Cheryl Swope's Blog, page 8

12 Tips for Keeping the Ill or Medically Fragile Child Contented

12 Tips for Keeping Ill or Medically Fragile Children Contented

An Interview with Cheryl Swope, M.Ed.

Originally conducted for the venerable CiRCE Institute, this “re-purposed” interview is brought to you by SPED Homeschool:

Author of Simply Classical: A Beautiful Education for Any Child, Cheryl Swope is an advocate of classical Christian education for special-needs and struggling students. The love of history, music, literature, and Latin instilled in her own children has created in Cheryl the desire to share the message that classical education offers benefits to any child. Cheryl has a master’s degree in special education—Learning Disabilities—and a bachelor’s degree in special education—Behavior Disorders. Cheryl and her husband homeschooled their 19-year-old adopted special-needs boy/girl twins (autism, learning disabilities, and mental illness) from the twins’ infancy with classical Christian education. Cheryl holds a lifetime K-12 state teaching certificate in the areas of Learning Disabilities and Behavior Disorders. She has worked with special-needs children, youth, and adults for over thirty years … but nothing compares to the humbling education she receives walking alongside her own children daily through their struggles and achievements.

Cheryl was kind enough to answer some questions for us as part of our Words of Wisdom series. Enjoy.

1) You recently had a book published, Simply Classical. Tell us more about that.

Yes, this is the story:

Nearly twenty years ago, as new parents of adopted boy/girl twins with significant special needs, my husband and I wanted to give these children the best possible education available. We believed this was the best hope they had.

When the only classical Christian school in our city denied our children access, due to the twins’ many challenges, we determined to homeschool them. I sought a guidebook for bringing truth, goodness, and beauty to challenged children. I found none. I begged for conference sessions on classical education and special needs. No response. An online search revealed one pamphlet, written by a Latin teacher at the University of Colorado in Boulder. She offered tips for teaching Latin to university students with learning disabilities.

We pressed on, teaching reading, writing, Latin, literature, music theory, and arithmetic. We found this less daunting than we expected. Resources from Memoria Press, such as Latina Christiana and Famous Men of Rome, seemed especially adaptable. Even at lower levels, classical education materials and methods offered simplicity, beauty, and effectiveness. We continued. In addition to formal studies, we enjoyed the wonder of nature, music, and poetry.

My children’s challenges unfolded rapidly over the years. These include autism, attention and concentration difficulties; sensory, speech, and language disorders; borderline intellectual disability, learning disabilities, and severe mental illness. Even so, I witnessed measurable (and immeasurable) benefits of a classical education to both mind and character.

My twins’ challenges remained, but a classical education gave them an advanced vocabulary, stronger mental capacity, and greater self-knowledge. Most of all, they loved stories and words. As a trained special education teacher, the standardized test scores impressed me. As a mom, the love of learning touched me.

When both twins began to serve others in small ways, I understood this statement by David Hicks: “The aims of education … all must express not just ideas, but norms, tending to make young people not only rational, but noble.”

Professionals did not always see this. After all, they often report clinically on only those quantifiable aspects of humans. They listed grim diagnoses with dire predictions. One day, while reading another report so depressing my husband could not finish it (“How can you read these things?”), I unexpectedly laughed near the end. This is why. The examiner wrote this about my daughter, a child with autism and with a full-scale I.Q. that leaves her in the borderline mentally handicapped range:

“Appears somewhat young for her age …. When asked to define the word ‘decade,’ not only did she provide a definition, but she gave the word’s etymology and proceeded to count in Latin to demonstrate.”

One afternoon, Cheryl Lowe, whom I had admired for years, answered my unsolicited handwritten letter. In the letter, I thanked her for the beautiful, simple, and easy-to-teach resources she provided our family. I asked Mrs. Lowe if she might be interested in a writing project. She was.

My daughter told me, “Mom, I want my story to help other children like me.” Together, Memoria Press and I created the guidebook I wish I would have had many years ago.

Even more, we created a book that many appreciate for its refreshingly clear, accessible treatment of classical education. Teachers tell me that my journey from progressivism to classical education, as told in Simply Classical, parallels their own. Others appreciate the hope offered through the story.

After Martin Cothran read the manuscript, he said this is “one of the clearest and most compelling cases for classical education in print.” But the most touching reviews come from moms of special-needs children. One wrote, “I feel as if a dear friend took me by the hand, sat down to tea with me, and said, ‘Yes, you can do this.’”

2) What were the biggest obstacles you faced while classically educating your children?

