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How I Teach the Dyslexic Advantages in a STEM Homeschool By: Dr. Doresa Jennings
Webinar Agenda • • • • • • • •
Quick IntroducEon Why Home EducaEon? Why a Strengths Based EducaEon? Why STEM/STEAM? How it Works How is it Going? Where to Start RecommendaEons
Quick IntroducEon • Dr. Doresa Jennings • I homeschool my 3 children. • I work full Eme as a professor as well as adjunct at 2 other universiEes. I teach exclusively online. • I am a severe dyslexic!
Why Home EducaEon? • All 3 kids are idenEfied as 2E (highly to profoundly giRed with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and sensory processing disorder). • Very few tradiEonal school environments meet the needs of dual diagnosed kids well.
Why a Strengths Based EducaEon? • Reading is Fundamental? – The vast majority of educaEon Eme is spent either learning to read or reading to learn
• My two-‐for-‐one rule – Spending twice as much Eme on a strength versus a disability produces the best results.
• Dyslexia isn’t something you “have” it is something you “are” – While dyslexia can be remediated and accommodated, it is usually a lifelong experience. – Seeing it with new and beauEful eyes allows one to embrace the enEre package.
Why STEM/STEAM? • STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. • STEAM is Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. • STEAM and Dyslexia – a match made in heaven? • It was on some levels – GeneEc – Environmental
But really, why STEM/STEAM? • It naturally connected to the M.I.N.D. strengths – Material Reasoning – you can’t get more 3D than engineering projects. – Interconnected Reasoning – isn’t it funny how earth science courses start with a discussion of astronomy? – NarraEve Reasoning – invenEon rarely happens without a “why”, and “why” generally starts with a story. – Dynamic Reasoning – it is really like science and math got married, had a baby – and named it Dynamic Reasoning!
How it Works What A STEM Focus Is • When designing a curriculum, consider all choices through a STEM lens • Giving STEM areas a prominent place in school planning • Providing children with real and ever expanding opportuniEes to “show” what they know.
What A STEM Focus is Not • Ignoring anything that isn’t directly aligned with STEM • Ignoring the need to be fully prepared for assessment • Downplaying the importance of a culturally relevant learning experience
How it Works • We look at as much content as possible through a “STEM” lens. • So, instead of looking at history from one war to the next, we look at history from a technology perspecEve. • If it can be learned through doing, we start there first. • 2013 Stanford study showed “exploraEon first” provided be`er and deeper learning than reading/ lecture first
How it Works • Make things real, tangible, and hands on as much as possible. • KinestheEc learning is not limited to the early years, even Algebra is hands on with Mortenson blocks
How it Works • Nothing important stays on the page • Science, engineering, and math really lend themselves well to arEsEc representaEon • Big words were easier to conquer with a label maker. • InteracEve Notebooks are ideal for topics proving understanding without gecng bogged down in the weeds
How it Works • Decreasing silos between acEviEes, even those that don’t seem to have a connecEon – Allow for interconnectedness to have an opportunity to thrive
• Whenever possible, show how a number of topics are all interacEng together.
– Try not to silo topics unless completely necessary
How it Works • Project based learning has been extremely helpful. – Speedster’s Challenge – Summer of Science – Camp InvenEon – Biome Study – Ferret Ecology Study
How it Works • We try to let the kids create their own mind maps. • Geography was best conquered by looking large concepts (enEre conEnent, enEre country). • My daughter naturally started by first drawing the compass rose. • Here, iniEal book work mimicked STEM based hands on learning
How it Works • We link reading with real life experiences. • Seeing things outside of books is a big aspect. • Having an opportunity to be completely immersed in the learning experience helps to solidify concepts read about.
How it Works • Choosing the right materials is important • Interconnected, strong story, hands on, real world inspired, purposeful, meaningful • We use a lot of books in our homeschool to solidify reading – reading for purpose and reading with a clear context feeds into dyslexic advantages
How it Works • Reading becomes a dynamic experience – – – – –
Read story (or audio book) Illustrate Summarize Bloom’s Taxonomy 3D Model
• The marking system we use in math is used for reading • My children read independently 2 – 3 books each week and complete an interacEve journal entry for each book
How it works • We took the heart the informaEon in “The Dyslexic Advantage”, that outside of school acEviEes were important. • Lecng some things just push the body really helps the brain focus.
