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Different By Design Learning - Kids & Parenting
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Sensory Processing Disorder And Learning - Different By Design Learning
This collection of resources explores a real life look at sensory processing disorder and learning. Sensory processing disorder affects my oldest child, all the time. It’s here every day, day in and day out, making them uncomfortable in their own body, and unable to tolerate so many things that I just take for granted. Sensory...
Homeschooling A Child With ADHD: A Comprehensive Guide - Different By Design Learning
Homeschooling a child with ADHD doesn’t have to be scary. This comprehensive guide will help you get started. We made the decision to homeschool my youngest son before he was diagnosed with ADHD. We made the decision, in part, because we suspected it. We could see the need to move, the need to talk, and...
Why We Use All About Reading With My Dyslexic Son - Different By Design Learning
We began homeschooling my youngest son when he was in kindergarten. He loved animals, getting messy and telling terrible jokes. (Five years later, he still does!) Having him home was fun, for both of us, almost all the time. The only exception was when it was time to practice phonics. We tried every single program...
Homeschooling High School: Senior Year Curriculum Overview - Different By Design Learning
This is a realistic look at what we had planned vs. what we actually accomplished for my son’s homeschool senior year. For more than a full year, I shared exactly what our weekly lesson plans looked like. I also shared what actually ended up happening each week. The truth is, I planned to do the...
Speech Therapy Goals: Examples for Success In All Categories - Different By Design Learning
This step by step guide has everything you need for appropriate and successful speech therapy goals. It includes sample goals for expressive and receptive language, articulation, fluency, and more. Speech Therapy: Getting Started Before a goal is created, it is essential to determine what specific area of communication is in need of support. A speech...
My Child Has An IEP: What It's Really Like - Different By Design Learning
It often surprises people to learn to homeschoolers can also have IEP’s through their school districts. This is our story. This is what it’s really like when your child has an IEP. I recently completed a mid-year IEP meeting for my youngest son. It went about as well as it could go. And it was...
Headsets For Children With Learning Differences: An Overview - Different By Design Learning
The value of using headsets for children with learning differences is significant for many learners. Let’s explore the reasons why they make such an impact and consider examples of headsets that really work in an educational setting. Over the years, I have shared many resources that have made a real difference in homeschooling children with...
Homeschooling When Your Life Is Falling Apart - Different By Design Learning
Is it possible to homeschool when your life is falling apart? I began homeschooling when my youngest child was in preschool. 13 years later, he is graduating in just a few weeks. Homeschooling Through Divorce His senior year has been one of the hardest, if not the hardest, for both of us. Transitioning to being...
What Works In Your Homeschool? - Different By Design Learning
We go into homeschooling with an idea of how it should be. Then life happens. My best advice? Do what works in your homeschool, and let the rest go. Here’s why. This year has been a lot. For example, I’m currently writing a new post with a working a title of Homeschooling When Your Life...
What Is The Best Way To Help A Struggling Learner? - Different By Design Learning
There is one approach that I believe works best when trying to help a struggling learner. This is it. After spending all last week offering support for struggling writers, I sat down to help my own son complete a writing assignment for one of his distance learning classes. We brainstormed ideas. He grew irritable. We...
Summer Learning And Real Life - Different By Design Learning
This is an overview of our first official week of summer learning. I promised you real life in these weekly plans. Well, this one is about as real life as it gets. Just when I thought we had a great plan for summer, life happened. It started with a minor car accident. My husband was...
A Complete List Of Second Grade Spelling Words - Different By Design Learning
This list of second grade words will help you create weekly spelling lists and fun activities for reading practice. Second Grade Spelling Words The transition from first grade to second grade requires a bit of review. As such, these words may overlap with first grade spelling word lists to a small degree. Whether you use...
Interest-Led Learning With YouTube and Video Games - Different By Design Learning
Is interest-led homeschooling even possible when your child’s only interests are YouTube and Video Games? My son asks me to sit with him and watch a YouTube video at least three times a day these days. Sometimes they are funny, Top 10 videos. Sometimes they are science videos that show amazing chemical reactions. Sometimes they...
Homeschool Science Curriculum: Secular Programs Your Child Will Love - Different By Design Learning
Finding a secular homeschool science curriculum is not always easy. This is a list of the very best homeschool science curricula taking a secular approach to learning. When I first started homeschooling, I was surprised to see how little options I could find for science. Almost everything that was recommended to me, or that I...
We Need To Stop Blaming Moms For Their Child's Anxiety - Different By Design Learning
Blaming moms for their children’s anxiety helps no one. This is our story. Just over four years ago, the psychiatrist said out loud what I knew he had been thinking for months. “You are too wrapped up in his anxiety and psychosomatic symptoms. You are making it worse. I suspect you are just feeding off...
Common Homeschooling Challenges: From Burnout to Motivation - Different By Design Learning
Hey there, fellow homeschooling warriors! ???? Whether you’re a seasoned homeschooler or just starting out on this incredible journey, you’ve probably faced a few challenges along the way. Trust me, we’ve all been there. From the “I don’t wanna do math today” moments to the “Why did I think I could teach my child?” doubts,...
ADHD And The Middle School Years: An Honest Look - Different By Design Learning
ADHD and the middle school years can cause disruption for parents, teachers and of course, the kids themselves. This honest look provides support and resources for middle school children with ADHD. My son was diagnosed with ADHD at age 10 – very late by ADHD standards. Although I had long suspected it, I also did...
