Believe it or not, homeschooling a dyslexic student for high school is not as daunting as it seems.
It is easier for both you and your student to homeschool than to be in a brick-and-mortar school.
One of the big challenges with a reading disability is the struggle to be “at grade level.” I take issue with this line of thinking, but sometimes it is hard for us not to compare where our kids are versus other families.
The whole point of home-based education is to custom tailor curriculum for each child. The beauty of homeschooling is that there is no “grade level.” Each child gets to work at his own level that is appropriate for him. High school is simply a continuation of him working within his abilities.
The next challenge is struggling with curriculum choices. Having a reading disability usually means that the reading level of the curriculum one chooses sometimes needs to be lower than “grade level.”
Many parents report that in the early teen years, their dyslexic student starts to improve in reading by leaps and bounds. Of course, allow for any accommodations that are necessary, but you might be surprised that as he matures, he becomes more independent and starts to show large gains in reading and spelling abilities.
High school is the time to start exploring your student’s interests. As you do so, you can also adjust and accommodate as necessary.
It is perfectly acceptable to lighten the reading load of a biology class, or to take botany rather than chemistry if that is what your child prefers, and to use audiobooks in a literature course or maybe just not require as many books.
It is also ok to create courses that align with your child’s interests. Does your child see a future as a chef? Instead of chemistry, study the chemistry of food. Does he plan to work in landscaping? Botany is a great choice for science to learn about plants! Does he prefer numbers over reading? Double up on math and explore careers that are math-centric.
Your child is at a distinct advantage when you create a high school plan that lines up with his interests and abilities. You can accommodate his disability while you are developing his strengths at the same time.
Not only is he learning at his own pace, but he is also likely more enthusiastic about schoolwork because he is interested in what he is learning. The high school years can be a time of growth and exploration for your dyslexic learner.