Both twins presented challenges. These changed over the years. Initially, the biggest challenge was obtaining their attention! With autism, they focused inward; as twins, they focused on each other. Given their neurological weaknesses, problems with attention, and necessary therapies, I found my best strategy was to keep moving! We established a gentle, but steady routine.

Each morning we reviewed the day’s schedule. For comfort and truth, we opened with the Holy Scriptures and prayer at the table. For beauty and music, we moved to the piano for hymns and Latin sacred songs. We then traveled to an open area for Latin recitations, which the children performed on their physical therapy balance boards. We followed recitations with formal Latin lessons at the table, and so on.

Later, as severe learning disabilities became more evident, their individual learning limitations and behavior difficulties presented the greatest challenges. A classical curriculum progresses quickly, so we adapted. We provided more review than the publishers recommended. We read most literature out loud to the children. As other classical teachers and homeschoolers will agree, this only enhanced the benefits for us. Many times we enjoyed literature we had never read before. The children thrived. We continued.

3) You mentioned, very early in your book, that many people think of classical education as elitist or only for the smartest students. Why do you think that is?

I think this is primarily because most of us did not receive this “classical education” ourselves. We deem such an education inaccessible. We conclude that a classical education must only serve the geniuses among us. And, of course, for upper levels of classical study, a strong intellect is of great advantage! But even those students with academic challenges may benefit in wonderful ways from the content, methods, and tradition of a rich, classical education. As just one example, my own daughter despite her many challenges, which include schizophrenia and borderline intellectual disability, has now published books of simple poems beautifully rich in sacramental imagery. Read Dr. Gene Edward Veith’s account of Michelle’s poetry.

I have another close-to-home example of an unlikely recipient of classical education: my little, cheerful grandmother named Lois. Raised on a poor hog farm in mid-Missouri with a mother whose education ended at 8th grade, Lois attended the only school her family could afford. At a Missouri public school in the late 1920s, she studied four years of Latin and read Virgil and Cicero in Latin. She studied poetry and upper-level mathematics. Unable to afford college, she was neither wealthy nor “college bound”; yet she received many elements of a classical education. With impeccable grammar and a love of writing, my grandma penned encouraging letters and a daily journal that is now a legacy to our family.

4) What would you say to classical schools who want to serve students and parents with special needs? What do they need to know?

From a business perspective, this is an untapped market for private schools. With as many as 1 in 5 children labeled with some diagnosis (whether they should be or not), this is on the minds of families.

From a classical Christian perspective, opening doors to struggling students can provide a model of compassion, mercy, and community. In a fallen world, it is “normal” to find abnormalities. If challenged children can remain in the school with brothers and sisters, unexpected benefits may arise for all of the children. The challenged children become part of the culture of the school. Some can participate in plays or choir. They can enjoy music events or attend chapel.

2. Begin with the most willing, capable teachers.

This will make the program succeed.

3. Be creative.

Look to the other dozen or more classical schools who do this successfully and publicly. (Many more classical schools already do this. Most do not even advertise the countless modifications they make!)

Many models already exist. Consider offering 3 days a week, with 2 per week reserved as homeschooling and private therapy days. The school might offer a special classroom within the school, create a tutoring “resource room” for struggling students, or provide an aide for the classroom. Consider an elevated tuition to compensate for more individualized instruction. Consider block scheduling for sequential content areas, such as Latin or math, to assist the inclusion model.

For any school interested in exploring this more fully, contact me, cherylswope@memoriapress.com. I love leading in-services for special needs students in classical schools when time permits. We also offer special pricing for Simply Classical books for faculties to read together as an in-service book club. Headmasters and teachers alike have enjoyed and appreciated getting “on the same page” regarding a good definition and defense of classical education!

5) What books are you currently reading? Next projects?

Next projects – Simply Classical Curriculum for children with special-needs! With a gently slower pace, increased review, multimodal instruction, incremental teaching, and an emphasis on beautiful books, the early levels serve homeschoolers of special-needs children and classical schools’ early childhood and student programs. These first three readiness levels are available, as now are three primary levels and new grammar levels through Memoria Press. We envision complete, full-year classical curriculum packages for special-needs students ages 2-21.

