Category Archives: Learning Disabilities

Join Homeschooling Tripling

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:27 — 21.0MB)

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Homeschooling has tripled in the US. It is an increasing movement. Some join because of the chaos of the “pandemic.” Some join because of the curricula that is increasingly anti-academic. Traditionally, the majority joined because they felt the school system was ungodly, but all felt that the public school simply was not educating well. The movement is only gaining steam.

Please share this ‘cast with those who are interested. There are many questions about home education, asked with increasing shrillness. These questions belie the real interest. Who cares more for children? the State or their parents? who more wants children to be educated to have a happy, healthy, holy…. and prosperous life? Who is better able to socialize a child? Handpicked, competent adults? Or students of the same age? Or some impersonal system?

Or, let’s ask an even simpler question. In which method do student score higher on standardized tests? The answer is clear, robust, replicated. Homeschooled children outperfoRm. And have since the 1980s.

EVEN FOR STUDENTS WITH LD? YES!!!!

Especially those children who have some learning problem, challenge, or “disability,” home education produces a tremendous outperformance. First, the learning methods can be taylor-made for the child, rather than running a child through a factory like atmosphere, that treats any difference as if it were a defective product. Secondly, the public system does not intend to remediate so much as accommodate. Thirdly, the public system tends to enforce self-fulfilling prophecies. Social research shows that most teachers and certainly other staff tend to see LD as if it were MR, or in other words all learning challenges as a sign of low IQ. Thus, not only academically, but also socially, the children are pushed down. Fourthly, what has been shown to be the single biggest predictor of academic success is: the expectation of the adults around the child. Parent, especially those who give up a place in the workforce and focus their family on home education, are much more likely to have high academic expectations than employees in a large system, with ever lower goals, at best meant for the masses.

RESOURCEShttps://thsc.org/

HOMESCHOOL LEGAL DEFENSE ASSOCIATION https://hslda.org/

PLEASE SEE OUR HOMESCHOOL PACKET, ON SALE TODAY SEE STORE

Dr. Swank Overcomes Dyslexia, Learning Disabilities with Individualized Approach

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:51 — 27.3MB)

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Dr. Linda Swank argues for the individual approach in overcoming dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Back in 2009, Dr. Swank of the Swank Enrichment Center in Austin on Bee Caves Road shares with us how they help children with academic problems, especially “dyslexia.” With her PhD in speech and language as a grounding, she developed a unique approach to helping children. Rather than rely on statistical testing and labeling, they work individually with the child and parents. The individualized approach avoids the labeling. It avoids the varieties of definitional problems that “dyslexia” presents. It avoids the denominationalism that special educators and doctors and therapists find themselves in. It addresses the presenting academic problems. Many have overcome their problems with the center’s approach.

While her methods may be controversial, I would say the proof is in the pudding. Her method is much in contrast to what the public schools do and much in contrast to what the College of Education at The University of Texas now teaches about dyslexia. However, the Swank Center has been in Austin for decades and has helped many children and worried parents. There is little value, in my view, in building a “dyslexia orthodoxy.” Rather, helping individual children is out aim. Differing approaches should be very much welcomed, in my view, in order that more children might be helped, after finding the right approach for them.

COMING TOPICS

Please note that this is a rerun, and announces that next week we will have a doctor/researcher to address the controversial aspects of immunizations. That episode will NOT air next week. That doctor/researcher was Andrew Wakefield and may be accessed by searching the website or the list of podcasts on the podcast host. If you find a search page full of old or false news that he was discredited, and nothing on a reversal of same, then doubt your search engine. He was a dramatically respected world class researcher before he ran aground of pharmaceutical companies’ profiteering. The center he founded in Austin lives on, as does he, entirely exonerated, if bewildered at the persecution. Listen to our interview of him, and consider for yourself if he seems like a decent level headed scientist… or something else.

We do hope to soon run an episode on the labeling issue that Dr. Swank brings up. Let us know if you want an explanation of the statistical analyses that Dr. Swank brings up.

GET IN TOUCH

We really enjoyed having Dr. Swank and she evidently really enjoyed being with us. Notice that heartfelt agreement at the end. It is unfortante that we haven’t heard from her since. Don’t be like that! Let us hear from you. What issues do you want addressed? Please leave your comments and requests. Most of all, sign up, letting us know that you are a Lioness, part of our tribe. Let us pray for you. Contribute to the cause!

Swank Enrichment Center

Victory for a Child who “Cant Speak”

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:29 — 21.1MB)

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Recently, I saw a prayer request for a little guy who cant speak, and besides praying, I realized that I had not shared our family’s victory with this issue. I had 3 grandsons who “couldn’t” speak. Let me tell you about them, and about another little gal. It should give you ideas and some hope and faith for any child of yours who “cant speak.”

Also, along the way, I mentioned diet. I took my grandson off milk, so he could hear. Here is a link to Dr. Melillo’s Disconnected Kids, to his book on diet, and to a search on the Fiengold diet. The Fiengold diet is an elimination diet that people use to find out what foods are irritating their children. Consequently, it is thought of as a diet for allergies or ADD, but the same logic works for any problem. Experimenting, you know… like science. LOL You have to laugh these days. People are so stirred up and angry about things they know nothing about. When this Fiengold diet came out, like in the 70s, lots of people spoke against it. It certainly has stood the test of time. You use it to find out what is bothering your child. If you already know, of course, it is a lot of trouble.

Like I said, your situation might not be exactly like any that I shared, but the stories will give you a place to start, some ideas, and surely some hope & faith. And that is where everything starts.

How to Tell What is True — and How to Teach that Skill to Your Children

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:54 — 17.7MB)

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Here are 7 quick keys to how to tell what is true. This is an important lesson for children diagnosed as “learning disabled” because although they are bright, they are spending so much time on decoding, they have a hard time with higher order reading comprehension. Similarly, many of these children have poorer social skills — for any number of reasons. So, they may be behind in sorting our truth from “stories.” If we teach them directly, we can make up for much of that difficulty. However, today, it looks like everyone needs some lessons in pinpointing Truth and Error and sorting between the two. When one begins to think about some things in the discussion today, it is hard not to make fun of the gullibility. Let’s don’t be those who are snookered! More importantly, let’s protect our kids through more direct teaching of this life skill.

Listen, consider, and share!

EXTRA RESOURCES

Someone else’s attempt at teaching how to develop logical thinking. https://www.lifehack.org/594032/logical-thinking
for those digging deeper: How children can know that the Bible is true. https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/how-our-children-can-know-the-bible-is-true
Logic is a moral obligations for a Christian. https://biblicalscienceinstitute.com/theology/logic-our-moral-obligation/
If you do your own search, you will see that there has been a lot of energy to teach critical thinking in a way that debunks Christian faith — which isn’t logical at all. If all truth is known by what is empirical (which is their position), then they can not say anything about the metaphysical or supernatural — by definition. Thus they can not say that the supernatural is bunk, but only that they have no knowledge of it. Perhaps they are tone deaf, eh? That is logical! For more on this, see the work of Ravi Zacharias. www.RZIM.org Dr. Zacharias and his institute at Oxford did wonderful, high level apologetics. I can not account for why search engines are full of the tawdry — except for the psychological dynamic of projection, the impetus to snooker, and the need for this lesson.

Please share good resources, especially those aimed at children.

BTW, I mentioned my series Dangerous Times, thinking it was already ready, but alas, it required both editing and uploaded. However, it is in the store now. Just select “shop” from the tabs. It is great for both parents and teachers and I have it on a big big sale. It is a right now word.