My husband is an elementary school administrator. I’m a former teacher. Though we have always been supportive of those who homeschool, we never thought we would be educating one of our children at home.
Parker doesn’t look like it, but he will be four in a few months. All 23 pounds of him. With his health as fragile as it is, going to school simply isn’t a good idea. Our school district has a preschool teacher that comes to our home once a week. She is an excellent teacher and we are grateful for her visits.
But for a kid as inquisitive and eager to learn as Parker, a once a week preschool session just isn’t enough. Especially considering that each new concept introduced needs to be broken down as basically as possible. Some kids may instinctively know how to build with blocks. Parker had to be taught how to stack blocks. And then shown the joy of knocking them back down again.
My son’s learning style doesn’t reflect a lack of intelligence. It demonstrates the need for information to be presented to him in a fashion best suited to how he learns.
I’ve been reading and researching. I’ve created units centered around a single concept geared specifically to Parker’s learning style. Each unit will teach Parker new signs too. You can’t find this kind of attention to detail in a typical preschool setting.
I will be sharing with you glimpses into our homeschooling experience as well as presenting posts from other families who have chosen to educate their special needs kids at home. We’ll share what worked. And what didn’t. I hope you’ll join me. Bring your questions. Bring your ideas. And don’t forget your art smock.
Together we can create successful learning experiences for all of our kids.
Tammy and Parker also hang out at their other blog: Praying For Parker