Books – Inspired by a summer classical education conference session entitled “A Pedagogy of Beauty,” I am enjoying Beauty: A Very Short Introduction, by Roger Scruton. My own classical education is limited, but such books remind us that even at the introductory levels, we benefit! I appreciate the ways in which Scruton’s thoughts overturn pragmatism. He writes about the value of the true, the good, and the beautiful:

Even if it is not clear what is meant by intrinsic value,

we have no difficulty in understanding someone who says,

of a picture or a piece of music that appeals to him, that he

could look at it or listen to it forever, and that it has, for him,

no other purpose than itself.

I now have another book in my nightstand. My 100-year-old grandmother is now with Jesus, the embodiment of eternal truth, goodness, and beauty, so I am reading the invaluable daily journals of Lois, my classically educated grandma from Missouri.

This article first appeared in The Classical Teacher and the Circe Institute: Go to original article. See this new CiRCE article from Cheryl.

A new interview for a new book … He Restores My Soul (Emmanuel Press)

Interview from Katie Schuermann with Cheryl Swope

Cheryl Swope is not just a contributing author to He Restores My Soul; she is a twice-contributing author, penning two of the fourteen total chapters in the book. She has that many wise, comforting things to share, as you will discover below.

Describe a normal day in the life of Mrs. Swope:

4:30 a.m. writing in the quiet hours with a large mug of tea and local honey — this is my treasured time

6:30 a.m. break: breakfast with my son and helping him prepare for his work day

7:30 a.m. writing in the next round of quiet after my son leaves

9:00 a.m. break: chatting with my newly retired husband over his coffee, often outside

9:30 a.m. “second breakfast” with my daughter who is now up; help her prepare for her 10-2 work day

10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. official writing & working — with break for lunch & non-negotiable lap swim

3:30-6:30 p.m. afternoon walk, family dinner, conversations, phone calls, household calendar planning

6:30-7:30 p.m. family games, nighttime routine, early bed for children

7:30-8:30 p.m. sitting outside with my husband, reading, early rest for grown-ups

What three words best describe your personality?

My (gracious) family says, “caring, loving, thoughtful”

Whom do you go to for advice?

Any of five girlfriends who have known me the longest and know me the best, and whose advice is born of the unmatched combination of their faithfulness to the Holy Scriptures and their love for me

What do you like to read?

My grandma (whom readers will meet in one of my chapters). My grandma left me nearly fifty years of her priceless, well-written, newsy daily entries. When I read those pages I feel as though I am back on her sofa listening to her stories and sipping apricot or blackberry brandy with her till late into the night.

Beverage of choice?

A new find — young hyson green tea — from a local shop, Sassafras Creek Originals, in my hometown in Missouri

Mac or PC?

PC, but only because I could not understand the Mac quickly enough to be productive and had to return it!

What do you want to eat when Mom is cooking?

My mom’s big, healthy spinach salads filled with blueberries, pecans, feta cheese …

Confirmation verse?

We did not have this practice in the tradition in which I was raised, so I “share” my daughter’s, Isaiah 41:10, which she often writes on cards to anyone who is suffering: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Which song do you hum the most?

Whatever song one of my children played moments before on the piano (often a very simplified Musette by Bach)

If you could name the heroine of a fiction book, she would be called:

Lydia Mae (after my grandma’s favorite grandma)

How do you use hymns in your daily life?

Always in the car; every weekend in the kitchen with KFUO; late work nights with LPR, and every evening in my devotional reading

What scenery do you want to be viewing?

Our backyard trees and garden from our porch swing with my husband

Shoe of choice?

Lifestride mary janes for speaking; soft pink Vionic mule slippers for quiet writing at home

Which Psalm do you pray the most?

Psalm 23, the very psalm chosen for our book

What are your two chapters about?

“Train Up a Child” is about those who fall away — or those we fear will fall away — from the faith, the women who love them, and the Shepherd who seeks them.

“Motherhood and Mental Illness” gives an inside look into our two children who live with mental illness and, I hope, provides a reminder of God’s faithfulness to us in Christ Jesus no matter the crosses we cause or the crosses we bear.

Read the original interview.

Order the book!

Evangelium Aeternum

One evening my son came to me beaming: “Mom, you have to read this!”

Earlier he had been “in a mood,” so I had sent him to his room with clear instructions: Do not to speak to anyone the rest of the night until you have read two chapters of your C. S. Lewis literature assignment for this week.

C. S. Lewis often helps my son’s thinking more effectively than I can, so I lean on the author heavily. Classically educated himself, Lewis expertly weaves truth into allegory that speaks to my son.

Michael returned about an hour later, humble as if transfigured, ready to apologize and eager for me to read what he had seen. “I think it’s Jesus,” he said quietly.

