Teaching the Struggling Learner with Peggy Ployhar

This Year's Curriculum: Elementary

Every homeschool mom loves to talk curriculum. In this episode, I talk about my own curriculum and why I chose it for my 10-year-old twins. 

Here's what we get into:

• why I changed curriculum mid-year
• pros and cons of curriculum I have used
• descriptions of my curriculum
• how to know you need to change tools
• and more!

In this episode:

• All About Spelling, level 2
• Math-U-See Delta
• Math-U-See manipulatives
• Abeka grammar
• Tapestry of Grace
• Building Thinking Skills, level 2

Find me on Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Homeschool Q&A: Homeschool Refresh

Today's episode is all about an issue I'm facing right now: how to renew and refresh my homeschool-gone-frustrating. I've been thinking about this a lot and taking specific steps to change course and change my spirit. I hope some of these help you, too.

Here's what we get into:

• what are the symptoms we need a restart
• what are specific steps we can take to start over
• how do we know our refresh is successful
• what change we should see in our spirit and home
• what is homeschooling for mastery, really
• and more!

In this episode:

• SPED Homeschooling Support Group
• Everything You Need to Know About Homeschooling

Find me on Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Teaching the Struggling Learner with Peggy Ployhar

Over two decades and three homeschool books behind me, and I'm learning a whole new way of homeschooling:

Homeschooling struggling learners.

Just a couple months after Everything You Need to Know About Homeschooling was released, my adopted twins both received diagnosis of a relatively rare behavioral/emotional issue as well as ADHD. 

Fun times.

It totally explained the frustrations that had been gradually mounting over the past couple of years. But it also pointed to a new hurdle: I needed to learn new parenting and homeschooling skills.

So when I met Peggy Ployhar at a conference for homeschool leaders, I was so relieved. At last, someone who understood and ministered right where I and so many of my friends are at: teaching struggling learners.

Peggy Ployhar, SPED Homeschool Founder & CEO, is a physicist turned home educator who left a lucrative career in the medical device industry to teach the struggling learners in her own home after her oldest son’s diagnosis with Asperger Syndrome.

Peggy founded SPED Homeschool in 2017, an organization that empowers families across the globe to homeschool children with specialized educational needs, and she also hosts the popular live broadcast and podcast, Empowering Homeschool Conversations, a weekly talk show where her guests address relevant issues related to homeschooling for unique learners.

Peggy helps us out with so many things:

• what do we mean by "struggling learner"
• what strategies help a struggling learner
• what kind of training do parents need
• what kind of curriculum works best
• how to incorporate therapy into homeschooling
• how to approach high school and adulthood
• and more!

In this episode:

• Empowered Homeschool Network

Peggy Ployhar Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube

Teaching Math in Nature with Rachel Tidd

I am such a suburban girl. An indoor suburban girl. I can't catch a ball, I don't know the names of any trees (pretty sure Christmas trees are called evergreens, but that's as much as I've got.). So definitely, I'm not teaching anything outside.

But now I will!

Rachel came on the show and changed my mind for good. Literally, for good.

Rachel Tidd is the author of the Wild Math curriculum and the Wild Reading curriculum. She is passionate about integrating the outdoors and natural materials in education. Prior to creating Wild Math curriculum, Rachel had extensive teaching experience as an elementary and special education teacher. She and her husband also homeschool their two adventurous boys outside of Ithaca, NY.

Here's what Rachel taught me:

• what are the proven benefits of learning outside
• why outdoor learning helps neurodiverse students and other unique situations
• what materials are needed to get started
• what homeschool styles are appropriate for outdoor learning
• how to integrate outdoor learning into an indoor lifestyle
• and more!

In this episode:

• large wooden yard dice
• small chalkboard
• plastic letters and numbers
• large chalk

Rachel Tidd Website | Facebook | Instagram 

Homeschool Memory Work with Amy Sloan

"What is your interview about today, Mom?"

"I'm talking with my friend Amy Sloan about memory work in our homeschooling."

"Memory work?! Mom! You called me the wrong name three times just this morning!"

"This is why I need help."

My son may not believe it, but memory work is possible -- even for me! That's because Amy has a whole different perspective on it than do most people -- especially my son.

Amy Sloan and her husband John are 2nd-generation homeschoolers to 5 children from 6 to 16 years old. The Sloan family adventures together in NC where they pursue a restfully-classical education. If you hang out with Amy for any length of time you’ll quickly learn that she loves overflowing book stacks, giant mugs of coffee, beautiful memory work, and silly memes. At any moment she could break into song and dance from Hamilton, 90s country music, or Shakespeare. Amy writes at HumilityandDoxology.com and hosts the weekly “Homeschool Conversations” podcast.

I love what Amy has to say about memorizing. She reframed the concept and made this something beautiful and practical ... and even easy.

It is simple. Here's what she tells us:

• what is memory work, really
• what kinds of things we can memorize
• how we can do memory work with all ages
• how to easily incorporate it into just a few minutes a day
• and more!

In this episode:

• free memory printables
• Amy's playlists of Shakespeare shorts
• "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll
• "Death Be Not Proud" by John Donne
• my favorite book by Shel Silverstein

Humility and Doxology Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube