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By Cheryl Swope, M.Ed Homeschooling can be challenging. Parenting itself is a struggle, as we and our children wrestle daily to do what is good and right. Adding homeschooling to the mix often feels like piling more weight onto our already burdened shoulders. Our own shortcomings, the relentless temptations of the world, and spiritual attacks can make our purpose feel fragile and our efforts fruitless. Yet, as redeemed children of Christ, we bring our children to the waters of baptism and choose to educate them at home, nurturing them to become thoughtful, service-minded, academically strong, and eternally secure in Christ Jesus. Looking back now that my children are young adults, I realize one simple truth that could have made this journey less daunting: All is His. Doubts In our family's homeschool journey, from infancy through high school, some days were smooth and even idyllic, but many days were filled with doubt. My mind often echoed with concerns: "Am I hindering my child?" "Is there a better way to teach this?" "Are my children picking up my bad habits? My husband's?" "How will I guide my son to become the adult I envision?" "How will I meet my daughter’s needs and still teach her effectively?" "How do I fulfill my other vocations as daughter, friend, neighbor, worker, and congregation member?" "Am I ever doing enough? How do I know?" What I wish I had known is captured in this simple reminder: All is His. Luther writes, "All things that have being—obviously also all of our wisdom and abilities—derive not from themselves, but they both have their beginning from Him, are preserved through Him, and must continue in Him" (LW 78:15). As Paul says in Acts 17:28, "In Him we live and move and have our being." What does this mean? Nothing happens by chance or accident. Everything comes from and through His divine counsel and good pleasure. He cares for us as His people and sheep; He rules us, gives us good things, helps us in danger, and preserves us (LW 78:15). I taught this to my children, yet I did not always grasp this truth for myself. Mysteries The mysteries of God offer comfort to the believer, and His Word, from Genesis to Revelation, reveals His power, which is far beyond our own. More than omnipotence alone, it is the very mercy of God, through the person and work of Christ Jesus, that sustains us. By the working of the Holy Spirit, we believe. He holds all things together. This is a comfort to me, which is why I've been meditating on Colossians 1:17: "And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." We may worry excessively or think we accomplish much on our own, "yet for us, there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist" (1 Corinthians 8:6). If this knowledge seems too abstract for everyday life, Martin Luther explains these great mysteries in small details: "Who can ever learn or explain how it happens that a leaf grows out of a tree, or a grain becomes a root, or through wood and kernel, a cherry grows from a blossom?" (LW 78:16). Similarly, in the Small Catechism's explanation of the First Article, God "has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have" (emphasis added). Luther, a master of grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric, was a proponent of what we now call Christian classical education. He skillfully uses details and the word all to underscore the certainty of God's promises. Luther continues his First Article explanation by saying, "He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil" (emphasis added). This is a vital reminder as we instruct our children. All Is His He does all of this. He has given; He also gives. He richly and daily provides; He defends. (I do not do this. We do not do this. He does this.) And He does this because He loves us in Christ and because He is good. "All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me" (Small Catechism, First Article). In those doubt-filled and prideful moments when we rely on our abilities, we only make things worse. We feed our doubts and nurture our pride. However, when we pray and commend our children, their education, lives, and all things to His care, we can trust that He gives us all we need. He already has given us all we need in Christ, and He will continue to do so. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6). As we confess our lack of trust, fear, and pride, we find forgiveness in Christ. Jesus died for even this. On earth, Jesus alone trusted God in all His ways and always prayed, "Thy will be done." Just as our Savior comes to our children, He also comes to us. He prays for us even now. All is His, given to us. We can see this clearly when we confess the Apostles' Creed. While theologians today may debate the Third Article of sanctification, our pastors faithfully bring to us, through Word, water, bread, and cup, the Gospel of Christ as confessed in the Second Article of redemption. As loved, forgiven, redeemed, and daily cared-for parents, we can reclaim the proclamation of the First Article promises of creation. "He causes all created things to serve the uses and necessities of life. These include the sun, moon, and stars in the heavens, day and night, air, fire, water, earth, and whatever it bears and produces. . . . So we learn from this article that none of us owns for himself, nor can preserve, his life nor anything that is here listed or can be listed. This is true no matter how small and unimportant a thing it might be" (LC II 14, 16). He gives all. So even today, as we teach, raise, and love our children, we remember, know, and trust this truth: All is His.