What I tell you is the evangelium aeternum. This has been known always: ancients and moderns bear witness to it. The stories of the Landlord in our own time are but a picture-writing which show to the people as much of the truth as they can understand. Stewards must have told you—though it seems that you neither heeded nor understood them—the legend of the Landlord’s Son.

They say that after eating of the mountain-apple and the earthquake, when things in our country had gone all awry, the Landlord’s Son himself became one of his Father’s tenants and lived among us, for no other purpose than that he should be killed. The Stewards themselves do not know clearly the meaning of their story; hence, if you ask them how the slaying of the Son should help us, they are driven to monstrous answers. But to us the meaning is clear and the story is beautiful. It is a picture of the life of the Spirit itself … for the whole world is nothing else than the Eternal thus giving itself to death that it may live—that we may live.”¹

Warring Within

This was not the first time Lewis helped my son. Prone to sullenness, mood swings, and dabbling where he ought not, my son finds a sometimes reluctant solace in the writings of Lewis that heartily affirm all he learns, sings, and prays on Sunday mornings. Lewis has become a literary mentor in our home. A classical education is infused with eternal truths at every turn, and few accomplish this for us like this Christian writer.

Respectful of a good book and its author, when Michael learned that Lewis wanted a person to read The Magician’s Nephew (Creation) prior to reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Redemption), Michael did. Good and evil war royally, majestically, spiritually in The Magician’s Nephew. Chilling portraits of the wickedly deceptive Jadis and her dangerously cruel tyranny sober the reader to silence. As we read, we realize the warring is not ethereal, but personal. “Let your world beware.”²

Then the sobered reader learns where to turn, as the children in Narnia look squarely into the face of Aslan. Miraculously, the gloriously warm and loving face of Aslan is as gracious and merciful as it is stern and just. In this my son finds comfort. So do I.

The face seemed to be a sea of tossing gold in which they were floating, and such a sweetness and power rolled about them and over them and entered them that they felt they had never really been happy or wise or good, or even alive or awake, before.³ This is not just for the moment, we remember as we read. “As long as they both lived, if ever they were sad or afraid or angry, the thought of all that golden goodness … would come back and make them sure, deep down inside, that all was well.”⁴

As a writer, C. S. Lewis never turns our children to himself but rather to our children’s true source of life and hope. Only One can change—transfigure—our children in ways that matter for all time. “When he remembered the face of Aslan he did hope.”⁵ This gives us hope.

Eternity

As we continue to feed our children from the Fount of Goodness, we can look forward to the day when all necessary “ransacking of the Witch’s fortress”⁶ will end for the eternal good of our child. Until that day, through hallowed teachings in the castle of our children’s minds we see “every door and window open and the light and the sweet spring air flooding in to all the dark and evil places which needed them so badly.”⁷

When our own wisdom falters and our words fail us with our teens and older children, we can turn with confidence to those who think and write and breathe the faith more compassionately, more effectively, more beautifully than we do. We can lean on hymn writers, poets, writers of good literature, and especially the Holy Scriptures to give our children meaningful truth to refresh minds and nourish souls in ways that will continue to transfigure far beyond today.

¹ C. S. Lewis, Pilgrim’s Regress (Eerdmans, 1943), p. 129

² C. S. Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew, (HarperTrophy, 1983), p. 194.

³ The Magician’s Nephew, p. 194.

⁴ The Magician’s Nephew, pp. 194-195.

⁵ The Magician’s Nephew, p. 198.

⁶ C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, (HarperTrophy, 1978), p. 171.

⁷ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, p. 171.

This article was originally published in The Classical Teacher.

Let Them Serve

.

The highest end of true education is capable, compassionate service to others.

When our children struggle with learning, or face challenges such as medical conditions, we can devote extraordinary amounts of time and effort to help them. We cancel plans and sacrifice money so they can receive therapies and see specialists. We change diets, find special curricula, and spend our evenings learning ways to help even more. We try to give our children everything. But in our quest to give them the best, do we sometimes neglect that which might help them most?

More Than Self

Even as we serve our children, let us lead them to think of others. Even if he is still in diapers, a child can be encouraged to look, smile, or wave, rather than ignore someone when he is spoken to. In a high chair he can be helped to set down his cup, rather than drop it on the floor for someone else to pick up. As he grows into the preschool years, simple chores can be expected because “we all pitch in!” A simple visual list of tasks can assist this practice. In the classroom or homeschool the child can have a job that suits him. My daughter used to sharpen pencils for us every Tuesday. This bilateral task aided her own goals, as she helped prepare all of us for the homeschool day. As the child grows, so can his areas of service to the family.

