5 Reasons to Homeschool a Dyslexic Child

I don’t homeschool my children, but like many, I experienced home education during Covid-19 lockdowns. I must admit I found it challenging. However, many parents relish the opportunity to home school a dyslexic child.

I recently caught up with Joanne, who has homeschooled her son, Josh, for the last six years.

Our sons went to the same primary school, and most mornings, after we got our boys into class (and yes, that was always a struggle), Joanne and I would chat about how our kids were doing. We found the lack of dyslexia support for our children incredibly frustrating.

Joanne’s son, Josh, was a year younger than my son, Harry. Josh’s self-confidence hit rock bottom that year. When Joanne discovered he was self-harming, she searched for another school but found nothing better. In desperation, she asked me if I would go along with her to an information evening on homeschooling. We met a very positive group of mothers who reassured us that there were resources and support for parents who chose to home-educate.

Joanne decided to give it a try. It was a brave move as she was a single mum and had to pay her bills. I kept Harry in school but began tutoring him myself using the All About Learning Resources   Read my post about teaching spelling and reading in 30 minutes a day using these resources.

Joanne’s 5 Reasons to Homeschool a Dyslexic Child

1. Josh’s self-confidence returned when he found a supportive group of friends.

“Josh was always excluded from friendship groups at school. The other children weren’t accepting of his differences. After a few weeks of homeschooling, I got my happy boy back, and he hasn’t been in tears since.

He’s never suffered bullying at the homeschooling events. The parents organise ski trips and outings, and once a week they book a sports centre for the children to participate in various sports. Parents also run drama classes, music groups and a choir.

Josh has more opportunities than he would in many schools. He gets invited to sleepovers and parties, which never happened before.”

2. She could offer Josh the 1-1 intensive support he needed.

“We have a set routine with lessons starting at nine through until lunch. I have found a curriculum that works for Josh and what I love is he’s not under any pressure. When he’s put under pressure, he can’t learn. We take things at his pace, and study only what interests him.”

3. She could tailor the curriculum to suit Josh’s interests.

“We are fortunate that there are some very talented homeschool parents who run Zoom lessons in subjects such as science. I also pay online tutoring subscriptions for Josh. I get a payment twice a year from the Ministry of Education, which covers most of these expenses, although his art materials are extra.

The homeschooling network we are part of has organised courses at a local design college, and Josh studies computer design and coding. The tutor said Josh is doing well and now Josh is considering a career in computing.”

4. Josh doesn’t have to take examinations.

“In mainstream school, they would have channeled Josh down a path to examinations. I have been able to remove this pressure. He’s taking courses that align with his interests, but he doesn’t have to be at a certain level at a particular age. Josh is a year or two behind developmentally, and removing this pressure has been wonderful.

We know of other homeschooled children who do mainstream examinations through a correspondence school.”

5. She found the homeschooling parental support amazing.

“An incredible group of homeschooling parents support me. I reached out to the group for help in completing the Ministry of Education forms to get our exemption certificate.

Once we started homeschooling, the responsibility of teaching Josh frequently overwhelmed me. Whenever I got stuck, I would call a mum from the group for advice. Help has been there for me every step of the way.

We get together regularly for parents only dessert evenings, which are always very uplifting. People aren’t negative about homeschooling.”

I asked Joanne what she considers the downside to homeschooling a dyslexic child, and she acknowledged the following drawbacks:

The time commitment.

“I have organised my work so I can be at home and have re-trained in tattoo removal with clients coming to my house. My other work is done in the evening to make up for the time I spend helping Josh.”

It’s a tremendous responsibility.

“It is a big responsibility, but it has brought us closer together. When people find out Josh is educated at home, they often comment on how polite and happy the homeschooled children they know are.”

Lack of funding.

“The Government funding for homeschooling isn’t great. I get $743 per year. Out of this, I have to buy all our resources and pay for tutoring and activities.”

 You need technology.

“Your child will require access to a computer. I would find it impossible to homeschool without the internet. There are wonderful online resources.”

How to get started with homeschooling a dyslexic child

In New Zealand, you can’t remove a child from school to home educate until you have an exemption certificate from the Ministry of Education.

The useful web links are:

The Ministry of Education https://parents.education.govt.nz/primary-school/schooling-in-nz/home-education/

The National Council of Home Educators New Zealand (NCHENZ) https://www.nchenz.org.nz/

The Correspondence School Te Kura. (courses are free for over 16-year-olds) https://www.tekura.school.nz/learn-with-us/enrol/fees/

You may enjoy this blog post from All About Learning Press on how the be the teacher your child needs.

Here is a link to my post on how finding your child’s strengths is a game-changer.

To read how to teach spelling and reading in 30 minutes a day, click here.

Speechify is an app that can help dyslexic children as it reads online text. Here is my affiliate link.

What are your thoughts on homeschooling?