🔍 Are you ready to level up your homeschooling strategy? Join Peggy Ployhar on Empowering Homeschool Conversations as she dives deep with team co-host Annie Yorty in an insightful interview on "Strategic Homeschooling: Assessing Last Year and Planning Ahead for Diverse Needs." Discover practical tips, tools, and insights to help you evaluate your past year and plan effectively for the future, ensuring your child’s unique needs are met every step of the way. Don't miss out on this empowering conversation that will transform your homeschooling journey! 🎓✨ Annie Yorty is a wife, mother, writer, and speaker who brings hope and encouragement to those navigating tough times. Her life, filled with unexpected twists, has deepened her reliance on God’s presence and purpose. Annie's advocacy journey began with the birth of her first child, who has Down syndrome. She finds joy in helping others discover their needs and sources of support. Her advocacy spans parenting, disability support, global missions, homeschooling, Bible teaching, Multiple Sclerosis awareness, and mentoring. Annie has inspired audiences across four continents and contributes to various blogs and online magazines, including Crosswalk. Her book, "From Ignorance to Bliss: God’s Heart Revealed Through Down Syndrome," shares the hope she found through her parenting journey. To connect with Annie, visit: https://annieyorty.com/ 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.youtube.com/@LivingWithEve https://elarplearning.com/ https://solimaracademy.com/ Join our mission to empower homeschool families!: https://spedhomeschool.com/donate/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

By Dianne Craft, MA, CNHP from Child Diagnostics Are you working with a bright, hardworking child or teenager who seems to struggle more than they should with learning? This might be the child who doesn't respond to the same curriculum, materials, or teaching strategies that have worked well for your other children. Perhaps you're on your fourth reading or phonics program, your third math curriculum, and your fourth spelling approach. If this is your first child or student facing such challenges, you might now notice younger siblings or other students calling out answers from across the room, while this child continues to struggle. That's when you realize, "Something isn't right." You start wondering if this child has a processing issue, a learning disability, or Dyslexia. It's confusing because, orally, this child is so capable, loves listening to stories, and excels in many areas. What could be going on? According to Dr. Mel Levine, MD, in his book One Mind at a Time, all learning requires energy, which he refers to as "battery energy." I find this term very fitting, as it vividly describes what we observe in struggling learners. This child is using far too much battery energy to write, remember sight words, or grasp phonics for reading. We watch as their "battery" drains before our eyes. The pressing question is: why does this child have to work so hard at tasks that shouldn’t require so much effort? This energy drain often occurs because one or more of the Four Learning Gates are blocked. We can think of these learning gates as pathways for processing information. Children who learn with ease appear "smart" because they have no significant blocks in these pathways. In contrast, our struggling learner may face multiple blocks. When we talk about a blocked learning gate, we're referring to a processing skill that hasn't yet transferred to the automatic brain hemisphere, meaning the child must concentrate intensely on the task. Exploring the Four Learning Gates As you consider the characteristics of a struggling learner, remember that many children may display one or two of these traits without experiencing significant learning difficulties. Conversely, a child doesn't need to exhibit all of these characteristics to struggle. In fact, it’s not uncommon for a child to have all four learning gates blocked. 1. Visual Processing Gate The act of moving the eyes from left to right across a page is not an innate ability. For instance, in Israel, people read right to left, and in Japan, they read in columns. We teach this left-to-right movement when a child is first learning to read by having them track with their finger across the page. After some practice, this process should transfer to the child's automatic hemisphere. How do we know if this process hasn't transferred and is consuming too much energy? Here are some characteristics to watch for: Reading reversals (e.g., "on" becomes "no"; "was" becomes "saw" after age seven). Skipping small words but managing longer ones. Starting to read smoothly, but soon struggling. Older children who can read but tire easily, often yawning shortly after beginning. 2. Writing Processing Gate When a child's visual/spatial skills or writing ability hasn't transferred to the automatic hemisphere, they might appear "sloppy, lazy, or unmotivated." Their papers may be poorly spaced, or they may avoid writing altogether. This is the most common blocked learning gate in gifted children, who seem "allergic to a pencil." Translating thoughts into writing, or even copying text, requires an immense amount of battery energy for this child. Characteristics of this blocked gate include: Frequent or occasional letter reversals after age seven (even if infrequent). Laborious copying. Poor spacing in math papers. Excellent oral storytelling, but minimal writing. Preferring mental math to avoid writing. 3. Auditory Processing Gate A common misconception about auditory processing is, "My child has an auditory processing problem because they can't remember three directions at once." This is more likely an attention issue. For instance, if you asked the child to "Go into the kitchen and get a candy bar, a glass of chocolate milk, and a dish of ice cream," they'd probably remember it all. A child with an auditory processing problem typically struggles with reading. Common characteristics of this blocked gate include: Difficulty retaining phonics sounds, despite repeated practice. Trouble memorizing sight words; even alphabet letter names may be hard to learn. Repeatedly sounding out the same word in a story. Difficulty sequencing sounds, such as the months of the year or skip counting. Tendency to guess words. Lack of phonetic pattern in spelling; may miss consonants (e.g., "Thursday" becomes "Tuesday"). 