home, so
this may influence my thinking, but I want my daughter to be able to
support herself in the case of singleness or a husband's death, or
a divorce (which I don't condone). If she can best do this by
attending college, that is what I want for her. She knows that if
she does get married, it is best to stay home with her children.
I am also going to encourage her to think about learning to do some-
thing that will enable her to work part-time from home if she does
get married. Our finances are very tight, and it would be great to
be able to earn a little extra money. I have a college degree which
could have supported me were I not married, but I can't think of a
way to use it to supplement our family's income.
Like so many other issues, opinions about this vary within the home-
school community. I respect those who feel their daughters should
stay at home after high school, but I do not share their opinion."
-- A.M.
---
"Homeschool moms are the ultimate stay-at-home moms. No one puts
in the effort and sacrifice of being a stay-at-home mom (or home-
schooling parent) without truly believing that it is best for the
child. So, the opposite of most homeschool moms is usually a
career woman. And what is the number one reason we've all heard
that a mother has to work (other than the few who have to for
monetary reasons)? -- The time, effort, and money put into a higher
degree and the decision not to 'waste it'.I would guess this is
the reason there are a higher number of homeschool moms who don't
think it's as important for girls to go to college.
One more thing -- homeschoolers think outside the box. We have
already decided to go against the tide and stick out as 'different'.
We are not afraid to hold views contrary to the culture." -- Diana
---
"I've considered the issue of college for myself and my children
with many people's opinions and much information to consider.
Over the years, I have found that there are a few careers that
require a college education to pursue them. Becoming a doctor
or lawyer are examples of careers that require college. Many
jobs/careers may be entered into without a college degree. I
believe that good 'people skills' are of far more importance than
a college degree. In my experience, people will ask you if you
would like to work for them if they feel that -- 1) You are a hard
worker -- 2) You are easy to be around -- 3) They believe you can
learn. If these attributes can be encouraged/taught to your child,
you will prepare them for any career, college, or marriage rela-
tionship that God may have for their future. Just about every job
I have ever had was a job that someone said, 'Will you do such and
such for me? I'll pay you this amount.' There are many ways to
learn a career. Books, computers, classes, and apprenticeship are
just a few of the options available. Encouraging and teaching your
child how to learn new skills and how to have good relationships
with people is the most important gift any parent can give their
child. This will prepare them to succeed at anything." -- Alisha
---
"I think you're going to find all kinds of answers to this question.
Our oldest daughter was homeschooled K-12. In her senior year, she
began working at a home for the elderly in the kitchen and then
moved into a Nurse's Aide position. Also, in the same year, she
toured the local community college and decided that she wanted to
attend classes there to see if she could get into the Nursing pro-
gram. She never wanted to attend college, but she was so excited
that she had found her 'calling' in life. While attending 'higher
education', she also pursued an opportunity to become certified as
a CNA. After being rejected for a nursing spot at community college,
she pursued other colleges. She got accepted to two in the same day
and decided on one. This summer, she moved away from home to finish
her education to become an RN and couldn't be happier.
Last week two of her friends got engaged and asked her to be a
bride's maid in each of their weddings. I asked her today if she
has a twinge of jealousy, to which she replied, 'I thought that I
would, Mom, but I just want to finish school, get my own place,
and have fun. Someday there will be time for marriage, but not
today.'
I've never made my children feel as if they MUST go to college.
I help them to know what their options are, then help them to
achieve their goals. The one piece of advice that I have given
them is this: Pursue your dreams first. Family is wonderful, but
once you've devoted yourself to that, you MUST come last. My kids
know that I regret not going to college, but they also know that
I had to make a choice. I chose, at the age of 19, to give birth
to my daughter who now, by her own choice, is pursuing her dreams!"
-- Noreen
---
"I just started homeschooling this year so I've got a long way to
go with my three boys ages 6, 4, and 6 months. However, my plan
is to educate them to their highest academic potential so that
they have the opportunity to choose whatever path they want in life.