We Need To Stop Asking If ADHD Is Real - Different By Design Learning
We need to stop asking if ADHD is real. Why? Because the question itself matters more than you might think. A few years ago, I made plans (read: I scrambled to find childcare, money and time) to attend a parenting event in our area. The speaker was touted as being one of the best at...
ADHD IEP Goals and Objectives: Everything You Need To Know - Different By Design Learning
Creating appropriate IEP goals and objectives for children with ADHD can provide support and resources for their unique needs. This list of examples will help you get started as you create meaningful and measurable goals for a child with ADHD. Should A Child With ADHD Have An IEP? Because I went to school to be...
Allusion In Language: 25 Allusion Sentence Examples and Activities - Different By Design Learning
Practicing figurative language can be a challenge for some learners. Teaching it in a way that is accessible for everyday life requires a bit of creativity and a lot of patience! These clear allusion sentence examples can help you get started. Any English language study will necessarily include figurative language. The use of allusion creates...
Unique Homeschool Portfolios, Record Keeping And Transcripts (Interest-Led) - Different By Design Learning
One of the most challenging aspects of interest led learning is figuring out how to keep track of all of it. Because our children are the ones guiding much of the learning, how do we keep records, design homeschool portfolios and create high school transcripts if we take an interest led approach to homeschooling? Over...
Would My Homeschooled Child Be Better Off In School? - Different By Design Learning
For many homeschool parents, the question often in the back of their minds is, “Would my homeschooled child be better off in school?” I know, because I have been asking myself the same question for years. Last week, I spent some time with a child almost the same age as my son. She struggles in...
Interest-Led Unit Studies For Older Children: A Behind The Scenes Look - Different By Design Learning
At any given point in my time, my boys have one or two overriding interests each, that guide almost everything we do. For my oldest, it’s usually something build oriented. Building aquariums, building computers, building guitars – you get the idea. For my youngest, it’s almost always something related to animals or Harry Potter, or...
Homeschooling High School: What Matters Most May Surprise You - Different By Design Learning
After graduating one homeschooler and beginning ninth grade this year with my second, I can honestly say that homeschooling high school is nothing like I thought it would be. While I worried about transcripts and algebra, what mattered most took me by surprise. It may surprise you as well. My oldest has been on his...
Homeschool Mom Burnout: Practical Advice And Solutions - Different By Design Learning
Homeschool mom burnout is something all of us experience at one point or another in our homeschool journey. This is a practical look at what it is like and how to handle burnout as a homeschool mom. I gave up last week. Not forever, but definitely on most of our plans for the week. The...
When Your Middle School Child Is Still Struggling To Read - Different By Design Learning
This is what it’s like when your middle school child is still struggling to read. It began when my son was about ten. Suddenly, he realized that all of his friends were able to read. More importantly, he realized that he wasn’t. He knew about his dyslexia diagnosis. He knew that we were still working...
Practicing Spelling With An Older Learner - Different By Design Learning
It can be difficult to find ways to practice spelling with an older learner because most programs are designed for young children. This is an in-depth discussion of how I approach spelling with my teenage son’s learning differences. I recently shared a quick snapshot of some of the ways we are naturally practicing reading and...
Homeschool Testing When Your Child Has Learning Differences - Different By Design Learning
I spoke to a mom last week about her state’s homeschooling laws and requirements. I have never been more thankful to live in California. She was asking for direction in how to best approach the annual homeschool testing required by her state, for her son with significant learning differences. She was also a little panicked....
100 Sensory Activities For All Ages - Different By Design Learning
My child needs sensory exercise every day. This list of sensory activities for all ages helps me provide the input he needs, easily and without too much thought! It started when my son’s occupational therapist handed me a worksheet describing a “Sensory Diet.” I went home in tears. I remember thinking as I sobbed in the...
Personal Finance For Teens: Everything Your Child Needs For Real Life - Different By Design Learning
Personal finance is essential learning for your teen. Here’s everything you need to know about teaching your child personal finance for real life. One of the things that surprised me most when my oldest son went away to college last year was how confident he was in overall life skills. Personal finance was one area...
When Is It Time To Quit Homeschooling? - Different By Design Learning
When is it time to admit that life circumstances or homeschooling in general isn’t working? When is it time to quit homeschooling? Over the years, I have faced several difficulties that caused me to question if it was time to throw in the towel and quit homeschooling. Every single diagnosis created a dread in me....
Ten Things We Don't Do To Celebrate Christmas - Different By Design Learning
I have been feeling the pressure for a while now. It was subtle at first. Like a vague feeling of stress, mixed with the whisper that I am forgetting something. Then, as the holiday season progressed, it grew. The shopping, the wrapping, the traditions, the parties – the holiday season is in full force. This...
Homeschool Lesson Planning For An Anxious Child - Different By Design Learning
Nothing can derail a carefully thought out lesson plan faster than a child’s anxiety. This is a behind the scenes look at homeschool lesson planning for an anxious child. When Anxiety Takes Over Your Homeschool Week Last week, we accomplished very little of our planned lessons. My son had an outpatient surgery on Tuesday and...
100 Fun And Effective Ways To Practice Sight Words - Different By Design Learning
I put together a comprehensive list of fun and effective ways to practice sight words – because learning to read shouldn’t be boring! It’s about that time. It happens to me every single school year, no matter what our circumstances. I joke about it with my homeschooling friends. Plan all you want, happy little September...