AMDG+ My dear Sister in Christ; God knew what He was doing when he sent your son into your family. Your son is surrounded by a loving, supportive environment, which serves his needs far better than a 'special ed' program ever could. [Years ago, two of our children were in special ed programs, which were exactly as you described; they were essentially understaffed warehouses, although I'm sure the teachers did the best they could.] No one knows your son's strengths and weaknesses as you do; you are uniquely qualified to tailor his studies to his abilities. It sounds as if you are absolutely on the right track; keep up the good work! Regarding reading: To make doubly sure that your son has a solid foundation for reading, it would be advantageous to carefully proceed through each and every step of Little Stories for Little Folks, as indicated in the Parent's Guide. When he is ready for Level 2 of Little Stories for Little Folks, he will also be ready for My Very First Catholic Speller, which reinforces the phonics taught in LSLF. With you as his 'hands' for some of the exercises, like the 'Name Game,' I think he might master the program as well as anyone. We were blessed for a time with a teen-age foster son with CP; he was not ambulatory, but had some use of his hands and was able to communicate verbally. I'm not certain of your dear son's verbal and physical capacity, which would determine the approach, but would be very happy to 'brainstorm' some ideas for educational methods with you if you would like. [Although, no doubt because of your experiences, you have far more ideas than I!] May the Holy Spirit provide you with wisdom and insight as you homeschool to God's glory and your son's benefit. Nancy Nicholson |