IEP Template and Guide

By Peggy Ployhar When homeschooling a struggling learner, understanding your child’s rate of progress, possible learning deficiencies, or level of mastery in a specific subject can be crucial. The free online assessment tools listed in this article are designed to assist you in these areas, helping you teach your child more effectively and aiding in their learning success. Important Note: These resources are not a substitute for professional advice. Assessments administered by a parent should not be used to diagnose a student but rather as an indicator that your child may need professional assistance as part of their educational plan. At SPED Homeschool, our goal is to help students succeed in parent-directed special education homeschooling. We hope you find these assessment tools helpful. General Assessments: Easy CBM Assessment Tool LD Info Parent Administered Cognitive Processing Inventory National Institute for Direct Instruction Placement Tests shared by Shanel Tarrant-Simone, SPED Homeschool Team Member and owner of Spectrum Parent Consulting K5 Learning Assessments ADDitude Self-Tests (Self-tests for common learning disabilities and psychological issues) Reading Assessments: General: University of Oregon Dynamic Inventory of Basic Early Literacy Skills Orton-Gillingham PDF Free Assessment Test Sonlight Language Arts Assessment Grammar: The Great Grammar Book Test Quill Grammar Diagnostic Test shared by Kathryn Grogg, Grogg Educational Consulting Dyslexia: Davis Dyslexia Screening Assessment shared by Beverly Parrish, Learn Your Way Dynaread Dyslexia Test Learning Success Dyslexia Test Lexercise Dyslexia Test Nessy Dyslexia Test (5-7 years) All About Learning Dyslexia Screening Checklist shared by D.M. Spence, SPED Homeschool Team Member and private homeschooling consultant Reading: Diane Craft Word Recognition Placement Test Dianne Craft Right Brained Reader Placement Test Sonlight Reading Assessment National Institute for Direct Instruction Corrective Reading Tests shared by Shanel Tarrant-Simone, owner of Spectrum Parent Consulting Math Assessments: General: Little Giant Steps Math Facts Assessment Singapore Math Placement Assessments Horizons Math Readiness Evaluations Math Mammoth Placement Assessments shared by Kathryn Grogg, Grogg Educational Consulting Saxon Math Placement Assessment shared by Kathy Kuhl, Learn Differently Dyscalculia: Learning Success Dyscalculia Assessment Exceptional Individuals Dyscalculia Test Various Other Assessments: Auditory Processing: Little Giant Steps Auditory Processing Test Kit Harkla Online Auditory Processing Test Functional/Educational Vision: See Ability Functional Visual Assessment Speech Articulation: Mommy Speech Therapy Articulation Screener Psychological Screening Tools: Healthy Place Psychological Tests ADDitude Self-Tests (Self-tests for common learning disabilities and psychological issues) Handwriting: Learning Without Tears Screener of Handwriting Proficiency shared by D.M. Spence, SPED Homeschool Team Member and private homeschooling consultant Learning Without Tears Pre-K Handwriting Assessment shared by D.M. Spence, SPED Homeschool Team Member and private homeschooling consultant Do you have any other free tools you use to assess your homeschooled struggling learner? We would love to have you share them with us. The more resources we can share with one another, the better equipped our community will be to successfully homeschool each of our unique children. Thanks for being part of our community and for sharing!

Are you stretching every dollar to make your homeschool budget work? In this episode of Empowering Homeschool Conversations, host Peggy Ployhar sits down with Krisa Winn, a seasoned homeschooling consultant and the new SPED Homeschool Director of Consulting and Partnerships, to explore the key to maximizing your homeschool budget. Discover how working with an educational consultant can be a game-changer for your family—not just in terms of educational outcomes, but also in managing costs. Krisa shares her extensive experience and breaks down the tangible benefits of consulting services, from accessing cost-effective resources to saving time, reducing stress, and boosting productivity, all of which contribute to a more manageable and efficient budget. Learn how utilizing a consultant can actually save your family money by identifying unnecessary expenses and prioritizing what truly matters in your child’s education. Peggy and Krisa also discuss the ripple effect of these services—how the guidance and support from a consultant can free up valuable time for parents, allowing them to focus on what they do best: nurturing their children’s learning and growth. Finally, Krisa sheds light on SPED Homeschool’s vision for making quality, effective consultative services accessible to all homeschooling families, regardless of budget constraints. Whether you're a seasoned homeschooler or just starting out, this episode offers actionable strategies and insights that can transform how you approach your homeschooling finances. Krisa Winn is an educator and sought-after public speaker who has served homeschooling families for more than a decade. As a special needs consultant at Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) she worked with thousands of fellow homeschooling parents offering personalized guidance, resources, and practical help to families homeschooling children with special needs. During her 21 years as a classroom teacher, she taught children of all ages, abilities, and circumstances. She has also worked as a private tutor, an early childhood intervention specialist, and an academic language therapist in training. Viewers like you funded similar episodes, and other free resources from SPED Homeschool. To learn how you can support the nonprofit work of SPED Homeschool and this broadcast, visit https://spedhomeschool.com/donate/ To find out more about SPED Homeschool, visit our website at https://spedhomeschool.com/ To learn about the other Empowering Homeschool Conversations Co-Hosts and their resources, visit: https://annieyorty.com/ https://www.leilanimelendez.com/ https://elarplearning.com/ https://solimaracademy.com/ Join our mission to empower homeschool families!: https://spedhomeschool.com/donate/