We can expand service to neighborhood, church, and extended family. The child might help bake cookies or bring flowers to a next door neighbor recovering from surgery. He can color a stained glass image to present a church member when visiting the hospital. He can copy a verse of Scripture to insert into a card to Grandma. As he learns that all people in all roles need kindness, he can begin to replace innate inward preoccupation with a life of service.

Just because an animal is large, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want kindness; however big Tigger seems to be, remember that he wants as much kindness as Roo.

—A. A. Milne, The House at Pooh Corner



Go Further

Dr. Temple Grandin, a renowned animal researcher diagnosed with autism, says that as the child enters the teen years, it becomes “essential for him or her to get outside the house and accept responsibility for tasks that other people want done. Dog-walking. Volunteering in a soup kitchen. Shoveling sidewalks.”¹ Find his interests, or simply find a need. Sometimes we must serve in ways that do not interest us! This, too, is good and right. Create a life of seeing—and easing—need. “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”²

For years, despite the challenges of her childhood-onset schizophrenia, my daughter was given the daily task of placing cool water in the dog’s water bowl for our next door neighbor. Each day our neighbor went to work, and his dog was left in a run in the wooded backyard. My daughter could do this task, so she did. Our neighbor paid Michelle a small amount each week, and her service mattered. When she realized this, she took that first job seriously. “I think Chloe needs company,” she would tell me. Then I would watch her from the window as she would settle to the ground, petting the grateful Brittany spaniel and reading the book she had brought along to occupy herself.

Children’s literature can help foster compassion in your child. If a young child seems to lack compassion, cultivate this through picture books. Explore the faces of the characters. Ask, “Does he feel sad? How do you know? Why do you think he feels that way? How might you help him, if you were there?” As the child grows older and reads stories of hardship, he can notice how other people helped the main character take heart in dire trials. We can link our own situations to those in stories we read. Draw upon timeless lessons learned through literature. This theme will present itself again and again, as Seneca the Younger reminds us: “Wherever there is a human being there is an opportunity for a kindness.”

Look at What They CAN Do

Lord willing, someday our children with special needs will be adults. We try hard to remediate disabilities, but we must not hinder abilities. Instead, we must help them to know what they can accomplish. As Dr. Grandin reminds us, “Look at what they can do, not what they cannot do.”³ This will serve them well, even as they serve others.

Two summers ago my adult daughter confided in me. Among her other disabling conditions, she had just been diagnosed with kidney disease, and we had both grown sober about her future. I asked her if there was anything she wanted. She said yes. More than anything, she wanted to work. She longed to be able to give money to church, contribute to the household, and have money to spend like everyone else, she told me, big tears welling in her eyes. She already volunteered at a nursing home, but if it could be possible, she said, she wanted a job.

I listened, but I did not know whether it would be possible. She was not contagious, so this was not my concern; she was weakened physically. I knew that a job would help her look outside herself to serve in a more formal way, but I did not know whether anyone would hire her. After Michelle gave voice to this desire, she took matters into her own hands. On her volunteering day, she walked into the director’s office and closed the door behind her. She made this earnest plea: “I’ve been volunteering here for several years. It would be an honor for me to work here as your employee, if you have an opening.”

Michelle now works as an activities aide in the nursing home. She works two days a week, four hours at a time. This accommodates for her physical limitations and gives her the desire of her heart. When she is dressing for work, putting on her badge, and then whistling or chatting cheerily to residents as she wheels them to the dining room, I know that during those God-given hours of service, she is thinking not of herself or her troubles. She is thinking of the people in her care.

1 Temple Grandin, The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum. (Mariner Books, 2014), 188.

2 Aesop, The Lion and the Mouse

3 Temple Grandin, quoted by David Chandler, speech at MIT, http://news.mit.edu/2015/temple-grand..., accessed September 23, 2016.

To teach children to be more compassionate toward others, see these simple 14-week programs for teaching through literature, Myself & Others: Lessons in Social Understanding, Habits, & Manners

This article first appeared in The Classical Teacher, 2018.

The Message Worth Dying For

A Review (and more) by Michael L. Swope*

If you are young, in your teens or even in your nineties, the Messengers by Lisa M. Clark will strengthen your faith, keep you entertained, enlighten you of the snares of the wily serpent himself, and of course leave you hungering for more.

