Strategies for Dyslexia in Homeschooled Teens

HoneyGirl, as many of you know, is dyslexic. Education has been a long and different path. There were the years of early frustrations with her inability to grasp reading and writing through traditional methods , only confused by the fact that she could think analytically and manage challenging tasks like using a dicotomous key at age 7.

When the reading specialist diagnosed dyslexia, all the inconsistences made sense. I considered sending her to public school even, as I did not want to slight her chances for success through my lack on training. Of course, just one afternoon visit to the school changed all that. Their goal for success was clearly labeled when they told me she would never read beyond the second grade level. I felt this was a little premature since she was only eight at the time and they had only looked at her on paper, and figured we couldn't do worse on our own!

The next challenge was for me to learn teaching methods that worked for hte way her brain was wired. I read everything I could, and was reassured to find so much information out there. A few of our favorite sources were the Bristol Dyslexia Center and The Dyslexia Teacher.

Once we began using a multi-faceted teaching approach to reading, Honey began to thrive. We created visual pictures for all the dolch sight words. We practiced writing in the sand box. We played games designed to help her listening skills, so that her auditory learning was strengthened while her visual and fine motor caught up. It was a LOT of hard work, with many tearful moments. I gained a new perspective on different learners watching her struggle to gain the most basic skills.

I also focused on her emotional well-being. The repeated warnings associating dyslexia and low-self esteem and depression were very real. I repeatedly stated that her "disability is not a liability," but I needed to show her that our mantra was more than words. As proof, we made our history focus for the year biographical in nature: famous dyslexics throughout history. This made all the difference for her.

Over the course of that 3rd grade year, she went from barely reading to reading early chapter books for pleasure. She still struggled greatly with writing issues, but I realized through the practice of narration that she had no problem with creative and organized thought. I had her begin a kiddie computer typing program over the summer , which she quickly completed, and moved her onto Mavis Beacon. To develop her fine motor, we started drawing together every day.

By the beginning of fourth grade, she seemed to have overcome enough to function in an almost traditional fashion. She still needed small helps , such as bookmark to keep her line, but the progress was remarkable. Each time a struggle arose, we would brainstorm in ways until she was able to adapt.

This year, however, we began to run into some challenges that were not as simple to overcome. Pre-algebra was the first wall. Imagine how difficult it would be to solve problems if you could not determine if the parenthesis was on the L or the R of the number? Order of operations is next to impossible! I would sit and use highlighters to create a code, but I could see that it was quickly becoming quite defeating. Her self-esteem, already being bombarded with the effects of hormone- induced teenage angst, began to falter.

Another issue to rear it's head was the changing size of font in more books. It seems that anything below 14 pt triggers her dyslexia. She tried going back to bookmark tracking, then making line frames ( taking an index card and cutting out a rectangle the size of a single line). More and more, she struggled with migraine type headaches that came on within 20 minutes of reading. The treatment was as simple as resting her eyes completely for an hour.

She quickly realized that this was not going to be a feasible was to approach her studies (20 min on/ 1 hr off) and have a life. The reading/tracking issues have been making self-correction of her writing near impossible on the computer screen. Additionally, she is now at a stage were there is just too much information for her to memorize it all without some sort of notes to study from later. She is finding it difficult to keep up with the amount of notes that need to be taken in upper level classes, both in class and while reading.

She is my practical and responsible child, and has become more and more anxious for some solutions before beginning full high school level work next year. WHile I could easily give her lists on notes, SHE wants to learn strategies that she can manage on her own. Honey is very clear that dumbing down her curriculum is the LAST option. She also began doubting herself for the first time, which has been painful to watch.

We began brainstorming ideas and solutions that would help. I spoke a dear friend who is a specialist in special education. She made some great suggestions that we are now actively researching and/or incorporating into our plan for next year.

1) Eye exam and vision therapy: The vision check is a no-brainer, but while she may need reading glasses, we are not expecting this to be the solution. Our eye doctor had discussed vision therapy options with us years ago, when she was first diagnosed with dyslexia, but it was relatively new at that time. This will help correct any tracking issues (eyes not reading at the same speed)

2) Type Away: This girl types like the wind, so why am I forcing her to try to handwrite it all? A laptop is more than just a luxury item for this girl. We will get her one of her own for taking notes on her reading and in classes.

We did a small experiment that was beyond encouraging. I had her watch a Discovery channel show on Earth day, and set her up with my laptop to type notes. I sat down next to her and hand-wrote my own set of notes. Now I am a relatively skilled note-taker, yet at the end of the experiment, our notes were almost identical. She was beyond thrilled!

3) Take advantage of audio/ MP3 books: This is new for us, but our first try seemed very helpful. Honey is a bit nervous about reading classics within the time frames given in classes, so needed some help there. For instance, we are reading the poetic version of the Iliad in my ancient world studies class, but 418 pages at her current reading rate of 20 min on/ 1 hour off would be like climbing Everest! With an audio book, she can listen actively and type notes.

4) Drop Textbooks and Opt for Multimedia: Again, we are focusing on her learning style strengths. I have been researching as many multimedia options as I can find. We tested and have purchased Teaching Textbooks for algebra I, and the approach seems a much better fit. I am creating a phsycial science program that is much more hands-on than a plain text.

5) Select Outside Classes that Play to her Strengths: Our co-op is wonderful, but not every class will work well for a dyslexic student. We whipped up some non-alcoholic margheritas last weekend and went through the course catalogue (now online). She selected a painting course, public speaking, conversational German, ancient world studies and yearbook/newsletter. We will do science, math, and additional literature at home.

As we get further into this journey over the summer, I will share more.

If any of you have any suggestions to share, please leave them in the comments section. We are open to anything right now!