As a college graduate and former university admissions counselor,
I would like to see them all go to college, however, one or all may
be more suited for carpentry or music or some other trade. If I
educate them for college but they choose not to go at least I will
not have limited their options. If I have a girl someday, I will
do the same for her and encourage her to go to college. There's
nothing wrong with choosing a strong academic curriculum no matter
what the child decides to do in the future. A well-educated carpen-
ter, homemaker or muscian will be better prepared to homeschool
their own children who may choose to become doctors or lawyers or
priests/ministers." -- Jill in Florida
---
Are you inspired to share your OWN thoughts on this topic? Please do!
Send your emails to: heather@familyclassroom.net
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Helpful Tip
================
FREE 'Pebbly Brook Farm' Audio Story!
My dear friend Jill Novak just wrote to me about her brand new
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You know I love audio stories for my children and this project
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Enjoy! :-)
---
Do you have an idea, experience, or tip to share? Please write!
Send to: HN-ideas@familyclassroom.net
==================
Resource Review
==================
'Apples' Daily Spelling Drills for Secondary Students
by Susan Kemmerer
For more information or to order: www.shpublishing.com
Specifically designed for older students who struggle with spelling,
'Apples' is different from any program I have seen. Rather than
giving the student lists of words to memorize, it uses spelling
rules and application to improve comprehension. Spelling rules are
presented as 'clues', and each day the student reviews the rule,
eventually committing it to memory by filling in key words left
blank at the top of each page. They also apply the rule with a
variety of activities, completing one page each day. There are no
spelling lists; no spelling tests. Every tenth lesson is a review
of the rules studied to that point. Emphasis is placed on words
that follow the rules - the rule 'breakers' are taught separately.
'Apples' spelling lessons are short - only taking about 10 minutes
each day. It is not designed to look childish and does not contain
pictures or fancy graphics. This really is an ideal program for
middle or high school students who struggle with spelling. My high
school student IS remembering the rules and applying them after only
a few weeks! There are 150 lessons in 'Apples'; all the answers are
in the back. 'Apples2' is also available, and provides a second
year of study. Once these two books are completed, I believe that
even a poor speller will have improved and be more confident in
their ability to spell words correctly.
-- Cindy Prechtel, www.HomeschoolingFromTheHeart.com
===============================
Last Issue's Reader Question
===============================
"I have 10 year old twins. One of them has had difficulty reading
and it is becoming apparent that he may have dyslexia. He has trouble
reading vowels and gets the 'b' and 'd' mixed up. He has trouble with
3 letter words, yet can read 3-4 syllable words without a hitch. Some
days he will read the words and then some days he will struggle over
the same words. He sees the right vowel, but just gives it another
vowel sound. I understand dyslexia could be caused by a muscle in the
eye that with therapy can be helped. We have a fixed income and limited
insurance. I don't really know where to start looking for help. We
used Romalda Spalding's 'Writing Road to Reading' since he was in pre-
school, a curriculum that was initially intended for adult dyslexia and
other learning disabilities. So I don't understand why he is still
having trouble. Is this something he will always struggle with or can
it be corrected? Can I effectively teach him or should I get help?
Where can I learn about dyslexia?" -- Nona
=========================
Our Readers' Responses
=========================
"I too just recently found out that my son was dyslexic. In the
past few months I have researched quite a bit and found many
answers. My search started on the HSLDA web site, under their
'Struggling Learners' page. It covers more than just Dyslexia
and was a real eye-opener to me. Also through all this we found
that my son has IRLEN Syndrome. It is how his eyes perceive light
as it bounces off the written page. Now I notice that if he is
in too bright of a room, or with the wrong kind of lighting, his
reading is poorer. Also, the font of the text or the amount of
words on the page and their spacing can give him trouble. Go to
the Irlen center's site and research them a bit too. It might
help." -- Cammy
---
"Nona, my 10 year old son has had similar difficulty: inconsis-
tent spelling; getting long words and missing 'easy' ones. We
saw a vision therapy specialist who mentioned eyesight issues in
tracking but the therapy was too expensive and the drive too far.
