When our family first learned that our oldest son was dyslexic, we were already homeschooling. We had chosen to homeschool because we wanted to travel and spend more time with our kids. Over time, however, our choice to homeschool what eventually became 7 kids with dyslexia, was made even more certain because homeschooling with dyslexia has been the best possible choice for our kids.
If you’re reading this, you may be in the midst of confusion and overwhelm because you have a struggling reader, or maybe you’re not even sure if your kids are dyslexic but learning reading, writing, and spelling is becoming a concern. Or perhaps your child has been diagnosed with dyslexia but you don’t know where to turn. You may be wondering if homeschooling with dyslexia is even possible or if it’s the best option for your family.
Homeschooling with Dyslexia
Let’s start at the beginning by defining dyslexia, take a look at the signs you may be seeing, and then we’ll talk about why homeschooling is the best way to teach these bright, outside the box thinkers the way they learn.
What is Dyslexia
Dyslexia is the most common cause of learning struggles affecting 1 in 5 students worldwide. That being the case, there has been a ton of research done on it that can help us get educated so we can educate our kids.
Dyslexia is a genetic condition, neurologically-based, that causes an interference with the processing of language. – International Dyslexia Association
And more practically speaking: Dyslexic children and adults struggle to read fluently, spell words correctly, and learn a second language, among other challenges. But these difficulties have no connection to their overall intelligence. In fact, dyslexia is an unexpected difficulty in reading in an individual who has the intelligence to be a
much better reader.
While people with dyslexia are slow readers, they often, paradoxically, are very fast and creative thinkers with strong reasoning abilities. Sally Shaywitz, Dyslexia researcher – Yale University
A few important things to note from these definitions:
Dyslexia is genetic.
It is not caused by poor parenting (or homeschooling)
Dyslexia is a processing issue. The eyes can see and the ears can hear. The break down occurs within the brain – specifically how the brain processes language information taken in by the eyes and ears.
Dyslexia is not an intelligence issue. People with dyslexia have average to above-average intelligence.
People with dyslexia have unique strengths. There are many strengths associated with dyslexia such as being “fast, creative thinkers with strong reasoning abilities.”
Signs of Dyslexia
Not sure if your child is dyslexic? Dyslexia is much more than reversing letters and numbers as some are prone to believe. Typical signs of dyslexia include:
- Does not enjoy reading but likes being read to
- Slow, inaccurate reading
- Uses context clues rather than sounding words out
- Skips or misreads little words (at, to, of)
- Poor spelling – very phonetic
- Trouble telling time on a clock with hands
- Difficulty expressing self
- Inattentiveness, distractibility
- Slow and messy handwriting – also called dysgraphia
- Letter and number reversals after first grade
- Trouble memorizing math facts
- Hesitant speech; difficulty finding the right words to express self
- Extremely messy bedroom, backpack or desk
- Dreads going to school
- In recent years, there has been a switch from detecting dyslexia based on the weaknesses associated with it to a strengths-based definition.
- Strengths Associated With Dyslexia
- Ability to see the big picture (rather than sm alldetails)
- Ability to recognize patterns
- Ability to notice things that are out of the ordinary
- Advanced spatial knowledge
- Ability to think in pictures rather than words
- Entrepreneurial
- Creative
- Improved problem solving skills
Is dyslexia a disability?
You may notice that I don’t refer to dyslexia as a learning disability. I know, I know, if you’re trying to teach a child with dyslexia to read, write, and spell – it LOOKS like a disability. However, considering the definition of dyslexia – especially that is it genetic and is caused by a different brain wiring – I consider dyslexia to be a learning
difference.
Kids with dyslexia learn differently and therefore, need to be taught differently. Teaching a child with dyslexia to read, write and spell can be a challenge, yes, but with the individualized attention that is inherent in the homeschool
environment, not only is it possible, it is actually the best path you can take. Interest-led learning, using subjects of interest to learn what I call the ‘exercises of learning’ – reading, writing and spelling – give the naturally curious
dyslexic learner the motivation to press through their learning difficulties so they can gain knowledge that they are truly interested in.
