Of all the challenges we are tasked with as homeschooling moms, sometimes I think teaching our children to read, write and be good spellers is the most overwhelming thing we have to do. There’s so much pressure on Moms when it comes to teaching our kids literary skills. Get this right and we set our children up for success for life. If our children can read well, they can learn anything on their own. But what about when our children struggle to read and spell? How, as homeshooling moms without degrees in child development and pedagogy… how are we supposed to figure out how our child’s brain works and teach them to read when they are struggling?
Over the years I’ve been blogging, several of you have shared with me that you struggle with teaching your children to read. Many of you have children who have Dyslexia or other learning disabilities. Today’s post won’t resonate with all my readers, but I want to take a moment and share something that will help those Mamas.
This blog uses affiliate links to help you find what you need. See my complete disclosure.
Dyslexia Outside-The-Box by Beth Ellen Nash: A Review
This week I’ve been reading Beth Ellen Nash’s book Dyslexia Outside-The-Box. Beth Ellen is one of my site sponsors and she is also an educator who has dedicated her career to teaching students with Dyslexia. (Beth Ellen is the founder of Wings to Soar Online Academy.) The subtitle of her book is “Equipping Dyslexic Kids to Not Just Survive But Thrive.” How does Dyslexia Outside-The-Box equip Dyslexic kids? By equiping their parents! Beth Ellen starts by defining Dyslexia, and then immediately redefining it. If what you’ve always tried isn’t working, Beth Ellen asks us to change the way we think about the way children learn to read, write and spell. She offers very practical strategies to make teaching a child with Dyslexia more manageable for the student and the teacher and then walks you through the process, step by step.
Beth Ellen also encourages her readers to not just focus on the Dyslexia, but to take a more holistic approach in considering their child’s challenges. By seeing the child as a whole person and knowing the Dyslexia is just one small part of who that child is, Beth Ellen offers HOPE. She shows how weaknesses caused by Dyslexia also have “flip side strengths” that we can celebrate. She shows how these weaknesses and strengths are connected. What a breath of fresh air for the parent who is struggling in the midst of their child’s challenges to read, write and spell! And when Mama understands how her child’s unique brain works, she can help her child understand and feel better about themselves, too.
If you have a child with Dyslexia or know someone who does, I want you to read how the publishers summarized this book:
This book brings together evidenced-based information about dyslexia and organizes it in an easy-to-understand format for anyone who knows and wants to support someone with dyslexia. It breaks down the many aspects of dyslexia and offers solutions that have the “whole person” in mind, showing how these children, whose brains are delightfully wired differently can thrive, not just survive. The insights into reading, spelling, and writing challenges are accompanied by strategies for helping outside-the-box learners succeed in school. It’s filled with fun and easy suggestions, tips, and teaching ideas, and, best of all, encouragement for parents and teachers of dyslexic students. It’s a valuable resource for parents to use when conveying their children’s struggles and strengths to educators and professionals who work with them.
Many of you know that I have a teaching degree. It’s not something that I talk about often because it’s not necessary to have a teaching degree to homeschool. But I share now because I have read a lot of pedagogy (how-children-learn) books. So often they are academic and dry. But reading Dyslexia Outside-The-Box by Beth Ellen Nash is like talking to a friend. She shares what she knows in language that is so accessible to the sleep-deprived and discouraged Mama. It’s easy to read this, understand what she’s talking about and begin implementing her simple strategies right away.
And then there are appendicies. The 8 appendicies are a wealth of information to help parents navigate the world of Dyslexia. They’re the type of reference lists that you will refer to over and over and over again. Here is the list of appendicies:
- Dyslexia Intervention Options
- Leveling the Playing Field through Accommodations
- Teaching Principles, Strategies and Tools
- Expanded Multisensory Practice
- High-Frequency Spelling Patterns Worth Learning (I need to teach some of my children this who are NOT Dyslexic!)
- Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Exercises
- Challenges that Often Co-Exist With Dyslexia
- Making Sense of Jargon
- Resource Recommendations
As you can see, Beth Ellen Nash has been thorough! Between what’s in the book and the resources listed in the appendicies, Beth Ellen Nash certainly fulfills her goal to fully equip parents so that they can in turn, help their child to succeed.
Enter the Giveaway Here!
Beth Ellen is graciously offering to gift 3 Happy Unconventional Life Readers with a copy of her book Dyslexia Outside The Box. You can enter the Giveaway by filling out the form below. (As always, I’ve made it super-easy to enter.) Once you’ve entered the Giveaway, keep reading. She has some special treats for people who entered the giveaway.
Special Gift For Giveaway Enterants Only:
Beth Ellen loves equipping parents with the best resoures possible. The Giveaway will only hae 3 winners, but she is offering something special for everyone who enters! Beth Ellen is offering everyone who entered the Giveaway a reserved seat in one of her popular learning enrichment and remedial programs at a special discounted price. Choose six-month access to Moby Max, BrainPOP (and BrainPOP Jr.), or Dyslexia Gold for just $25 (regular price $100-$150). Or you can get a super deal of only $75 for 6 months access to her Enrichment and Skill Building Package which includes Moby Max, BrainPOP, and RAZ Plus (audio-supported library) and provide LOTS of great content to supplement whatever other curriculum you are using. This way, everyone wins!
