short term homeschooling

[Peony]

Ex hser here.  DD1 is 10  and in 4th grade now. She is also severely dyslexic along with a few other things. School has always been difficult for her, we work three times as hard just to pass. But it's worked, until this year anyway. We had a private reading therapist for 3.5, 5 days a week year around. And she was a very small, crunchy private school that accommodated her in every single manner. She thrived there. Until this year. She was being bullied and we ultimately were forced to leave after Thanksgiving. We attempted public school which was a failure of epic proportions.

I have now pulled her out and we are trying to figure out the next step. Next year she will return to her old school but we have to do something for now with her. We have a math tutor two hours a week and I could get her old therapist back a couple hours a week probably. DD1 has not learned anything past Thanksgiving and for a child that does have to put in so much effort, I am realistically looking it taking us until 5th grade starts in August to get her back where she should be.

I am at a loss as to what to do or use to hs her for the rest of the year. She does need lots of structure. I have limited time with DS1 who is ASD and a high needs toddler. I am willing to spend a little of money but not a lot of material for the next few months. ` DD1 struggles with mental health issues and after this year, she is quite fragile but terrified of being behind again because she was for so many years. I have her math book from her old school and they've offered to possibly provide a science book but the help is limited. Suggestions?`

I have looked into the k-12 virtual online school but she is not at the level that they are at with her being behind AND I might send her to a shared school program at the public school where they just go two days a week and do PE, spanish, etc... and she is not allowed to be enrolled in both programs. Having her at home full time would not be in anyone's best interest, she gets destruction and violent to her siblings if we do not keep her constantly busy or engaged. 

[terriebittner]

The only things she can really get behind on are math and reading. Since she has dyslexia, this is a great time to just focus in on those two things. You can slip in a little history and science through the reading.

I don't think you want a curriculum made by someone else. This is a time for catching up and reminding her that learning can be fun. Focus on the very fundamentals of reading and math--only what she has trouble with and nothing else.  Do a treasure hunt, which is a fun way to practice reading sentences and comes with a little reward. Take turns reading to each other and let her read anything she wants most of the time. School supply stores usually have math games and a couple of those can keep you occupied for a while.

Do field trips and watch some learning videos. Have her write a puppet show script, make the puppets, and put it on with friends or family. Cook together using recipes.

What kids need most after a bad school experience is to be reminded that learning doesn't have to be stressful or dull.

[Sneezykids]

Was the reading therapy Orton Gillingham? That method really helped my dyslexic dd at the same age as yours.

[Daffodil]

I agree with the PP who said you really only need to worry about reading and math - except that I would add writing.  You have a math book and a math tutor, so it sounds like you're set for math.  If you use your old reading therapist and make sure she's doing some independent reading, you'll probably be set for reading.  So you just need to figure out how she'll work on writing and what you'll do to keep her busy when she's not doing math, reading, or writing.  If she needs lots of structure and you have limited time that makes it tough.  There are plenty of books with writing exercises and lesson ideas, like this random example from Amazon. You could just pick up something like that and make it the main focus of your limited time to work with her.  Then maybe you could come up with a list of things she would be interested in working on mostly on her own - not necessarily academic things, just things to keep her busy in a useful way.  Learning to juggle, training a pet to do a trick, origami, sudoku, playing chess online, creating a web page, making Xtranormal videos, planting a little garden, knitting, making kites, whatever.