✼ Bible ✼
The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes, by Kenneth N. Taylor. The reverent language speaks to the child in the simplest terms and has two or three questions to spark discussion after each short lesson. It begins with creation and ends with the missionary journeys of Paul. The older edition is accompanied by an excellent set of 45rpm records.
Through the Bible in Felt. Beautifully crafted flannel-graph pieces by Betty Lukens. A great tool for teaching Bible stories.
✼ Computer Skills ✼
Typing curriculum (online-based). ClassRoomTyping.com is a collaborative effort that combines Chester Creek's innovative LessonBoard with Custom Solution's proven online typing training and testing system. The result is the only color-coordinated typing solution of its kind. They offer a three-month trial period.
✼ Language Arts ✼
Communication/Social Skills
Easy Does It for Apraxia and Motor Planning, by Robin Strode and Catherine Chamberlain. Multi-use tool which will last for many years. It teaches hand signals to facilitate production of all the consonant and vowel sounds, as well as major combinations. Just as sign language facilitates speech, these hand signals do the same thing for sounds. Many games and activities--not just for phonics, but also many language skills--are included as well.
Great Ideas for Teaching. Games, assessments, and educational materials for helping with communication disorders.
It Takes Two to Talk, by Ayala Manolson. Very "home-friendly" and hands-on. Explains how to build language while individually facilitating each child's needs where he is. Emphasizes working at each child's unique speed rather than pushing a particular agenda.
Love and Learning communications kits. Teach sight reading, but also a great help in speech development. An effortless way of teaching at a young age when more "traditional" teaching just isn't in the picture yet.
Ready Bodies, Learning Minds: A Key to Academic Success, by Athena Oden, P.T. Discusses physiological and neurological development, and how incomplete development in specific areas can affect your child's ability to perform many academic tasks. Describes how to identify an immature system, and is full of simple, fun exercises and methods to encourage neurological development. Activity guide also available.
Social Skill Builder. Provides appropriate tools for teaching social skills to children affected by ASD and other language/learning difficulties. Social Skill Builder’s software series, which includes the CD-ROMs Preschool Playtime, My School Day, My Community, and School Rules!, uses interactive video sequences to imitate real life social scenarios where children commonly interact with peers. The software teaches children the “rules” of social communication, which include everything from appropriate social touch, body space and speech volume to appropriate classroom behavior and lunchtime interaction. Social Skill Builder products cater to a wide range of functioning and abilities. At Level 1, children learn key social vocabulary. At Level 2, they answer multiple-choice questions, and at Level 3, they identify social cues. Level 4 allows children to create a novel social response based on the situation.
✼ Language Arts ✼
Phonics/Reading
All About Learning Press. Their All About Reading and All About Spelling programs are complete, comprehensive, and based on the Orton-Gillingham approach and the latest research. All About Spelling is a seven-level program created to take the struggle out of spelling. All About Reading consists of eight levels and begins with Level Pre-1, which gives your child the best possible start in learning to read. Both programs come with lifetime support and a 100% money-back guarantee. We want you to be confident that you've made the right decision when it comes to teaching your child the crucial communication skills of reading and spelling.
Bob Books. Simple phonetic readers that steadily build reading skills.
Clayphonics. A simple, multi-sensory method for teaching letter sounds.
Easy Does It for Apraxia and Motor Planning, by Robin Strode and Catherine Chamberlain. Multi-use tool which will last for many years. It teaches hand signals to facilitate production of all the consonant and vowel sounds, as well as major combinations. Just as sign language facilitates speech, these hand signals do the same thing for sounds. Many games and activities--not just for phonics, but also many language skills--are included as well.
Farm Animal Words Reading Kit, by Diane Ryckman. Sight word reading instruction, book, and double set of flash cards.
Love and Learning videos, books, and crossword puzzles to teach sight reading. An effortless, effective way of doing school, especially for strong visual learners.
See-N-Read. See-N-Read reading tools are research-based and classroom-tested interventions for struggling readers that help them to see, focus, and remember what they read. The tools help readers to concentrate on and track text and smoothly move across the words being read without losing their place,even when changing lines. These tools also help readers control their eye movements across the text on a page.
Target Phonics. I found this phonics program on the Internet; it seems like an interesting alternative to check out. I'm of the mindset that if you find a phonics program that your child enjoys, phonics becomes easier. This one might fit the bill for you. The website has a page focusing on special and struggling students.
Teaching Reading to Children with Down Syndrome, by Patricia Oelwein. Presents a system for teaching sight reading. Very effective for visual learners.
Three R's Series, by Ruth Beechick. Elegantly simple and inexpensive set of three little booklets to guide through reading, language, and math skills from preschool through grade three. The booklets explain in very simple terms how to teach the three above-mentioned disciplines thoroughly but without unnecessary clutter.
✼ Language Arts ✼
Speech
Bumblebee Kids. Free apps and for-purchase DVDs for building speech in children with autism and ASD.
