Helping students who struggle with math, part 1
By Kathy Kuhl Most adults know how it feels to struggle with math. But some children feel hopelessness about math every single day. They may struggle for many reasons: fine motor difficulty, poor sense of number, language-based learning disabilities, trouble remembering, fear, or discouragement. But new developments in neuroscience help us understand the difficulties. […]
Join Kathy at Homeschooling Special Needs Online Conference: Lifetime Access
Homeschooling Special Needs Online Conference: Lifetime access Get your ticket with this link and support Kathy’s work helping parents of kids who learn differently! On July 21, the Homeschooling Special Needs Online Conference opens. Join Kathy and dozens of other special needs homeschool speakers, with dozens of workshops to watch at your convenience. Featuring: Dr. […]
Occupational therapy at home during COVID-19
by Kathy Kuhl — This spring, I’ve been speaking with pediatric occupational therapist Laurie Chuba of Learning Integrations. A veteran homeschooler, she helps children who are homeschooled or in private school. We discussed how COVID-19 was affecting her students with learning challenges and their therapy. But first, Why might my child need an occupational therapist? […]
11 Ways to Make Spelling Practice More Fun
By Kathy Kuhl When spelling doesn’t come easily, practicing can be repetitive and boring. Here are some things you can do to keep your child happily working to build their spelling skills: Finger Paint Put finger paint or any colored, gel-like shampoo (such as Prell), in a Ziploc bag. Seal it […]
Developing Basic Skills in Reading & Writing
by Kathy Kuhl Review of Diana Hanbury King’s A Guide to Helping Your Child at Home: Developing Foundational Skills in Reading & Writing Suppose you could get one of the best writing teachers, a specialist in helping struggling learners, to come over to help you understand how to teach your child? What if she […]
Unusual tool for teens with handwriting difficulties
by Kathy Kuhl When I speak at conventions on helping teens overcome struggles with writing, one piece of technology for folks with handwriting problems gets more oohs and ahhs than any other. Since it generates so much interest, I’ve decided to write about it. Livescribe Smart Pen looks like a pen, but it is more. It has a microphone […]
More accommodations for struggling writers
by Kathy Kuhl [Part 4 on helping struggling writers. The series began here, with “Why Writing Matters.”] Spelling dictionaries A spelling dictionary is easier to use than a conventional dictionary because it only lists words and has no definitions.They are available from many publishers, including Educators Publishing Service, which carries My Word Book and several levels of Words I […]
Understanding what learning disabilities feel like
Special web tools and videos to help you and your family understand your child’s challenges By Kathy Kuhl October is Learning Disabilities Awareness Month. It’s also ADHD Awareness Month. And with just a few days left, I didn’t want you to miss the special opportunities you have to learn more about challenges your child may […]
Accommodations for struggling writers
By Kathy Kuhl [Part 3 on helping struggling writers. Part 1 is here, and part 2 here.] A woman told me her son had been accepted into a good college even though he had the handwriting of a six-year-old. Happily, this sharp young man and his mother knew how to get accommodations to get his thoughts on paper. Can […]
Strengthen your child’s writing ability
By Kathy Kuhl [Part 2 on helping struggling writers. Part 1 is here.] If your children struggle to write, you need a two-pronged approach. You need to strengthen their areas of weakness, that is, to remediate. You also need to work around their specific areas of weakness so they can get their words out and improve […]