In her 25 years of teaching special education and consulting, Dianne Craft has found that it takes only 5 steps, consistently applied in a daily reading lesson, to not only remove the symptoms of Dyslexia (reversals, scrambling sounds, and dysgraphia), but the effects of Dyslexia , (below level reading, spelling and writing). In this Podcast you will learn 2 simple steps: Physical Exercises that internalize directionality for a child and Visual Teaching Strategies that faithfully put “Zany Memor...
Apr 13, 2021•37 min•Ep 285•Transcript available on Metacast Cynthia and Sue give tried and true tips on what works when you are just about to hit the wall as motivation is waning.This episode speaks to those who need to get over obstacles.
Apr 06, 2021•31 min•Ep 284•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever thought about starting your own homeschooling co-op? In this episode, Jessica shares the step-by-step of how she built a small homeschool community from the ground up. The episode discusses what kind of people you should think about including, the ideal size of a beginning group, her co-op’s daily schedule and curriculum, forming a community mission, and how they added extra events to enrich the community.
Mar 30, 2021•25 min•Ep 283•Transcript available on Metacast Stories are more than words on paper. A good story can serve as a window through which we can see truth. Just as a picture is said to be worth a thousand words, a short story can convey an idea more effectively than an entire self-help book. Join me today, and I'll talk briefly about reading, and then we'll have a grown-up storytime with a short story by Leo Tolstoy. I hope you'll enjoy this episode!
Mar 23, 2021•14 min•Ep 282•Transcript available on Metacast Today we’re talking about suffering and hardship. How we can keep putting one-foot-in-front-of-the-other as we homeschool our kids when we’re going through a frightening diagnosis, financial struggles, relationship battles…? How do we keep the family together when our world is falling apart?
Mar 16, 2021•39 min•Ep 281•Transcript available on Metacast Many parents find that the very best educational setting for children with Asperger’s like symptoms is at home. Since these children are often gifted learners, at home they are free to explore the topics of interest to them, without needing to do the mundane chores that are needed in the more formal school setting. Let’s explore the various interventions and resources available to help these wonderful kids and teens thrive at home.
Mar 02, 2021•41 min•Ep 279•Transcript available on Metacast More practical tips for loving and teaching your strong-willed child--without driving either one of you crazy!
Feb 23, 2021•37 min•Ep 278•Transcript available on Metacast Are you losing your creativity? Got the winter doldrums? Feeling depressed? This episode offers 10 very practical ideas for what to do with your family inside and also encourages parents who may feel down in the dumps.
Feb 16, 2021•23 min•Ep 276•Transcript available on Metacast After a year away from homeschool conventions, many speakers are excited about coming back in person. In this special episode, three of those speakers — Dr. Jay Wile, Nicholeen Peck, and Dr. Melanie Wilson — join Homeschool 101 speaker Janice Campbell to talk about what they’ve been creating in the off season, and what they have planned for this year’s GHC conferences. You won’t want to miss this episode — or the GHC conference near you!
Feb 10, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Real friends don’t let friends complain alone. Best good homeschool friends are for keeping it real, a safe space to complain. They can be the best defense against the homeschool blues and burnout. Let’s talk about why you need one, how to find one, and some truths and laughs about the perks of having your very own best good homeschool friend.
Feb 09, 2021•24 min•Ep 280•Transcript available on Metacast What does it take to be a writer? How can parents cultivate creativity and foster a love of reading in their kids? Today’s episode features a conversation with author S.D. “Sam” Smith, about reading, creativity, and the craft of writing. If you love stories, words, and adventure, you won’t want to miss this one!
Feb 09, 2021•1 hr•Ep 276•Transcript available on Metacast The 2020 pandemic forced everyone to “home educate” in some form or another. Surprisingly, numerous studies are showing that around 40% of families will continue even after the lockdowns are over. Yes, health may be a big concern but that’s not the main reason. Discover what these new homeschoolers are finding out that most veterans already knew.
Feb 04, 2021•34 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Today our host is Wendy Speake. With the help of 1 Corinthians 13 we’re considering how to communicate love better during the most challenging parts of our mothering life. As always, Wendy leads us into God’s Word in an effort to find it not only living and active, but applicable to our homeschooling days.
Feb 02, 2021•35 min•Ep 275•Transcript available on Metacast Jan 26, 2021•33 min•Ep 274•Transcript available on Metacast Students can seem “lazy, sloppy, unmotivated” while having an undiagnosed Dysgraphia or blocked writing gate. Many times it isn’t identified until a child is a teenager and not turning in written work! The most common gate that is blocked with gifted kids. He knows so much but just can’t get his thoughts down in writing because this “head to hand” process takes too much energy….a blocked learning gate. This student has not internalized directionality and does not have a well-defined sense of spa...