My name is Michael Swope. I am a twenty-three-year-old student and an avid reader of theology, history, and fiction. In the late summer of two thousand and seventeen I met the writer of these wonderful books, Lisa Clark. At the time Ms. Clark was the copy editor for a good family friend, Katie Schuermann. This friend and my twin sister were doing a double book signing at a bookstore in Webster Groves, Missouri. Our friend had published the last book in a trilogy and my sister her second poetry book. Before the signing I had wandered around the shop looking at all the modern books for sale. Our friend noticed my languishing attitude toward the selections. Almost instantaneously she pulled me toward Ms. Clark. A conversation ensued. We sat down and talked about numerous topics including her job, Concordia Publishing House, and books in general. As I talked with her I saw the flame of knowledge and faith that the good Lord Himself had seen fit to put in her. The conversation progressed, and I began to learn that she too was a writer, but little did I realize just how great a writer she truly is.

Flash forward almost a year. My mother, Cheryl Swope, brought home a set of books from a meeting. She asked me to read them and then write a review. I hesitated by then said yes. One day after work I picked up the first novel. I was stunned. The book was fantastic. The style was intriguing. As I read I realized that the series was quite moving. I continued to fall into what is, in my opinion, one of the best dystopian worlds produced in this decade.

The series takes place in the futuristic Marxist country of New Morgan. This country is ruled by a tyrannical, atheistic, post-modern government. No man is free except the Messengers. They had freedom in Christ. But alas the government of New Morgan did not recognize such freedom. They only recognized themselves as the sovereign leaders of this earth. Worse yet, they called the light the darkness, and the darkness which they feared overcame them and burned with light which is the true light of Christ.

All this I digested over the course of the next few weeks. Reading page by page, cover to cover, beginning book to final book, I realized how much God in His infinite wisdom and great love cares for every single on of us otherwise wretched beings. I read about Jonathan, Simon, Jake, and Charity, as well as people such as Mrs. Meyer. I realized that God puts people on earth to love, care, and help every one of us. My parents have helped me since I was a year and a half old when God, in His infinite mercy, had them adopt me and my twin sister. And through my parents He has cared for every one of our many needs both mental and physical.

This book trilogy shows that even in a horrible post-modern culture in a tyrannical Marxist country such as New Morgan, unbelievers can believe. A Christian community such as the city can thrive, and the love of God can spread! This trilogy as made for young adults, but I truly believe that the young and old alike can read this series and enjoy it while growing in the Faith. Read for yourself and see why this one true faith is truly the message worth dying for!

Find the 3-book Messengers Set and join the CPH 2018 Summer Reading Program until August 5, 2018. There is still time to sign up!

*This is Michael’s first published piece of writing.

Tweens & Teens: Organizational Strategies for Executive Function, ADHD, ASD

Some of us knew early that our children would need help organizing themselves. Closets cluttered, floors scattered with odd bits, and papers as crumpled as our children’s faces told us they needed help. We hoped everything would just get better. It didn’t.

At the Sodalitas Gathering in Louisville this year, our Simply Classical track addresses this and other topics. Here are some key take-aways:

Early Tweens with Executive Function, ADHD, ASD Difficulties

Sequencing, Time, Order

– Divide clean clothes into outfits.

– Divide drawers or bins for socks, underwear, pajamas.

– Use the same phrases for repeated tasks to implant efficient “self-talk.”

– Post the day’s routine.

– Talk about errands or activities in order.

– Use a timer to prompt faster task performance (if the child is sluggish).

Attention to Task

– Create a clean workspace. Plan regular clutter-clearing.

– Turn off tv, radio, devices during homework.

– Model attention to task: Read silently nearby or work on your own “homework” (bills, journal), as he works.

– Teach the use of checklists.

– Plan time for organizing materials before and after tasks and at the end of the day.

Teens with Executive Function, ADHD, ASD Difficulties

– Consider the road to independence as a series of short blocks with stop signs. Keep expectations reasonable at each stop sign for success. (He does not want to fail either.)

– Create a paper or electronic master to-do list. One subsection is schoolwork. The other is non-school tasks, such as chores, job-related, social.

– Review long-term assignments or chores and divide into short-term goals to avoid procrastination and being overwhelmed. Create short-term signposts for these.

– Evaluated progress frequently at first. Be encouraging. Key: You are the Coach of his team, not the Opponent.

– Overview daily, weekly, and monthly schedules at the top of each week.

– Help him develop a good daily schedule with healthy habits to include ample rest, outdoor non-screen time, and sleep.