4. Focus/Attention Gate This can be the most challenging blocked learning gate to identify. A child may seem to have no memory or a true learning disability, but what’s really happening is that they’re expending too much battery energy to stay focused during instruction or while completing tasks. The child might appear attentive, giving good eye contact, yet in their mind, they’re "two doors down, playing with a friend, or in the dinosaur village." Characteristics of a child struggling with focus/attention include: Inconsistent performance from one day to the next. Needing someone to sit with them to finish work. Frequently forgetting previously learned material, giving the impression of a memory problem. Impulsive behavior, often getting upset when things don’t go as planned. Sensory processing issues (e.g., sensitivity to tags on shirts, loud noises, transitions, certain foods, etc.). Empowering Parents and Educators Rest assured, you don’t need to be an expert or professional to make learning easier for your child or student. On my website, I have numerous articles where I discuss each learning gate in detail and share the strategies and corrections I developed while teaching special education. You’ll find that it’s not difficult to implement these strategies. It simply requires some tools, techniques, and approaches that you may not be familiar with right now. Remember, learning doesn’t have to be so hard for your child.

Join host Leilani Melendez in an eye-opening episode of Empowering Homeschool Conversations as she sits down with Aaron Brewster to dive deep into the emotional intricacies of parenthood. In "Parenting with Heart: Navigating the Emotional Landscape of Parenthood," Aaron shares profound insights and practical advice on how to connect with your children on a deeper level, manage the emotional ups and downs of parenting, and foster a nurturing environment at home. Whether you're a seasoned parent or just starting your journey, this conversation will equip you with the tools to parent with empathy and understanding. Don’t miss this empowering discussion!   Aaron Brewster is the president of Evermind Ministries, chief editor for Striving for Eternity, and a member of the Christian Podcast Network. He is an ACBC-certified biblical counselor, writer, preacher, and conference speaker. In addition, he’s the host of the Truth.Love.Parent. podcast and The Celebration of God podcast. Aaron counsels and speaks on a wide range of topics, but he specializes in the areas of family, discipleship, education, and worship, as well as training the next generation of biblical counselors. To connect with Aaron, visit:https://strivingforeternity.org/about/our-team/ambrewster/ 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.youtube.com/@LivingWithEve https://elarplearning.com/ https://solimaracademy.com/ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by our guests on Empowering Homeschool Conversations are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the host(s) or the show's producers. While we aim to provide a platform for diverse perspectives, we do not endorse or agree with all opinions shared during the broadcast. We encourage our audience to consider the information presented and make informed decisions that align with their own values and beliefs. Join our mission to empower homeschool families!: https://spedhomeschool.com/donate/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

By Jan Bedell, PhD, M.ND from Brain Sprints As parents, we all want our children to read well so they can engage with God’s Word and navigate life with greater ease. Reading is foundational to learning, and many of us make it our mission to ensure our children become proficient readers. This is an admirable goal, but the path to achieving it may not be as straightforward as we think. The Truth About Phonics I’m about to say something that may surprise you: Phonics might not be the best method for teaching your child to read. Shocking, right? I was just as surprised when I first heard it. After all, I had spent five years diligently trying to teach my daughter with special needs to read using phonics. Before my own attempts, both public and private schools had also tried to teach her to read using phonics, but she struggled. Although she was a phonogram champion—knowing the sounds of all 70 phonograms, including tricky ones like "ough"—she couldn’t blend those sounds into words beyond three letters. The experience was confusing and extremely frustrating. After years of struggle, I discovered that my daughter had low auditory processing skills, meaning she couldn’t hold the phonograms in her short-term memory long enough to blend them into words. We found ourselves stuck in an endless loop of sounding out the same word repeatedly, often with little success. By the time she reached the end of a sentence, she had no idea what she had read. It was a wake-up call for me. The Auditory Processing Disconnect For some children, learning to read using phonics is easy, but for others, like my daughter, it can be a significant challenge. When children have low sequential auditory processing abilities—meaning they struggle to hold a series of items in consecutive order in short-term memory—phonics often fails. Phonics is an auditory learning system that requires a child to hold all the pieces of a word and the associated rules together in their brain long enough to articulate the word correctly. For children with strong auditory sequential processing, phonics is fantastic. But for those with low auditory abilities, it can be a nightmare. When