Homeschooling

Children with dyslexia require direct, systematic, and individualized instruction in reading and spelling. Some need additional help with math and writing.  Public and private schools do not always provide this level of support, especially considering that many children with dyslexia don't qualify for special education.  Because of this, homeschooling has become an increasingly popular option. 

Advantages of Homeschooling

    • Subjects can be individualized to your child's needs
    • Freedom to explore your child's strengths and interests
    • Freedom from negative comparisons to other children
    • Ability to provide needed interventions and accommodations without bureaucracy
    • Ability to incorporate outside services and therapies into the school day

Iowa Homeschool Laws

Iowa's homeschool laws have been revised in recent years.  An overview of Iowa's homeschooling options can be found here. The two main options are:  1) Independent Private Instruction and 2) Competent Private Instruction.  Review each option and be sure you thoroughly understand each before choosing.

Iowa law also allows homeschooling with dual enrollment.  This means that your child can be homeschooled for some subjects, while attending school for others.  Some families teach the core subjects of reading, spelling, writing and math at home, and attend the school for specials such as art and science.  Some school districts offer Homeschool Assistance Programs (HSAPs) which offer a supervising teacher and other resources.  These resources vary from district to district, but may include curriculum libraries, enrichment classes and field trips.  Check with your district for more information.

You may remove your child from public or private school and begin homeschooling at any time during the year.

Homeschool

Finding Support

To find homeschool groups in your community, check with your public library, churches, and school district office. Search online for Facebook groups. Please feel free to contact us, and we will be happy to share any homeschool resources that we know of.

An excellent online support community for homeschooling is The Well-Trained Mind. Although officially dedicated to classical education, The Well Trained Mind forums attract homeschoolers from a variety of backgrounds and can be an excellent source of information and support.

Choosing Curriculum

Although Decoding Dyslexia Iowa does not officially endorse commercial programs, we can share some that families have found helpful when tutoring or homeschooling their children with dyslexia:

Orton Gillingham Programs:

Linguistic Phonics (Speech to Print) Programs:

Other Systematic Phonics Programs:

Structured Word Inquiry

Math:

Written Expression:

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