Two things are helping -- covering most of the reading while also
holding a ruler under the line being read (we bought a colored
plastic 'ruler' made for this purpose, but an index card would
work -- the different color helps for us), sometimes we cover the
lines already read as well. Secondly, he is using 'Sequential
Spelling' (by Don McCabe, AVKO Foundation) this year and I am
starting to see more confidence and openness with him in this area.
His comment 3 weeks into it were, 'I think I am getting it better;
I really want to second guess my spelling and then it gets all
mixed up'. He has rough spots but I do see improvement." -- Sue
---
"My neighbor's daughter has undiagnosed (by a specialist that is)
dyslexia. One day when she was at my house I asked her what a
printed page looked like. She said the letters were moving. I
went to this website: http://www.dyslexia-parent.com/mag35.html
At the top of the page is a bar of colored squares which change
the background color of the page. We scrolled through the colors,
and when we got to the kelly green, she got all excited and said
that the words stopped moving! Her mom got her some clear green
plastic from an art store to put over her reading materials, which
is helping a lot. This family is also limited income, so I hope
that what others recommend will be helpful for them as well."
-- Cheryl
---
"I have a nine year old son who has not been officially diagnosed,
but has many signs and symptoms of dyslexia. I spent over a year
researching about it as we struggled through 2nd and 3rd grades
together.
The best resource I found is a book by Cynthia Stowe entitled 'How
to Reach and Teach Children and Teens with Dyslexia'. Everything
you need is in this book -- from explanations and testing methods
to how-to instructions for teaching each subject area. I have
used so many ideas from this book with great success.
Also, I have finally found some great curriculum choices for cer-
tain subjects that seem to work for him and his areas of weakness.
We use 'Sequential Spelling'. This was created by a man who has
dyslexia. He created a foundation and materials to help kids with
this issue. Also, 'Math U See' has really worked for him. One of
the successful instructional methods for dyslexia is LOTS of
review, and 'Math U See' is built this way. Constant review of
past concepts keeps them fresh in his mind. This is the first
year we haven't had tears every day with math.
My pediatrician has been very helpful in giving me advice as well
as listening to my concerns. He told me that even though we home-
school, we are still able to have our children tested for learning
disabilities through the public school system. In our state, that
is free. All you need to do is talk with your child's doctor and
he will refer you to the proper person in your local school system.
Best wishes as you seek guidance for helping your child to learn."
-- Michelle R.
---
"My husband has dyslexia and still struggles to this day. I
would first do a search on the internet. You may be able to
receive services through your school distict outside the home
or through Easter Seals. Also try colored plastic sheets over
top of the words. With some people the different colors make
the letters stay 'still' and they are able to read normally.
Good luck!" -- Tamara
---
"Please read this article:
http://www.schwablearning.org/articles.aspx?r=718
It's a Q & A kind of conversation with Sally Shaywitz, M.D.,
author of 'Overcoming Dyslexia'.
Shaywitz is a neuroscientist, a professor of pediatrics at Yale,
and co-director of the Yale Center for the Study of Learning and
Attention. She is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the
National Academy of Sciences, and of the National Reading Panel,
mandated by Congress to determine the most effective reading pro-
grams.
The book (Overcoming Dyslexia) is amazing; it really helped me
understand dyslexia from my daughter's eyes. I highly recommend
you read it.
Visit this site as well: http://www.irleninstitute.com/
It's about Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome, for which there is a
definition here: http://www.hale.ndo.co.uk/scotopic/definition.htm
One thing that has helped my daughter is using sheets of transparent
plastic in a specific color that she puts over her books or in front
of the computer screen. It really makes a difference! I picked up
a poster sized sheet of Kelly Green (her color) plastic at a station-
ery store for under three dollars. We made it into page sized
sheets we call 'Secret Lenses' and 'Faery Goggles'.
Try any of these sites to help figure out what color may help:
http://www.dyslexia-test.com/color.html
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/5-10-2006-95770.asp
http://www.dyslexiaglasses.com/visualdyslexiasolution.html
http://www.dyslexiaglasses.com/FAQs.html
Other useful info;
http://www.dyslexia.com/library/symptoms.htm
http://www.dyslexia.com/library/classroom.htm
http://www.beat-dyslexia.com/main.php?module=test
I hope some of this is helpful." -- Shauna M.