auditory processing is low, and words become longer and more complex, the child can lose track by the end of the word and start guessing. Developmental issues with the eyes can also contribute to reading difficulties. For more insights into these challenges, listen to Podcast #17 - Make Reading Easier, available at www.BrainCoachTips.com. This podcast will also guide you on how to improve your child's auditory processing abilities, making phonics more effective in the future. Brain Coach Tips for Reading Success Assess Auditory Processing: Determine if your child struggles with low sequential auditory processing by ordering a Free Auditory Processing Test Kit. Your child should have a strong 5-digit span and ideally be working on a 6-digit span before phonics becomes effective. Engage in Auditory Processing Activities: Spend two minutes, twice a day, on auditory processing activities (instructions included in your free kit). This may be the best investment of your homeschooling time, as the benefits extend beyond just phonics. Echo Reading: Read to your child, having them follow along word by word. Then, have your child read the same sentence or paragraph immediately after you. This may feel like cheating, but here’s a revelation: we are all sight readers! Once we know a word, we don’t sound it out again. Try reading the statement at the end of this article titled "Phonics vs. Sight Reading" and see if you rely on phonics. Support, Don’t Struggle: Don’t let your child struggle unnecessarily. If they don’t know a word, tell them or sound it out for them. This support fosters confidence and keeps the reading experience positive. Incorporate Audiobooks: Have your child listen to audiobooks daily and read aloud for at least an hour each day. This practice will help develop auditory processing skills. Combine Sight Words with Phonics: While building auditory processing levels, teach your child sight words. Then, as their processing skills improve, reintroduce phonics. This blended approach offers the best of both worlds, leading to a happier and more successful reader. By understanding the strengths and challenges of your child’s learning abilities, you can tailor your approach to reading. Phonics may not always be the answer, but with the right strategies, every child can find success in reading.   To connect with Jan and her team, visit Brain Sprints

In this episode of Empowering Homeschool Conversations, host Stephanie Buckwalter welcomes Mary Underwood, author and blogger at What Empty Nest, whose mission is to encourage, equip, and empower parents of young adults with disabilities entering adulthood. Together, they explore the journey towards independence for young adults with disabilities, offering practical advice, personal stories, and valuable insights. Tune in to discover how to support and guide your young adult in achieving greater independence and success as they transition into adulthood. Mary Underwood has been involved in the special needs community for over a decade as well as having friends and family who are walking this journey with their young adult. She is an author and blogger at What Empty Nest where her mission is to encourage, equip and empower parents of young adults with disabilities who are entering adulthood. To connect with Mary, visit:https://whatemptynest.com/ 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.youtube.com/@LivingWithEve https://elarplearning.com/ https://solimaracademy.com/ Join our mission to empower homeschool families!: https://spedhomeschool.com/donate/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

By Dianne Craft, MA, CNHP Question: "I am a homeschooling mother of four, ages 7-12. I'm at a loss as to how to homeschool my son, Nathan, who is 12 years old. He's behind in everything. It takes him all day to do his work. He freezes when he looks at his math papers, and it takes him forever to write anything. I know he's smart, but he says he's 'dumb.' I want him to be an independent learner, but I don't know how to get him there." Answer: It sounds like Nathan has hit a wall with his schoolwork and is on the verge of giving up. This response is common when children don’t have the strategies they need to move past the "stuck" phase. I encountered similar challenges when teaching in my 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade Resource Room, which I referred to as my "Intensive Care Unit." Like Nathan, many of my students had lost their motivation to learn despite having supportive parents, teachers, and putting in their best effort. To help them, I knew I needed to use a different approach—what I call "Healing Teaching." What is Healing Teaching? Healing Teaching is a method where the teacher actively partners with a child to provide them with learning strategies, essentially teaching them how to use their brain effectively. The focus is on setting up each lesson to guarantee immediate success, taking small, manageable steps toward mastery. There’s no concept of "falling behind" because the work is done together within a set timeframe, with the goal of learning the material—not necessarily completing all problems or worksheets. The grade-level content remains unchanged, but the teaching approach is entirely transformed. By guiding children gently toward correct answers and ignoring wrong ones, they start to relax, enjoy learning, and build confidence in their abilities. This method helped my students recover from what I saw as a "learning flu," and it’s a process that can easily be implemented at home, even with other siblings to teach. Examples of Healing Teaching Methods Leading to Correct Answers: In my Remedial Reading class, students were initially resistant to reading aloud or participating in phonics programs. To address this, I removed non-essential decoding tasks like writing or memorizing rules. Instead, I wrote long words on an overhead projector, highlighting the "decoding unit" in color and adding a picture that represented the sound. If a student mispronounced