I teach parents how to educate their own children (especially those with struggling learners) so that they can successfully and peacefully homeschool or provide supplemental education at home. This podcast will discuss: - various learning disabilities and challenges, including: ADHD, dyslexia, autism, processing disorders, and so much more! - how all people learn - different learning styles - strategies for supporting specific learning challenges - how to apply these learning strategies at home - stories from homeschooling parents -interviews from other experts
Episodes
Monday Apr 24, 2023
Monday Apr 24, 2023
Are Accommodations the most important part of an IEP?
Last week we dove into the importance of well-written IEP goals and this week we’re going to another section of the IEP.
The Accommodations section of an IEP is, for many kids, the single most important section of their IEP!
For kids who are able to understand and participate in grade level content, accommodations may be the thing keeping them in a general education class all day long, feeling successful and knowing that they are rocking it!
For kids who struggle a bit more, accommodations are still allowing them to see their own areas of genius and feel good about themselves.
Click here to watch the video or download the audio for this week’s podcast!
Then go check your kid’s accommodations. Are they crystal clear to you? Do they need some explanation (and therefore, a rewrite)?
Let me know!
Monday Apr 17, 2023
Monday Apr 17, 2023
When we’re looking at IEP goals, we don’t want just an emotional impression of what we think the IEP is supposed to guide. We need it to be crystal clear so that there is no confusion as to whether or not a child met that IEP goal.
Those goals need to leave no room for interpretation. If 2 different teachers both read that goal, will they use entirely different methods of measurement? If so, the results will likely be vastly different.
Unfortunately, many special education teachers are never taught how to write really good goals. They get barely any guidance at all and even the “goal banks” that the teachers use are full of poorly written goals.
Click here to watch the video for this week’s podcast!
Then go check your kid’s goals. Are they crystal clear to you? Do they need some explanation (and therefore a rewrite)?
Let me know!
Monday Apr 10, 2023
Monday Apr 10, 2023
When it comes to IEPs, knowing how to read them helps us know where to look to find the important stuff within them.
An IEP document 30 years ago was 2 pages long. Now IEPs are often more than 30 pages long. They can be so large and overwhelming that many parents need help looking them over, understanding them, and knowing if the IEP is providing what their child needs.
While I actually love analyzing IEPs and doing consultations with families, I also want to help everyone understand IEPs better so that everyone can make an educated decision when it comes to their child’s IEP.
Click here to watch or download the audio for this week’s episode: IEP tips: Parts of an IEP.
Next week we’ll start going deeper into some of the most important parts of an IEP to help you analyze them in more detail. Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Monday Apr 03, 2023
Monday Apr 03, 2023
Communication is really important to ANY relationship. Most conflict seems to stem from miscommunication, misunderstanding, or lack of communication.
And when there is conflict around your child’s IEP, your child is not benefiting. Communicate regularly with the entire IEP team!
Listen for more details on how and when and where and why and what to communicate with who!
Monday Mar 27, 2023
Monday Mar 27, 2023
knowing what to bring to a particular event/trip is critically important to the trip’s success (and some things are out of our control).
When it comes to attending an IEP meeting, don’t show up empty-handed and clueless! There are specific items you can and should bring with you for an optimally successful IEP meeting.
Click here to watch or listen to this week’s podcast episode and get all the details!
Monday Mar 20, 2023
Monday Mar 20, 2023
Ultimately, the answer to this question is personal and depends greatly on your particular situation.
Listen or Watch the video to find out what you should consider when trying to decide if it's time to hire an advocate or a lawyer, and what to look for if you do decide to hire one.
Learn more at www.DecodingLearningDifferences.com!
Monday Mar 13, 2023
Monday Mar 13, 2023
This week’s episode is the first interview of the season! And to kick us off, we’re bringing back Dr. Victoria Waller!
Last week we discussed how to set your child up for optimal learning and one of the key pieces to that is to make learning pleasant or even fun, and this week Dr. Vicki will give us plenty of ideas to get us started engaging our kids’ love of learning and creative spirit.
Click on over to get the free PDF: “If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It”, full of fun and creative ways to engage your child’s learning!
Watch or listen to the podcast, download the PDF, and buy Dr. Waller’s book!
Monday Mar 06, 2023
Monday Mar 06, 2023
In this episode, we go “Back to Basics” to remind everyone of the principles of what sets kids up for learning success. This episode lays the foundation for understanding how to set your kids up for true learning success!
Watch the video at: https://decodinglearningdifferences.com/home/basics/
Monday Dec 12, 2022
Monday Dec 12, 2022
watch video version at: www.YourParentHelp.com/podcast_0218
Around this time of year, a lot of High School seniors are considering colleges, applying to colleges, and taking SATs or ACTs. Younger kids are beginning to think about their future careers and the colleges they may be interested in attending.
And even if your child is quite young, the path to college might be something you either have thought about, or feel that you should start considering.
This conversation is for you!
Find Kim Duckworth here:
Website: www.parentsareyouready.com
Email: kim@parentsareyouready.com
Facebook: @parentsareyouready
Instagram: @kpduckworth
Twitter: @KimDuckworth12
Monday Dec 05, 2022
Monday Dec 05, 2022
video version at: www.YourParentHelp.com/podcast_0246
In a recent episode, Dr. Vicki Waller discussed the importance of not waiting to get your kid help. There is a myth that if we wait, kids will just catch up and outgrow their difficulties.
And while some kids DO need more time to mature or more access to direct instruction to then “catch up” to peers, when a parent feels certain that their child needs some extra help, that parent is usually accurate!
The thing is, the sooner kids get help, the better the outcomes. And, let’s pretend a kid who gets help early is later determined to not have had a diagnosable disability. That kid still benefited (if the intervention was appropriate)!
All kids benefit from 1:1 instruction. And the sooner that help is provided, the better the trajectory for your child!