If you have experience educating a special needs child, you know, or at least suspect, that children labeled as “learning disabled” possess certain strengths that far exceed those of an average or even advanced student. However, you have probably also noticed that rather than promoting those strengths and using them to help these students succeed, many schools focus on having them meet the same standards as every other child. As a result, both children and parents are in danger of giving themselves the label of “inadequate,” “stupid”, or even “failure.”

College can be a scary thought for parents and students alike. The classes, the pressure to succeed, the cost, the students, and the distance from home can all feel quite daunting. That’s why parents need to get an early start recognizing the strengths in their child and preparing them for the rigors of life after high school.

Here are five easy-to-remember “knows” to strive for when preparing your child for college.

Before my son Devon was diagnosed with ADHD, we nicknamed him Beasty Boy. The joke was if he wasn’t crashing, dashing, and bashing, he wasn’t happy. He needed to move, jump, kick, and run constantly, and from a very early age. At first we thought this was just toddler behavior, and then he was “just a boy.” Soon though, we realized that Devon’s need to move, and fast, went beyond what was considered “normal” for his age. He started chewing on everything, and kept it up. He was very loud often at inappropriate times. And he was always fidgeting, unable to concentrate for more than a moment. It began to impact his ability to learn and be social. We knew we had to do something.

Being in the homeschooling world, I get questions all the time asking about the pros and cons of teaching your children at home. There are some pretty common myths out there, including the idea that by taking your child out of school they will become more socially awkward and lack self-esteem and leadership skills. If you’ve ever met a modern homeschooling family or student you know that this could not be further from the truth.

Scheduling, or the lack thereof, is one of the top ten issues many moms struggle with when organizing curriculums and classroom activities for their homeschoolers. When should the school day begin? How do I keep kids of varying ages and levels on task? Should I be more rigid? Should I be more flexible? Does it really matter in the end? I have some answers.

Living and homeschooling in Costa Rica may be quite different from what you would envision. This month, we would like to highlight an international family who made the homeschool transition in 2012 in response to their youngest daughter’s burgeoning music career. So continue onward for a fascinating interview and an international learning lesson!

How to Utilize Learning Style Assessments to Increase Every Child’s Potential

The phrase “learning style” has been a hot-button topic in recent years, and has many parents scratching their heads as to its usefulness, validity, and benefit to their family’s homeschool classroom. Questions abound: Do my children have distinct learning styles – and do they vary widely? Am I teaching the right way? If I realize my child favors one style over another, should that be the ONLY way that I disseminate information?

How to Tell When it’s Time for Change, and How to Manage it Successfully

When your homeschool curriculum is not working for you and your child, where (and when) do you make a change? Should you stick it out to save your family money? As a parent – do you wonder – am I really doing this right to begin with? Do I show enough grace and patience in my teaching ability? Is this my fault?

So what’s the one major thing you’re going to change in the upcoming year?

New Year’s Resolutions are not just for adults. They are a healthy way for all ages – tweens through teens – to identify some positive life or character changes, and then formulate a plan for a solid execution. We all have big ideas, and huge expectations for change and success in a new year. It’s simply human nature. And it’s a good thing! However, it is also human nature to just give up when the going gets tough. Here are some tips to help you stick to your resolutions.

If school bells ring, we’re not listening

Cause in our home, cheer is lifting.

We make our own days, the homeschooling way;

Christmas in a homeschool wonderland.