Dear Mom,

Bless your heart. Certainly it is very wise of you to realize the need to tailor the curriculum to fit the specific needs of your son. I believe that this is the best feature of CHC. A good basic curriculum is really a guide to the materials that you want to cover. The method and style that you teach should be geared to the needs of the student.

I have found that the best resource for information concerning the different ways to approach teaching students with challenges has been local colleges. Indeed anyone can use the bookstores of these campuses. It is very interesting to browse the bookstore and see the wealth of information available in the form of workbooks and the like. These books are specifically geared to the classroom teacher who may have these challenges in the classroom. Often times the practical advice given can be easily adapted to the homeschool. I have found that these books are very helpful and easy for me to read and understand.

I have a daughter with a learning disability and am always grateful when teachers pass on to me hints or "tricks of the trade" that make my teaching more productive. One of the most important bits of advice that I have received has been, "meet the needs of the student not the goals you have set." I take this to mean that as teachers we must be very sensitive to the different learning styles and pace with which our children learn. If you discover that an entire page of material is too much for one session, it is prudent to cut back to smaller amounts you will cover in a set amount of time.

As homeschooling teachers we are in a unique situation, in that we are literally able to gear the whole experience of teaching to our children in a very individual way.

I want to remind you that children with ADHD are very bright, because they are taking in so much information. Our goal is to help them focus and filter the information so as to better retain what they are learning.

I admire your wisdom in talking with your son's pediatrician concerning his ADHD. I am a firm believer in getting all the help and information I am able to when dealing with challenges. This shows great foresight and courage on your part. Your son is very blest to have a parent who is willing to seek knowledge that will help improve his learning experience. I sense from your letter that you are a kind-natured and loving parent who is working very hard to understand and deal with your son's unique abilities. Keep seeking information. Keep praying and asking the Holy Spirit to empower you with the necessary skills and tools to help your son.

God love you and give you the patience necessary to meet this challenge. Here are a few more tips that may be helpful – God bless you, Rita Munn


CHC materials are easy to customize to your child's abilities because the core subjects are shaded in the lesson plans so you know immediately the material which is required, without being overwhelmed with an excessive amount of repetition or "busy work."

Go easy when you see a child is having difficulty, stepping back rather than pushing him forward as most often this only creates frustration for both of you. If your child is having difficulty reading, let other subjects slide a bit and focus on providing him with a strong foundation in phonics. If your child is well on his way to being a good reader by the end of this year, you will have given him the best tools for his future education!

You may want to leave off the non-core subjects and enrichment for a month or more to give your son a feeling of accomplishment. Start out small and simple, varying subjects and activities: a 20 minute phonics/reading time, a nature walk, a math lesson, a science experiment, a hands-on religion project, a spelling page, etc.

Then again, many children find enrichment activities just what they need to keep their interest alive and to focus their attention on the subject at hand. Each child is so unique in this regard! So be sure to tailor his education to fit his interests and abilities. If your child enjoys science, capitalize on this by funneling language arts through this interest (keeping a simple nature journal)! Take trips to the library so he can select science books to encourage his desire to read, etc. Work with your child each and every day to expand his knowledge and encourage his love for learning!