– Keep study tools accessible. Paper/print reference books are better than electronic to avoid distractions with online dictionaries or encyclopedia.

– If he must look up information online, do this with him. Set a stopwatch: 60 seconds to find the spelling of the word. Teach him to avoid pop-up photos, ads, emails.

– Turn electronic notifications to “silent.” Allow screen/social media time after work completion. As grades and work habits improve, additional time might be earned in 10-min increments, but enforce a healthy cap to this.

– Turn in all devices at bedtime.

– Allow no devices, gaming systems, tvs in bedroom.

– Play family or classroom games, create social experiences and meaningful conversations, explore nature, nurture healthy interests and passions to develop the mind.

– Begin a challenging but enjoyable read-aloud as a family or classroom, such as a Shakespeare play (comedy) or a classic novel everyone wants to read. Check Lexiles, if needed, to avoid being outside the range of the student’s listening ability. Talk about the books you read. Just 15-20 minutes daily serves as a daily reminder of the power of print.

– Allow the teen flexibility in scheduling to have a daytime Study Hall.

– Teach the student to use an Inbox and Outbox approach to daily tasks.

– Note his progress in organizing himself. Partner with his own goal to be more independent by encouraging responsibility.

Tip for ASD: At any age, avoid rigidity. Yes, our EF/ADHD/ASD children appreciate structure, but they also need nurture, encouragement, and occasional playfulness to avoid becoming anxious and obsessive.

Tip for younger students with ADHD: Follow these 20 Ways to Calm a Wiggly Child.

Tip for a full, rich, yet carefully paced education: Consider this curriculum intentionally paced for children with organizational, EF, ADHD, or ASD challenges. If you have any questions, we are available to help!

Resources

The full “Behavior” chapter of Simply Classical: A Beautiful Education for Any Child

Smart but Scattered

Executive Function in the Classroom

Late, Lost, and Unprepared

CCLE Summer Conference July 17-19, 2018

We have been planning this conference for months!

Registration is open all the way through the first morning of the conference. Join us in Plano, Texas with plenary speaker Dr. Gene Veith, banquet speaker Dr. E. Christian Kopff, and a host of unique speakers and sessions. Homeschoolers, classroom teachers, headmasters, seminarians, university faculty — all are invited.

Here is the newly posted conference schedule and list of speakers!

My sessions include The Power of the Primary Years and True Language Arts for Special Needs.

Vendors include Memoria Press, CALLA, and Wittenberg Academy.

Curious about Classical Lutheran Education? Read more here.

A Communal Feast

In some circles the word “curriculum” is anathema. It is far better, this thinking asserts, to take a relaxed approach to education, to teach a la carte, or to let the child decide what and when to study. We must not be “dogmatic.”

Different children must study different things—or so we begin to believe. We should not determine what is good for them to read or even to know. It runs like this: all men are different; therefore, all men require a different education; therefore, anybody who suggests that their education should be in any respect the same has ignored the fact that all men are different; therefore, nobody should suggest that everybody should read some of the same books; some people should read some books, some should read others.

This dogma has gained such a hold on the minds of American educators that you will now often hear a college president boast that his college has no curriculum. Each student has a course of study framed, or ‘tailored’ is the usual word, to meet his own individual needs and interests. We should not linger long in discussing the question of whether a student at the age of eighteen [or six or eleven] should be permitted to determine the actual content of his education for himself …. Educators ought to know better than their pupils what an education is.¹

Nourishing Children

Some of us remember our mothers or grandmothers who prepared, like clockwork, well-rounded meals with good sources of proteins, vegetables, and bone-building foods on our plates. We did not always like our food, but we ate. No debating, begging, or whining. No placing individual meal orders. We dined with both portions and nutrients predetermined, and we were nourished. Not only were we nourished by the food, but also by the conversations that accompanied the food.

Postmodern-parenting experts advise, by contrast, that if a child does not like the nutritious food he has been given, he should not be compelled to eat it. Let him choose. He knows best. How well is this working?

Many of us see young parents chasing their children around the house with “hidden” nutrients in squeezable green cartoon-character packets. Children and their parents seem exhausted and frustrated. Young children often eat large amounts of sugar, fast food, and empty calories, while learning little more than that they can control their parents at least three times daily.

Often it is the same with our school days, even among homeschooling families: Children are not compelled to complete their studies if they do not like them. Like full plates of uneaten food in the trash, stacks of uncompleted homeschool resources fill the homes of homeschoolers. Sometimes these were purchased by the same parents who once said, “I cannot afford a full curriculum.”