Straight Talk (1st and 2nd). A how-to manual for parents who want to do their child’s speech therapy at home. Two volumes are available to help with childhood mispronunciations and language development.
Super Star Speech. From their website: "Our materials have been designed by a speech-language-pathologist to assist parents in helping their children achieve developmentally appropriate speech and to provide some of the necessary resources to do speech therapy at home. The focus of these books is the correction of articulation (speech sound) errors."
Word Express. An illustrated book of the first 2,500 words of spoken English. Intended for speech pathologists and teachers, this is a useful tool for homeschool parents to build or enrich their students vocabularies.
✼ Language Arts ✼
Spelling
All About Learning Press. Their All About Reading and All About Spelling programs are complete, comprehensive, and based on the Orton-Gillingham approach and the latest research. All About Spelling is a seven-level program created to take the struggle out of spelling. All About Reading consists of eight levels and begins with Level Pre-1, which gives your child the best possible start in learning to read. Both programs come with lifetime support and a 100% money-back guarantee. We want you to be confident that you've made the right decision when it comes to teaching your child the crucial communication skills of reading and spelling.
✼ Language Arts ✼
Writing
Handwriting Without Tears. A hands-on system of teaching handwriting. Begins with the easiest-to-write letters and moves to more difficult ones. Teaches frequently reversed ones in ways to help reduce reversal.
Smart Kids Who Hate to Write, Dianne Craft. "Does your child seem lazy, sloppy, and unmotivated? He or she could be suffering from a writing glitch called Dysgraphia, which is easily corrected. Some children have to use so much energy for the writing process that they are reluctant to put pencil to paper for anything! Not all children who have a writing block or dysgraphia also have visual/spatial problems, but they often overlap. This is the most common learning block that gifted children have. Many times it isn't even identified until a child is a teenager and not turning in written work! You will even find out if your child is hard wired to be right handed or left handed. In this DVD you will learn how to identify a child with a writing glitch, dysgraphia, visual/spatial problems, and, more importantly, how to eliminate those problems using a proven method."
Three R's Series, by Ruth Beechick. Elegantly simple and inexpensive set of three little booklets to guide through reading, language, and math skills from preschool through grade three. The booklets explain in very simple terms how to teach the three above-mentioned disciplines thoroughly but without unnecessary clutter.
✼ Math ✼
Math-U-See . A manipulative-based math curriculum with a video guide for the teacher, which can also be viewed with the student.
Maximum Math, by Kathryn Stout. A detailed breakdown of K-8 math skills, along with activities and teaching strategies for teaching each skill.
Professor B Math. This program has thoroughly structured the content of arithmetic as a developmental, contextual flow (like a story). This allows children's minds to assimilate its content more quickly (in the same natural way they assimilate stories rapidly) without any gaps in their knowledge.
Stern Math. Recommended by 2011 ICHE conference speaker Matthew McNatt, this is an excellent resource for special needs students struggling with math. This is a basic math foundation, which McNatt suggests be followed by Professor B Math (see review/link above).
Teaching Math to People with Down Syndrome and Other Hands-On Learners, by DeAnna Horstmeier. Full of practical ideas for evaluating student understanding, and teaching math skills which are essential for everyday living. Also available at amazon.com.
Three R's Series, by Ruth Beechick. Elegantly simple and inexpensive set of three little booklets to guide through reading, language, and math skills from preschool through grade three. The booklets explain in very simple terms how to teach the three above-mentioned disciplines thoroughly but without unnecessary clutter.
✼ Multiple Disciplines ✼
Five In A Row. Literature-based curriculum. Selected stories are read five days in a row, with daily activities related to each story. Presents a variety of activities to choose from. The activities cover social studies, science, art, language arts, a bit of math, and music.
✼ Pre-Academics ✼
Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready, by June Oberlander. List of weekly developmental activities to do with your child from birth to age five. Can be used much longer with special needs students. Easy hands-on activities weave in phonics for reading and spelling. Ideas for self-help skills and behavioral issues. Written for the typical child, this is a very affordable resource. Published by Xulon Press.
Three R's Series, by Ruth Beechick. Elegantly simple and inexpensive set of three little booklets to guide through reading, language, and math skills from preschool through grade three. The booklets explain in very simple terms how to teach the three above-mentioned disciplines thoroughly but without unnecessary clutter.
✼ Teaching Helps ✼
Great Ideas for Teaching. Games, assessments, and educational materials for helping with communication disorders.
Luke's Life List and Luke's School List, by Joyce Herzog. Rather than diagnostic, these are checklists that can be used to give direction as to what to concentrate on teaching next. Organized from a Christian perspective, these include Bible teaching and character development in a comprehensive way. Purchase at amazon.com -- Luke's Life List and Luke's School List.
Super Duper Publications. All kinds of games, assessments, and other educational materials to help you teach a child with various developmental delays. Detailed catalog and free shipping.