a word but used the decoding unit correctly, I would affirm their effort and focus on tackling the tricky part together. This method boosted their confidence, and by the end of the year, my students were reading two years ahead of their grade level! Jazzy Spelling: Spelling can be difficult, so I taught students to use their photographic memory. We would take a long word, like "psychology," and make the letters visually memorable with colors, funny meanings, or even adding some drama like "blood" on the letters. After just one session, students could spell the words forwards and backwards, building their confidence in spelling. Paragraph Blobs: Writing paragraphs was a challenge for my students, so we tackled it together without workbooks or worksheets. We would brainstorm a topic, draw "blobs" to organize ideas, add one-word reminders of sentences, and then connect these ideas using a Right Brain Webbing method. This made writing easier, and students found that the paper practically wrote itself. Careful Correcting: After writing, we corrected papers together using an overhead projector. Initially, students were nervous, but I turned the process into a positive experience by giving points for every correct aspect—like starting with a capital letter or using adjectives. We focused on the good, and I made mental notes of spelling mistakes to address later, without pointing them out immediately. This approach encouraged students to write more and longer paragraphs, feeling smarter with each attempt. Real-Life Success Stories Nathan's Success: Nathan’s mom shared that switching to doing math on a whiteboard (without videos or workbooks) and modeling the problems for him made a huge difference. She even created a "template" to hang on the wall, and Nathan smiled all day. He was getting things right without the pressure of checking off a workbook, and his mom was overjoyed. Grace's Success: Grace, a 15-year-old, had so much anxiety about schoolwork that her parents had to stop schooling her temporarily due to the frustration. When they switched to Healing Teaching methods, Grace started enjoying all her subjects and returned to learning with enthusiasm. Emma's Success: Emma's mother contacted me because her 12-year-old daughter was often in tears during the school day, frustrated with re-doing workbooks and struggling with math. We suggested a plan that incorporated Healing Teaching methods into Emma’s routine. Soon after, Emma began enjoying school, writing paragraphs, and even mastering math with the help of a creative "template" on the wall. Long-Term Success The Healing Teaching method doesn’t have to be used forever—typically, it’s needed for less than a year. After that, students can transition back to regular learning without the fear of getting "stuck." This approach can lead to a success-driven school year and help children rediscover their love for learning. To explore more of Dianne’s resources, visit diannecraft.org.

Navigating the complexities of parenting children who have experienced neglect or trauma can be daunting. In this episode, we sit down with Jayne E. Schooler to explore compassionate and effective strategies for managing challenging behaviors. Discover practical tips on fostering resilience, building trust, and nurturing emotional healing in your child. Tune in to learn how patience, empathy, and expert guidance can transform your parenting and homeschooling journey. Jayne E. Schooler is the author or coauthor of eight books in the field of child welfare, including Wounded Children, Healing Homes: How Traumatized Children Impact Adoptive and Foster Families and Parenting in Transracial Adoption: Real Questions and Real Answers. Jayne served full-time with Back2Back Ministries and regularly visited countries around the world to train and support organizations and ministries in creating trauma-informed programs. Jayne lives in Dayton, Ohio, is a mother by both birth and adoption as well is a grandparent of four. 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 connect with Jayne and her resources, use these links: New book: https://mediacenter.tyndale.com/p/caring-for-kids-from-hard-places/9781646070466 Website: https://schoolerinstitute.org/ 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.youtube.com/@LivingWithEve https://elarplearning.com/ https://solimaracademy.com/ Join our mission to empower homeschool families!: https://spedhomeschool.com/donate/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

by Cheryl Swope from Simply Classical Parents often don't worry about early childhood development when everything seems fine. However, parents of children with special needs don't have that luxury. When a child shows signs of abnormal development, delayed speech or language, or struggles with normal growth, immediate attention is crucial. While some refer to it as early intervention, I prefer to call it essential intervention. We cannot wait. Support for these children can include professional therapies, improved nutrition, and medical specialists. But much can also be done from the comfort, warmth, and security of our homes. As we seek necessary care, we must remember that the child is a human being with the need for love, respect, and moral order. A more humane approach to early childhood special education starts with recognizing the child's inherent personhood. From conception onward, this child is a human being, fearfully and wonderfully made. They are given to us to nurture and love for as long as they live, far beyond the scope of measurable goals and finite objectives. Engaging Your Child as an Individual As we work on therapy goals and address physical needs, we must not neglect their humanity. Our earliest years should be filled with people who love us, discipline us, and whom we trust and respect in return. Children should not be placed in front of televisions, tablets, or phones as digital substitutes. Instead, they should be held and spoken to face-to-face by family and friends. They should hear