The Reality of Dyslexia in the Public School
Many families who are just beginning their dyslexia journey, are told by well-meaning friends and family members to put their struggling learners into school where the educational experts can help them. Let me preface what I’m about to say with this. I do not doubt the good intentions of most teachers in the public schools. Schools are filled with many good people who sincerely desire to help kids learn. However, the institution is simply too big to be
able to handle the individual educational needs of children with dyslexia and other learning differences, including giftedness.
Dyslexia accounts for 80-90% of learning problems that our school-aged children face. Yet most schools do not test for dyslexia nor do they treat dyslexia with any of the researched-based methods that have been proven to work.
A Simple Lack of Education
The truth of the matter is that teachers have never been given the tools to truly be able to help kids with dyslexia. They receive one semester of instruction in their teacher training on all learning differences that covers everything from autism to giftedness. There is zero training to recognize symptoms in their students, or to understand the
best teaching methods.
Homeschooling with Dyslexia Works
With a fraction of the knowledge I have now, we homeschooled our oldest two dyslexic kids. We didn’t know much about research-based reading programs or mulit-sensory learning but we knew our kids. We knew what they liked and how they learned best and we made our best attempt to do those things. We spent time daily practicing reading and we also spent large amounts of time outside, exploring, reading good books, and developing our kids interests
and natural abilities.
Still don’t think you’re capable of homeschooling your kids with dyslexia?
Good teachers are motivated teachers. Good teachers are self-educating. The parents I hang around with are both. – Debra Bell, The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Teens
I know this to be true. I have seen it over and over again. Motivation will propel parents to search until they find the right class or curriculum or tutor to make the homeschool experience a success. Do not underestimate this.
Benefits to Homeschooling with Dyslexia
- Allows for the necessary individualized instruction in all subject areas: reading, spelling, composition and comprehension.
- Allows for kids to focus on areas of interest and for lessons to be planned around those interests.
- Allows for freedom from being measured against peers, day in and day out, with no learning difficulties.
- Allows for your child to work at their own pace using resources that work best with their individual strengths.
- Avoids the rigid scheduling and standardized testing {and the practice of teaching to the test} that is required in the public schools.
Get Educated
The one thing that has made the biggest impact on my ability to teach my kids with dyslexia over the past 22 years, has been learning about what their learning struggles really are and how they really learn. In my experience, dyslexia is more of a teaching disability than a learning disability.
Free! 50 Tips for Teaching Kids with Dyslexia
Visit HomeschoolingWithDyslexia.com for weekly posts on resources, teaching tips, the latest research on dyslexia, and lots of encouragement for you on the journey. Enter your email on the homepage to receive a free copy of 50 Tips for Teaching Kids with Dyslexia.
Save 25% on Homeschooling with Dyslexia Courses
Use code benandme25 to save 25% off any of my courses or bundles of courses, including the Homeschooling with Dyslexia Bundle.
The 5-Course Foundation Bundle includes:
- Course 1: Understanding Dyslexia
- Course 2: Teaching Them So They Learn
- Course 3: Reading Instruction That Works
- Course 4: Building Fluency & Comprehension
- Course 5: Teaching Spelling
- A free download of my book, Dyslexia 101: Truths, Myths, and What Really Works.
Marianne Sunderland is a homeschooling mother of eight unique children ages 7 to 26, including adventurous and homeschooled sailors, Zac and Abby Sunderland, known for their world-record setting around the world sailing campaigns. Because 7 of her 8 children are dyslexic, Marianne is a passionate dyslexia advocate on a mission to
educate and encourage families, not only to understand dyslexia, but also to discover and nurture their children’s unique God-given gifts and talents, in and outside of the classroom. Marianne’s web site, Homeschooling With Dyslexia, provides weekly articles on homeschooling outside the box kids with ADHD and Dyslexia that will bless and encourage you.
This article is part of the I Homeschool Because . . . series. Click here to read other articles in this series, download the free eBook, You Can Do It, Too: 25 homeschool families share their stories, and enter a giveaway from Kiwi Crate valued at more than $200.
