Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner: A Review
Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner by Kathy Kuhl
Reviewed by Janice Campbell
Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner
Nothing beats hands-on, in-the-trenches encouragement and advice from families who have worked with struggling learners. Sometimes, just getting a glimpse of the challenges that others face can help you face your own. In this remarkable 375-page book, author and speaker Kathy Kuhl brings together the stories of 64 families who are working with struggling learners.
Asking “Is School Working for Your Child?” Kuhl begins by discussing educational options for children with various learning difficulties or attention disorders, then proceeds to address issues such as evaluation, diagnosis, therapies, treatments and training. The planning chapter walks the reader step-by-step through the process of setting goals, learning about available options, and implementing a structure that will work best for your family. Subject-by-subject discussions offer a detailed look at creative ways to teach and evaluate. The final section in the book may be the most important of all, as it paints a vivid picture of a well-balanced homeschooling life, and points the reader to tools and resources for making it happen.
Throughout the book, sidebars and boxed information add detail and structure. Kuhl is frank about the challenges of working with a struggling learner, but she provides the reader with ample encouragement, information, and resources to approach the task with reasonable objectives. If you find yourself overwhelmed by a particular stage or task, it’s likely that the book will have just the helpful hint you need to succeed. The other parents quoted in the book have been generous and honest with their advice and encouragement, and their experiences can help you face each day with your struggling learner.
You may order the modestly priced Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner through www.LearnDifferently.com.
The author, Kathy Kuhl, will be speaking in several places over the next few months. Here’s a brief overview:
– Wednesday night Feb 25: Utah Christian Home School Association (UTCH) on “Struggling Learner, Struggling Parent” and on social skills. 7 PM at Intermountain Baptist Church 4770 South 1950 West, Taylorsville, UT 84118.
— Friday, Feb 27: Learning Disabilities Association’s national conference, letting more people know about homeschooling struggling learners.
http://ldaamerica.org/pdf/conference/2009SLCprebook.pdf
— Richmond: 3 hour workshop on homeschooling struggling learners, at HEAV headquarters. Details are here:
http://heav.org/events/seminar/index.html#homeschooling-struggling-learners-seminar
Kathy will also be speaking at these conferences in May:
CHAP in Harrisburg, PA
NCHE in Winston-Salem, NC
VAHomeschoolers in Richmond, VA