stories, sing songs, and see beauty. Children should be esteemed but not indulged. They should not throw their toys or food, scream, or whine. Instead, they should engage as they are engaged. When a toddler reaches out to share a soggy Cheerio, we can look them in the eye and say with appreciation, "Thank you." They should be taught and given the respect of good manners. Engaging Your Child as a Family Member Some speculate that the dramatic rise in childhood disorders like anxiety, ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, and autism is partly due to the proliferation of devices that substitute human interaction, play, and quiet. Fragmenting a child from their family and their ability to play on their own will not serve them well. What can a busy mom do? Engage the child by providing time to play with the family dog, a playmate, a neighbor, or as a mother's helper. Ask extended family, someone from church, or a college student to come over and play. This may or may not include implementing therapy exercises. Example: When my son Michael was young, he needed physical therapy for low muscle tone and malformed legs. He couldn’t perform the exercises himself, and I struggled with time and patience. My dad came over to help. Instead of blandly counting "Push, Michael: 1, 2, 3," Grandpa turned it into a game: "Press the pedal to make the car go fast! Let's go! Vrooooooom." Michael pushed the imaginary pedal harder than ever, finding warmth, acceptance, and encouragement in my dad's face. Engaging Your Child as a Cultural Citizen Our children need responding, engaging human faces. We honor their personhood when we engage them with what is real. Let them hold or weigh real fruit at the grocery store, fold real socks together, and have real conversations. We can roll a ball back and forth, play "Follow the Leader," and let them become the leader. We teach them to say or sign "please" and "thank you" with respect and humility and encourage them to look for ways to help. Introducing carefully selected books combined with simple lessons respects the young child, raises their tastes higher than they might naturally incline, and rewards efforts with greater competence in cognition, communication, and understanding. When we provide therapies and medical care for our youngest children, we must also teach, nurture, and engage them. Their personhood grants them human needs: love, discipline, kindness, respect, gentleness, order, patience, joy, and kindness. Like all of us, our youngest children need the familiar faces of those who will be with them through the ups and downs, trials and resilience, sadness and joys of being loved and respected persons they were created to be. Resources Based on abilities, not chronological age, our Simply Classical ready-to-implement packages are themed with simple ways to include piety, preparation, and play within the therapeutic context of building skills, strengthening minds, and learning to engage with others. Level A: Readiness, Rhythm, & Rhyme Level B: Essentials, Etiquette, & Ear Training Level C: Animals, Alphabet, & Aesop Cheryl Swope is the author of Simply Classical: A Beautiful Education for Any Child and the creator of the Simply Classical Curriculum for Special Needs (Memoria Press), voted #1 for Special Learners. With a master's degree in special education, Cheryl homeschooled her adopted boy/girl twins from their earliest years through high school graduation. The family lives together in a quiet lake community in Missouri. For more articles like this, subscribe for free to the Simply Classical Journal, a print magazine arriving twice annually.

Are you a homeschooling parent struggling to inspire your child's inner author? Dive into this episode as Annie Yorty sits down with celebrated author and educator, Heidi Vertrees, to unlock the secrets of nurturing young writers in a homeschooling environment. Discover proven strategies, creative techniques, and personal anecdotes that will transform your homeschooling journey and ignite a passion for writing in your children. Don't miss this enlightening conversation that promises to equip you with the tools to grow great writers right at home! Heidi Vertrees, author and educator, manages New Song Press, a website where she posts blogs to encourage parents and teachers with helpful and fun writing projects that promote a Christian worldview. She loves to inspire children and teens to write for God’s glory. Heidi, who homeschooled her children and helped to raise a “bonus” daughter with Down syndrome, has taught in Colorado, Virginia, and Maryland in Christian, charter, and public schools. She is the award-winning author of Victor Survives Being a Kid. Written for children aged eight to twelve, Victor Survives Being a Kid weaves a thrilling tale full of adventure, humor, and inspiration told through the eyes of a fifth-grade boy. These days, Heidi teaches swimming to homeschoolers at Shepherd University in West Virginia and leads an after-school Good News Bible Club in Washington County, Maryland. To connect with Heidi visit her website link: https://www.newsongpress.net/ 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.youtube.com/@LivingWithEve https://elarplearning.com/ https://solimaracademy.com/ Join our mission to empower homeschool families!: https://spedhomeschool.com/donate/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