Jan 19, 2021•33 min•Ep 273•Transcript available on Metacast Do you have a strong-willed child? You’ll love these quick, practical ways to bring out the best in a strong-willed child of ANY age!
Jan 12, 2021•34 min•Ep 272•Transcript available on Metacast The 2020 pandemic forced everyone to “home educate” in some form or another. Surprisingly, numerous studies are showing that around 40% of families will continue even after the lockdowns are over. Yes, health may be a big concern but that’s not the main reason. Discover what these new homeschoolers are finding out that most veterans already knew.
Jan 07, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast What does homeschooling look like when your family is busy with ministry projects, work, or just life? In this episode, Jessica interviews Alyssa Bethke about what homeschooling in Hawaii has looked like for their family as they lead several ministries and also write books. Alyssa offers encouragement for overwhelmed moms and reminds us of the many benefits of homeschooling, even when family life is full!
Jan 05, 2021•35 min•Ep 271•Transcript available on Metacast While we may not have had 20/20 vision going into this year, I’ve found that hindsight really is 20/20. In today’s show, I am sharing three lessons I learned and Bible stories to flesh those lessons out! Let’s take the lessons we learned in 2020 with us into 2021!
Dec 31, 2020•39 min•Ep 270•Transcript available on Metacast Sometimes learning seems harder than it should be. Both parent and student can feel frustrated, not knowing what to do. Join Kathy Kuhl and me as we talk about reading, writing, and learning, and ways you can help students who struggle.
Dec 29, 2020•45 min•Ep 269•Transcript available on Metacast Today we are talking with the author of Screen Kids, Arlene Pellicane, about the boundaries we can set around our children’s devices (and our own).
Dec 22, 2020•39 min•Ep 268•Transcript available on Metacast Step away from the Yuletide unit studies! Put down the glitter and the glue guns. You can’t add “making merry” to a homeschool transcript. Why try? One of the best things about homeschooling for the holidays is...you don’t have to! But if you insist, listen in for my Christmas tips for seasonal sanity, and ways to to get the kids involved without ending up as nutty as a fruitcake.
Dec 15, 2020•23 min•Ep 267•Transcript available on Metacast One of the most puzzling situations a mother finds herself in is when she has a child who can read the words in a book but cannot answer the questions or tell her what has just been read. These moms frequently hear the phrase, “I don’t remember,” when queried about the reading material. When working with bright, hardworking 4th through 8th graders in my reading class, I realized that these students were not proficient at converting the words they were reading into a “movie” in their head, as the...
Dec 08, 2020•29 min•Ep 266•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Jessica chats with her sister, Julie, about making memories over the holidays. They cover food traditions, entertaining, Advent traditions, and centering your holiday around Jesus.
Dec 01, 2020•40 min•Ep 265•Transcript available on Metacast Middle Schoolers reveal their thoughts, feelings, and fears--and it may not be what you expect!
Nov 24, 2020•31 min•Ep 264•Transcript available on Metacast In t his relaxed episode, Brian Wasko and Janice Campbell discuss reading, the art of teaching writing, and what English majors really do. Hint: It isn’t about being a pickier grammar snob! You’ll hear about some of their favorite books, whether education is a means or an end, and get good advice on how to evaluate your student’s writing.
Nov 17, 2020•53 min•Ep 263•Transcript available on Metacast Wendy Speake often talks with us about our various Homeschool Triggers, but today she’s asking us this hard question: What do you turn to to help you deal with those Triggers on your hardest homeschool days? Tune in for a convincing conversation that ends with an exciting invitation!
Nov 10, 2020•29 min•Ep 262•Transcript available on Metacast The 2020 election infection... Is it over yet? We might want to be oblivious to the political turmoil outside our blanket forts but homeschooling and elections have connections and consequences. Just like no candidate in any election is perfect, no educational choice is perfect. Yet whichever we say yes to, we should still be saying yes to God's plan, not popular opinion. Choosing what is right is not always easy or with the "in crowd", but then again neither is homeschooling. Join me for some h...
Nov 03, 2020•25 min•Ep 261•Transcript available on Metacast Are working with a bright, hard-working learner who feels “dumb”? Change the evidence by changing the way he learns. Here are some strategies that I used in my resource room and consultation practice to prove to students how smart they really are. The students that use these “zany” memory strategies find they have great success in school and take these skills with them to college.
Oct 27, 2020•41 min•Ep 260•Transcript available on Metacast How to recognize and celebrate the transition from childhood to adolescence--and still keep your sanity!
Oct 20, 2020•33 min•Ep 259•Transcript available on Metacast 