---
"Yes, you are describing dyslexia. If you read only one book,
please read 'Overcoming Dyslexia', by Sally Shaywitz. It is con-
sidered the most up-to-date, most accurate, and most useful by all
the experts. I read dozens of books, and this one sums them all
up -- filtering out the miseducation.
Also, the place to start researching is Susan Barton's web site,
Bright Solutions for Dyslexia: http://www.dys-add.com/
She has a wealth of information on her site, and she has a great
program. I use it and am very impressed with the company's honesty
and honorability. When I'm finished with it, I sell it on eBay for
nearly what I paid.
I honestly considered a second mortgage to pay for a school in the
area that gets amazing results with dyslexics. It was $30,000 a
year! I checked it out, and they use the same method, one-on-one.
How fortunate that you home school and can do the same program for
a few hundred bucks instead.
The fact that they're twins and only one has it will be frustrating
to that one. I hope you are able to find children's books that
explain it to your son, and also show how people with dyslexia are
usually bright and creative. Our library had several. Henry Winkler
writes a series called 'Hank Zipzer' that may be particularly
appropriate for your son's age.
I must say, about half of dyslexics are ADHD, also. It's just some-
thing to keep in the back of your mind. Also, it's hereditary, so
chances are someone succesful in the family can identify with your
son. It wasn't until my daughter was identified as dyslexic that I
realized that I was. (I graduated college summa cum laude, even
if I did mispell things!)
Please remember that the teachers or school district, that should
be educated on the subject, often are not. I was told by our school
district that there was no such thing as dyslexia, or that it just
meant, 'can't read'. This is simply not the case, but the so-called
paid professional was just not educated on the subject. She has
since retired, so it shows what the trend of belief was at the time
she was miseducated.
I just want to tell you, too, that it's not the end of the world.
Sure it's unfortunate that it's going to be a struggle for one of the
boys sometimes, but don't forget to keep your eye on his strengths."
-- Heidi
---
"We had a dyslexia specialist come speak at our school, and from what
she was describing, I immediately knew my eight-year-old daughter had
dyslexia. Although my daughter is very intelligent, she really strug-
gles with reading. I scheduled a screening with the specialist and
my daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia, which was actually a relief,
because I could actually do something about it. I am tutoring my
daughter now using the Barton Reading and Spelling System. If you go
to the 'Bright Solutions for Dyslexia' web site, www.dys-add.com, you
will find a lot of information. This site will tell you what dyslexia
is and what the symptoms are. There are also free videos that you may
watch online.
Our school is a small private/home community school. (Our children
attend on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and the parents homeschool
on Tuesdays and Thursdays). In my daughter's class of nine, there are
three students who have been diagnosed as being dyslexic. We are all
using the Barton system, and are all on different levels, so we are
able to share costs of the materials. The materials aren't cheap, but
as the specialist said they are cheaper than illiteracy. (There are
ten levels. The first two levels cost $250 each, and the remaining
levels cost $300 each.) I was able to find some of the curriculum
somewhat cheaper on eBay. You may also be able to recoup some of your
money by selling the levels once you are finished with them. I know I
keep looking for them online! Hope this helps." -- Joan
=========================
Answer our NEW Question
=========================
"I have fibromyalgia and there are many days I have very little energy.
I am homeschooling my 13 year old twins (boy/girl). My daughter would
like to be taught like in school, with me standing up front giving
lessons. My son has ADHD and learning disabilities so I have to be
creative with his lessons. My children just don't have the spark that
makes them WANT to learn. I don't have the energy a lot of the time to
figure out how to get that spark going! My daughter is determined to go
back to public school next year for good. My husband says yes. I would
prefer her stay home. My son would rather stay home. I feel these
issues are getting in the way of just plain teaching and learning. Any
ideas?" -- Ellie in VA
---
Do you have some inspiration, practical advice, or experience to share
with Ellie? Please send your answer to: HN-answers@familyclassroom.net
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