By Faith Berens, M.ED., Reading Specialist, SPED Homeschool Board Member, and Homeschool Mom of Two Do you have children who have sensory processing issues, sound sensitivity, or are dealing with attention or anxiety problems? When our son was very little, he had many sensory issues. He particularly struggled with sound sensitivity, had meltdowns, and complained about buzzing in his ears (tinnitus). He had difficulty understanding what we were saying, had trouble following directions, and was often dysregulated. At age 7, he was diagnosed with auditory processing disorder. Our older daughter was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, anxiety, and a scholastic learning disability (dyslexia). We were blessed to find the Equipping Minds Cognitive Development Program by Dr. Carol Brown. As part of that therapy, she introduced us to Sound Therapy Synergy, which is incorporated into the Equipping Minds therapy program. I am excited to share with you about Sound Therapy Synergy! The Sound Therapy Synergy method and program, developed by Patricia and Rafaele Joudry, is a unique listening system based on the discoveries of the French ear specialist Dr. Alfred Tomatis. Dr. Tomatis said, "Listening is the road to learning," and he discovered how to light up new brain pathways by stimulating the ear. He taught the primary importance of the hearing sense for healthy neurological functioning. Wondering what it is and how it works? The program uses highly filtered classical music that is specially recorded to rehabilitate the ear and stimulate the brain. Sound Therapy stimulates the ear by playing constantly alternating sounds of high and low tone within the complex structure of classical music. Stimulation via the sensory pathways remaps the brain, improving the way one understands and processes sound. The brain, in turn, sends signals back to the ear to improve its function. Research done on the sound suggests that this feedback loop results in better performance of the middle ear muscles and of the tiny, hair-like receptor cells in the inner ear. As the ear "opens up" and becomes receptive to high-frequency sounds, these are then passed on to the brain. Research has shown that brain function is improved through high-frequency sound, leading to increased blood flow to certain centers and increased electrical activity. According to Rafaele Joudry's website, Sound Therapy listeners report increased energy, reduced fatigue, improved focus and creativity, reduced need for sleep, and an almost permanent state of peace and relaxation. This was certainly the case for our family. Our daughter found the program relaxing and calming; it helped her sleep better and focus while studying. Initially, my son could only wear it for a few minutes at a time, but gradually he could listen for longer periods, eventually listening at bedtime for about 30 minutes. We saw decreased meltdowns, less complaining of buzzing, and less sensitivity to loud noises. Why we chose this program over clinic-based listening therapy: The developer, Rafaele Joudry, was homeschooled, so I figured she understands us homeschoolers! The program is portable, affordable, and easy to use. Our busy, homeschooling family needed something we could afford and use on the go. Sound Therapy is played at a very low volume on portable equipment (an MP3 player), so it does not interfere with other activities. The kids could listen while in the car, reading, doing homework, chores, exercising, talking, researching on the computer, or even resting or sleeping. Typically, kids should listen for 30 to 60 minutes daily. The Sound Therapy Synergy program is designed to complement other treatments such as speech and language or occupational therapy, enhancing each other. As the ear houses the organs of hearing and balance, it is fundamental to sensory integration. Therefore, the Sound Therapy Synergy program, in my opinion, is foundational and complements any other sensory integration therapy program. I have always appreciated music and understand its power. As a reading specialist, I have studied how music assists in language development. Sound Therapy is a powerful tool that goes beyond traditional music therapy because it restores brain and listening pathway function. The auditory and language processing "loop" is housed in the left side of the brain. As a dyslexia and reading specialist, I recommend pairing Sound Therapy with an Orton-Gillingham-based explicit and systematic reading instruction program because Sound Therapy Synergy stimulates and restores that pathway. I was impressed with the efficacy of the program. Sound Therapy Synergy has been effective for treating: Tinnitus, sound sensitivity, ear-related dizziness, and some types of hearing loss Stress, anxiety, insomnia, depression, mental focus, and well-being Auditory processing, auditory memory, sensory integration, and learning difficulties You can access a white paper on the science of Sound Therapy for Auditory Processing here. Because the auditory system influences so many other areas of functioning, it is an ideal focal point for intervention. The Sound Therapy Synergy program has truly been music to our ears, as it soothes anxiety, helps with focus, and has been an instrumental piece of healing my son's auditory processing difficulties. Pairing Sound Therapy Synergy with other therapies in our homeschool has been invaluable in addressing our children's learning challenges. I also enjoy wearing it and listening, finding it soothing and calming, especially on challenging homeschooling days. Be sure to check out the book Why Aren't I Learning? (Listening is the Key to Overcome Learning Difficulties) by Rafaele Joudry.  Faith’s own learning struggles and diagnosis of dyscalculia compelled her compassion for other bright but struggling students. A fifteen-year teaching career before she became a homeschool mom included both public and private schools, tutoring, and working as a reading specialist. Her specific area of expertise is the identification and remediation of reading difficulties. You can learn more about Faith and the services she offers at FaithBerens.com As an extroverted-introvert who is a lifelong learner and an avid reader, her 2008 transition to homeschooling her own two children was a natural one. Faith currently applies her passionate advocacy for special needs students as she speaks at homeschooling conferences across the nation and internationally. She also serves as a part-time Special Needs Consultant for Home School Legal Defense Association in addition to having her own in-home, private practice as an educational coach and evaluator.

