Favorite Homeschooling Resources

Some of our favorite Homeschooling Resources are:

My Blog:  

-- http://thespeechlanguageandlearningportal.blogspot.com/

I will attempt to provide helpful speech, learning, language and homeschooling information. Please let me know if you have certain topics you would like me to explore.

If you are considering Home Schooling, I highly recommend the book, "So You're Thinking about Homeschooling" by Lisa Whelchel (Blair from "The Facts of Life").  I love this book because it goes through about 15 different styles of homeschooling and gives examples of what a "typical" day might look like using each style of homeschooling.  Some people really think that only certain people can homeschool...but I assure you, your different traits can make you a strong teacher in different styles of homeschooling.

The Down Syndrome Education Store USA:

http://store.dseusa.org/

This store provides a place to order both "See and Learn" and "Numicon" kits/materials.  You can find others in the UK, but shipping is usually much higher.

See and Learn:

http://www.seeandlearn.org/en-us/about/

The "See and Learn" program is a wonderful program targeting:  speech, language, reading, memory and numbers designed specifically for individuals with DS.  They now have both printed materials and apps for the ipad and android devices.  

Numicon

https://global.oup.com/education/content/primary/series/numicon/?region=international

Though I order from the USA DS store, this link provides a good description of Numicon.  It was made in the UK specifically for individuals with DS.  It provides a different style of manipulatives to help to aid in the mastery of math skills for our kiddos.

http://www.spielgaben.com/

This one is on my "wish list"! (I'm not sure if it's because of need, or because it's just so beautiful!)  Yes, it is expensive...but it's not just the manipulatives, but includes 8-12 years worth of activity guides.  For some of our kiddos with Down Syndrome, this could possibly take them through all their math years.

Gemiini:

https://gemiini.org/

Gemiini is my new favorite resource for speech and language work.  See my blog for a much larger description.

ABC Mouse

https://www.abcmouse.com/

We did a free trial of ABC mouse and really enjoyed it.  

Handwriting Without Tears

http://www.hwtears.com/hwt

A great writing program that uses many of the senses (and now has apps) to teach writing.  

Pinterest:

http://www.pinterest.com/jenncslp/

I end up making a lot of my own materials to tailor things to my daughter's needs.  I have hundreds of pins, you are more than welcome to follow me to see them.  

That's it for now.  There are so many more resources, but I'm going to have to tackle them a little at a time.  

Gemiini

So, it took me about a year and a half to post again.  Hmmmm.  Life is a roller coaster ride, my friends.  I feel like my roller coaster has been going warp speed.  So many things have happened; but things are finally calming down (I hope) and I intend on working on this blog, accompanied by demonstration videos on You Tube.  Stay tuned for more details.

Today I want to introduce a new program to you, it is called, "Geniini".  https://gemiini.org/ Gemiini was created by a mom, Laura Kasbar, a parent of twins with autism.  It is a video subscription service that includes over 12,000 videos for your child to watch that are Discreet Video Modeling; designed to teach speech and language skills.  These videos include many research based tools for language acquisiton and mastery.  The first thing they include is repetition.  You can watch the videos over and over again.  Our kiddos with special needs need REPETITION!  I repeat, our kiddos with special needs need REPETITION!

The videos feature a slower pace than some of our typical conversations.  One of the first things that I have to tell parents is to SLOW DOWN.  We live in a fast-paced society.  We want everything quickly.  But when you have a child who is struggling to master speech, language and learning concepts, you need to slow down.

The videos also feature a close up of mouths, showing the correct articulation of sounds.  They also often feature the word and/or the sign.  These are amazing tools for showing the child how the sound is made.  It gives them visuals that they may need to process and produce the sound.

Though these videos were originally made for children with autism, they are working exceptionally well for children with Down Syndrome and other delays.  Some children take to them right away.  Others do not like them.  The creator recommends having your child begin to watch them during mealtimes.  This gives a set beginning and end to the activity and also creates a predictable routine.  Even though your child may not like them, they still may learn.  The creator also recommends using the program consistently for at least six months.

Along with the speech and language component (begins with words, goes up to complex phrases, questions and sentences), there is a reading program alone with visual processing.  The standard pricing for the program is $98/month.  However, they are offering financial assistance based on income that can range from $10-$59.  When you consider that a regular Speech-Language therapy session can run $100+ for an hour, this is a real bargain.  This enables you to do an unlimited number of sessions per month.

I thought that my daughter, age 13 with Down Syndrome, might be too old.  However, she has severe apraxia and is around 6 years old cognitively.  I was AMAZED at how well she liked the videos.  She was fascinated with them, attentive and quickly started attempting approximations.

Overall, I'm thoroughly impressed so far.  I encourage you to check it out and give it try.  There are no contracts or commitments, so you can cancel anytime.  It just may be one key to unlocking more of your child's potential.  Blessings,

Jenn the Speech Teach

We have to start somewhere!

Hello everyone! I've begun this separate blog as a way to share information about speech, language and learning. Though to be honest, sometimes it seems too overwhelming to start. As a Speech-Language Pathologist (though taking some time off from seeing clients) I'm often asked about what a child should be doing. My goal is to share common milestones and tips and tricks for reaching them in special circumstances. When I became a mother to a child with special needs, I began to discover that parents everywhere can use some guidance in helping their child with speech, language and cognitive goals. Since I began this journey, I've also met many parents who have decided to home school (as I do). Some of these parents choose the route of private therapy, others don't have professionals around them to give them direction for their children. I hope that I can help share my experiences so that they gain from it as well. I've also found that when you have a child with significant special needs (like my girl...Down Syndrome, apraxia, sensory-integration disorder, etc.) and you are trying to educate them, you want (and need) their whole curriculum to be centered around communication, speech and language. However, the programs that I've found never seem to fit the bill. So, I'm going to attempt to offer what I've created. Those are my goals, that's my purpose, I hope it helps at least one person! Blessings, Jenn