Educational Assistance

Students can have a difficult enough time trying to function and essentially excel in school under normal circumstances. But when it has been determined that the student has a learning disability, success in school can be that much more difficult.
Normally, students with learning disabilities receive extra attention in school. However, there are times when that student might need a tutor to help with specific weaknesses. If your child has a learning disability and you think he may need a tutor, here are some characteristics in the tutor that you should look for – as well as other ideas to consider.
Special Training
Whether you’re looking for a tutor to work with your child in person or over the Internet, there is a certain level of training that the tutor should have in order to be properly qualified to help your child. For instance, the tutor should understand and be able to apply certain multisensory techniques. To make sure the tutor is able to properly tutor your child, it’s a good idea to ask about training, references, and experience level.
Constant Repetition
A student who has a learning disability often requires more repetition than other students. So after you find a tutor who you feel will work best with your child, it’s good to schedule at least two sessions per week to help reinforce ideas and sink in the message the tutor wants to get across.
Choose a “Fresh” Time of the Day for Tutoring
A student who has a learning disability not only can benefit from repetition when working with a tutor, but also choosing and sticking with a time that represents “freshness” and a readiness to learn. For many students, this means getting started before school starts. However, it’s best to consult with your child and monitor his response to determine the best time to stick with permanently.
Try Online Tutoring for Reinforcement
If you’ve decided to work with an in-town tutoring service, or personal tutor who comes to your home, it’s a good idea to reinforce their work with that of online tutoring services. Many services that you find online are highly qualified to work with all types of students and can help you to solidify ideas that your regular tutor has already taught.
Keep Your Child in the Loop
With your child having a learning disability, insecurities may not be far away. So to make sure your child does not feel insecure or inadequate by needing the added help of a tutor, it’s good to explain along the way why the tutor is coming in to help. It’s also good to let your child know that tons of other children – even at his school – get help from tutors on a regular basis. Your goal in keeping your child in the loop is to focus on the work at hand, rather than any inadequacies he may be feeling.
Your child’s having a learning disability is not the end of the world; it’s actually the beginning of a time that you and he can get closer as you discover the innate intelligence he was born with. As you bring a tutor into the loop, things can only get better. So make sure your child understands all of this – with love.

Five Homeschooling Misconceptions By Asha Oshun’ Mali

When I told my mostly middle class family that I was thinking of homeschooling my children, I was met with a host of negative responses. My mother, in particular, was mortified. “Home school!” she said exasperated. “Now why would you want to do that? Don’t you know home school children don’t get into good colleges? And, how will you socialize them?”

I did not know how to respond to her then. What I did know: was that I was not crazy about the education my children were receiving at their perspective schools. I did not blame their teachers at all for this-I knew they were doing the best they could-and honestly, I feel it’s a parent’s job to ensure their children are getting a quality education.

But still, I did not know how the home school processed worked. So, I turned to what I am good at; snooping. I stalked internet websites on homeschooling for weeks- learning all that I could. I also took a trip to the library-a handy free resource-and read books on the subject as well.

Added to this, I found out through word of mouth-which of my friends knew home schooling parents. I learned a lot from my quest, and I certainly learned a lot about home schooling misconceptions.

Misconception number one:

One of the most common misconceptions is that homeschooled students will not be able to socialize with other kids.  Having my children not only socialize with other kids their age, but also participate in community service programs, was very important to me when considering the option of homeschooling.

I wanted to make sure they had hands on experience for their perspective career interest and I also wanted to make sure they understood the importance of volunteering their time to help others in need. My thirteen year old wants to be a Veterinarian. I wondered how I would be able to make sure she was able to learn more about animals.

I found out through my research, that she could not only get experience by working  at animal shelters , but that she would also be able to fulfill a community service component by volunteering her time.

And as far as socialization is concerned, there is plenty of information available on the internet. Home-school.com is just one of the many sites where you can find home school social groups for your particular state.

There are also sites that can help strengthen your child’s skills by allowing them to interact with other learners their age.  Helium.com  is one such site. Helium offers teenagers, 13 and up, the chance to display their writing and the opportunity to read the writing of others.

Misconceptions number two:

A friend was careful to advise me that homeschooling was illegal. I told her I did not think so, but she insisted. “You are going to go to jail and lose your kids if you home school girl.” She said. While the mere thought of doing something illegal-especially where my children were concerned-was terrifying for me, my research showed me that homeschooling is indeed- legal.

There are state rules that must be followed however. I was reassured after learning from Fine Homeschooling.com (www. finehomeschooling.com) that homeschooling is legal in all 50 states. I was also encouraged by the fact that there were many sites that had detailed information on the legal information regarding homeschooling for each state.

One of the most informative was the Homeschooling Legal Defense Association.( www.hslda.org) The site is very detailed in regard to the legal ins and outs of what you can and can’t do as a home school parent or guardian.

Misconception number 3:

The next misconception I was met with was that to teach children at home you needed at least a bachelor’s degree and a teaching certificate. I learned that is in not true either. However, each state has different laws regarding homeschooling.