By Jan Bedell, PhD, Master Neurodevelopmentalist A common question from homeschool families is, "What curriculum do you have for ______?" Fill in the blank with one of the myriad of labels that are prevalent today - dyslexia, ASD, ADD, ADHD, dysgraphia, all types of syndromes. The answer is that there really isn't one. WAIT! Before you panic or throw up your hands, let me reassure you that there are solutions to your dilemma, but they are not found in a specific curriculum. To find the answer, you definitely have to think outside the box. As a neurodevelopmentalist for 30 years, I can tell you that each situation is unique. Every child brings their own set of challenges to the situation, and no two are exactly the same. Let me give you a few examples of possible root causes of specific symptoms that need to be considered for the best way forward for the child. If a child has trouble reading or is labeled dyslexic, a few of the root issues may be: Eyes not able to track well horizontally and/or vertically Eyes don't place the image from one eye on top of the other to get a clear image to the brain (poor eye convergence) Auditory processing and auditory short-term memory are low, making it challenging to hold all the phonics pieces together to get a word out Central vision is not developed well, causing skipping of words or lines The brain is not storing learned information correctly, leading to inconsistent recall (one day they know the word and the next they don't) If a child has ADD/ADHD symptoms or labels, a few of the root issues may be: Hypersensitivity to sensory stimulation from visual, auditory, and/or touch, resulting in many of the symptoms on checklists you find online or in clinical settings, like distractibility Metabolic issues, where the chemistry of the body is causing poor behavior Low auditory processing is a huge factor in these labels, resulting in: Inability to stay on task Trouble following directions Difficulty seeing cause and effect Forgetting to do chores Immature behavior Struggles with math word problems Slow, low, or no use of phonics Challenges with following conversations Low reading comprehension Being more comfortable playing with younger children And many more If a child has dysgraphia symptoms or labels, a few of the root issues may be: Poor proprioception (knowledge of where you are in space) Immature pathways from the brain to the fingers Underdeveloped muscle tone causing inefficient hand strength Weak central vision development causing: Inability to write on a line Large letters combined with small letters Inconsistent spacing of words Hands tiring easily with writing Struggles to stay in the lines when coloring These situations are frustrating for parents, teachers, and children. The good news is that the brain possesses an amazing, God-given ability to grow and change if there is the right kind of stimulation. Each label or symptom within a label has a reason in the wiring of the brain that allows it to exist. More and more often, I see children with multiple labels. This just means that the brain inefficiencies are overlapping, causing many symptoms in multiple categories. As stated previously, each child has a unique set of symptoms. There are, however, many combinations of symptoms that we see with different labels. When the root cause is addressed, it brings relief in academic pursuits without the change of a curriculum. Our job as educators, at any level from the home educator to the professional advising the family, is to look past the current functional ability—HELP MY CHILD CAN'T READ OR DO MATH!—to what may be causing academics to be less than desirable. Your first advice in this search is, "The full answer will not be found in any one curriculum." My challenge to you is to start the WHY search! Why is the child distracted? Is it too much sensory stimulation? To find out and discover some solutions, go to our YouTube Channel - Brain Coach Tips. Look for: It's Not That Loud!; Hyper Vision; It's Just a Sock! Is it low auditory processing? To start your search, watch - The New Label on the Block CAPD There is much more to explore here on our channel when looking for root causes. We are also here to help you if you want personal direction. Just set up a free consultation at BrainSprints.com. May God richly bless you in your search for how to best help your child! About Jan: In 1992, a journey started that transitioned Jan from a desperate homeschool mom of a struggling learner into a master neurodevelopmentalist. With her new knowledge of brain optimization, coupled with experience as a public, private, and homeschool teacher, she developed curriculum and training programs for parents and professionals. The NeuroDevelopmental Approach gave her hope for her daughter, and now Dr. Jan, aka Brain Coach at Brain Sprints, dedicates her time to helping children, teens, and adults reach their fullest God-given potential, whether they are gifted, typical, or challenged.