How it Works • STEM is beauEful in that it integrates failure into the learning process – called tesEng and redesign • Introduce kids to as many real world experiences as possible that show learning is a process with failure built in as integral to learning
How it Works • There is a cost • Money
– Resources can be expensive. – Maker’s lab has around $3,000 worth of materials alone
• Time
– Very few things are “ready made”, it is more about pieces together things that work
• Space
– Three rooms in the home, maker lab in shed
How is it Going? • My eldest won an inventor’s contest for best overall invenEon. He was also a semi-‐ finalist for the Peace First prize • My daughter won most invenEve design in an inventor’s contest and got honorable menEon in a Smithsonian Inventor’s Contest • Her twin won the Inventor’s contest for his age category and has been taken under the wing of Steven Caney (author of the UlEmate Building Book)
Is STEM limiEng • A common concern is that a STEM focus will limit a child’s choices in the future, that math and science will crowd out other opEons • STEM is one of the most robust and open areas of study allowing for more diversity than any other focus I have encountered
Advice for others? • Implement IntenEonally • Get comfortable with STEM – Cost can be a big factor,
don’t stock up without – A lot of informaEon may seeing what will fit be new to you as a parent, learn with the – Get out of “book work” kids and into real world implementaEon as much • Find mentors and as possible immersion – You cannot go wrong opportuniEes with two-‐for-‐one rule
• Provide ways for your child to shine
Where to Start • Start with math – it is the most natural extension of what is probably being done now. • Easy to get from paper to hands on • Easy to expand and adapt
Where to Start • The next natural progression is to un-‐silo science. • While it is fine to do so specifically focused science programs, implement project based learning that will allow looking at several different areas of science simultaneously
Where to Start • Bring in engineering from a problem solving perspecEve (engineering is a field of designing soluEons to problems) • Engineering can be used as a stand alone, supplement to, or replacement for social studies • Engineering is designed to be compassionate, people focused, and a great way to view human history
Where to Start • Technology has a very broad definiEon of anything used to help humans do something • Technology projects is where “Making”, “Hacking” and “Tinkering” come in to play
Where to Start • Don’t neglect logic and criEcal thinking • Success in STEM acEviEes is the ability to think outside the box, but manage that outside thinking to include those things that are relevant and meaningful and to dismiss irrelevant informaEon efficiently
Where to start • Look for classes, programs, and groups in your local area (the industries your area is known for are great places to start) • Take advantage of online classes and opportuniEes
Recommended Resources • Science Max Axiom books CK12 Thames and Kosmos kits Youtube videos, in parEcular full courses like CrashCourse and small unfocused topics like Vsauce – Good Eats (books and videos for a food science course) Alton Brown – – – –
• Technology – Camp InvenEon – NASA EducaEon Office Resources – Make.com and Maker Camp – Alice, Scratch, or other coding programs – Architecture is Elementary! – The UlEmate Building Book by Steven Caney
Recommended Resources • Engineering – – – – – – – –
Engineering is Elementary Engineering Adventures Fishertechnik kits Zome tools EducaEon kits K’Nex EducaEon kits Lego EducaEon kits Lego Mindstorms Snap Circuits
• Math – Mortenson Math Blocks with Crewton Ramon videos – Challenge Math for the Elementary and Middle School Student by Edward Zaccaro – Life of Fred – Beast Academy – Math Wrap-‐ups – Giant Dice
Recommended Resources • Extracurricular – DIY.Org – CriEcal Thinking games, especially games like Architecto and Equilibrio by Brian Builders Series and anything by Think Fun – Project Based Learning modules by Gallagher and Plowden
• CompeEEons – ExploraVision by Toshiba in partnership with the NaEonal Science Teachers AssociaEon – DesEnaEon ImaginaEon – Odyssey of the Mind – Smithsonian’s Inventor’s Challenge – FIRST Lego League – BEST RoboEcs
Recommended Resources • Classes – GiRed Homeschoolers Forum – Standard Deviants Accelerate – CTC Math
• Reading/Grammar – EasyRead (online) – Reading Horizons (online and teacher led) – Reading Assistant (online) – Sounds Like Reading by Brian P. Cleary – Michael Clay Thompson Grammar program