In Georgia for instance, all you need is a high school diploma. And, you have to make sure that you hand in an attendance sheet at the end of every month so that you are in compliance with truancy laws.

Teacher Certification is also not required in most states. You must be careful, however, to make sure that you are competent at the subjects you are teaching.  Your child’s education is extremely important. Don’t be afraid to enlist tutors to aide you in giving your child the highest quality education possible.

And you will need to make sure the tutors are qualified. In some states, like California, tutors must be certified.  However, you will have to do the research to find out what your states home schooling laws are.

Misconception number 4:

“Are you going to be able to afford it? I mean, the economy is pretty bad out there and you won’t be able to work full time if you home school.” This was a legitimate concern for me. I knew that I and my husband would have to work.

But, I knew too, that our schedules could be set up in a way that would allow us to offer our children the best of our time, resources, and attention.  As far as affordability is concerned, homeschooling is no more expensive than public school and far less expensive than most private schools.  Homework on your part is important.

The internet offers a plethora of websites on homeschooling.  One of my favorites is Successful Homeschooling (www.successful-homeschooling.com). This wonderful website gives useful information and links on where to find cost cutting materials such as used books, free and low cost homeschooling links, and much more. And there are many other sites like this one available on the web. Just head over to Google and do a search. You will be amazed at what you will find.

Misconception number 5:

Can home schooled children get into good colleges?  According to Karl M. Bundy they can and not just in America. Mr. Bundy (www.learninfreedom.org) , list well over 1,000 colleges that have accepted and still do accept home school students.

And, some of America’s finest colleges and universities, like Harvard, are listed as well.  If you are worried about standardized test like the A.C.T and S.A.T, you don’t have to. According to Isabel Shaw in an article written for Back to School with Family Education (school.familyeducation.com),

“On average, homeschooled kids score one year ahead of their schooled peers on standardized tests. The longer the student home schools, the wider this gap becomes. By the time homeschooled children are in the eighth grade, they test four years ahead of their schooled peers.”  (school.familyeducation.com)

Of course, you as the parent educator will have to do your own foot work where getting your child into the school of your choice is concerned. But, that would be your job no matter what system you choice for your child to attend; private, public or home.

All in all, homeschooling can be an enriching experience not only for your children, but for you as well. Don’t listen to the naysayers; do your own snooping. You will be surprised and delighted at what you will find.

Parents may suspect that their child is gifted, yet be baffled when their smart child has difficulty learning in certain areas. Some intellectually gifted students also have special learning needs such as a learning disability. Gifted students may also have other special educational needs such as auditory processing problems, dyslexia, ADHD or emotional problems.When a highly intelligent child has a learning disability, it is difficult for parents to make sense of the learning and behavior patterns they observe. A “masking” phenomenon often occurs; high intellect is partly hidden by learning problems, and learning difficulties partially obscure a child’s true level of intelligence. This can result in two problems: the child’s intellectual gifts are not nurtured and developed, and the learning disabilities may not be properly remediated.Because these students are extremely intelligent, they can utilize many compensatory strategies in order to learn and appear more successful. They use abilities such as reasoning skills, strong memory, attention to detail, or other gifts to circumvent their disability. It is difficult for teachers and parents to observe the learning problems and, therefore, the child’s learning disabilities frequently are not identified and the child does not receive help in the area of disability.

It is often difficult for adults to be alert to the signs of intellectual giftedness in children who do not learn easily and rapidly in all areas. Therefore the child’s giftedness also goes unrecognized and these students do not receive the proper encouragement and educational support to fully develop their gifts, talents and desire to achieve academically.Gifted individuals with learning disabilities exhibit both strengths and areas of need. Not every child has the same pattern of highs and lows. Therefore, adults must be vigilant in determining appropriate educational interventions.Some characteristics of twice exceptional students include the following (keep in mind that each individual will exhibit a unique profile):

Appropriate Educational Services for Twice-Exceptional StudentsThe intellectual abilities of gifted students with disabilities must be nurtured. These students must be provided with appropriate challenges. Frequently the pace of education is too slow for these students and they become disinterested. These students need challenging, stimulating, relevant instruction that emphasizes problem solving and understanding the “big picture.”Society owes each intellectually gifted student an education that nourishes their talents, develops strong reasoning abilities, and sparks curiosity. Students who receive a stimulating education enter the adult world as full, eager, competent participants, able to contribute their talents to society.Intelligence is a multifaceted, malleable, and vibrant faculty that can either be encouraged or hindered by experience. Our society must commit to nurturing the capacities of intellectually gifted students with disabilities. Educators must:

Simultaneously, we must identify and remediate learning disabilities so that twice exceptional students can fully participate in academic experiences to the level of their intelligence. Students must receive the educational support they require in areas of need such as speech and language services, reading remediation, educational therapy, counseling or tutoring. The traditional school curriculum and methodology must be modified to circumvent weak areas of functioning.