Perhaps rather than cost, the real driving force behind curriculum decisions is this: As parents, we don’t truly believe we should impose extrinsic standards. We scorn a prepared curriculum, even if it is one brimming with purposeful enculturation, the highest quality teaching resources, and classic literature. We trade this for largely hands-on projects, splashy entertainment, or following the child’s lead. When we do this, what is being lost is our communal, cultural birthright—the accumulated wealth of knowledge, beauty, and reason that a curriculum is intended to pass down to a student.

Different, Yet the Same

Learning differences of mind and body may necessitate more intentional teaching strategies, or a different pacing, but we can modify without compromising content. We need not let the child’s differences diminish the richness of his studies. We can reaffirm our devotion to an education founded upon our common humanity. All men are different; but they are also the same. If any common program is impossible, if there is no such thing as an education that everybody ought to have, then we must admit that any community is impossible ….²

Let every child hear Charlotte’s Web to learn the beautiful art of self-sacrifice. Let him “live inside” the Little House books to understand duty to family, hard work, and appreciation for simple joys. Let him grow into greater works that will fill his days and his mind. More than this, let him hear and learn Holy Scripture, for “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?” (Romans 10:14, KJV)

A Curriculum for Community

A shared curriculum creates community. Community among those with special needs is not only possible; it is essential. Everything starts with the understanding that all children are similar. Hyper-individualization based on perceived differences or immature preferences will serve no one well, least of all the child himself.

Let us read the same books, sing the same songs, and hear the same stories to the greatest extent possible. In view of the urgent need for unity and community, it does not seem an exaggeration to say that the present crisis calls first of all for an education that shall emphasize those respects in which men are the same, rather than those in which they are different. [We need] an education that draws out our common humanity rather than our individuality. Individual differences can be taken into account in the methods that are employed.³ With a return to the intent of education, the Simply Classical Curriculum seeks to bring educational nourishment to children who may need modifications, yet whose humanity begs for the common truth, goodness, and beauty needed by all.

1 Hutchins, Robert M. with Adler, Mortimer. The Great Conversation, Britannica Great Books (University of Chicago, 1952), 49.

2 Ibid, 50.

3 Ibid, 50-51.

A Communal Feast

To receive Simply Classical Journal articles in print, sign up for free here.

Simply Classical Curriculum Reviews

Now available: Simply Classical Curriculum Levels A, B, C, 1, 2, 3, 4 with 5-12 coming! (pictured: Level 2)

Simply Classical Curriculum Testimonials

It is so, so good to see things slowly starting to click with First Start Reading in the Simply Classical Curriculum. Honestly, I can’t thank you enough. – Tamara

I have been so happy with my son’s (age 9) success this year! As long as they continue making levels, we will continue using the Simply Classical Curriculum. I feel like this is “his” curriculum. – Jessica T.

I love the Simply Classical Curriculum. It is wonderful to hear the program will continue through high school. My heart rests easy now, knowing that my two children will always have the educational guidance they need. This is such a blessing to me. Wonderful fine-motor, multi-sensory suggestions included. Thank you. – Martha

It is a WONDERFUL curriculum. – Jessica N.



Lots of repetition, great stories, good pace, and appropriate accommodations as my little guy (age 5) struggles with fine motor skills and is preverbal. – Zeppy

Before coming to the Simply Classical Curriculum basically all I had done with my special-needs child was reading and math. I’m thankful to be broadening my child’s exposure through Level 3 with American history, literature, composition, Bible, grammar, and cursive. The American history series really is a great selection of stories. – Kellie

When at six my daughter had no interest in learning and was still not willing to do anything I tried Simply Classical Curriculum. She now loves to learn. zoomed through A and B and is now on Level 2. We have had great success with the gentle approach of the Simply Classical Curriculum. This curriculum is derived from the inspiration of the book Simply Classical: A Beautiful Education for Any Child by Cheryl Swope, which I would recommend to anyone. Whether your child is diagnosed, different, or apparently average there is much wisdom in these pages. – Margaret

The language lessons are absolutely wonderful! His comprehension has soared! It’s the perfect pace for my son. He loves spelling and the stories we read. His expressive language is greatly improving! My son sits at the table each morning to wait to get started! It’s a wonderful sight. Thank you for everything. Just everything! – Nubia

So my son went from never even wanting to pick up a pencil or crayon to drawing! Huge improvements with this program. Moments like this let you step back and really see something amazing. – Aurora

I’m really glad I chose Level 1 of the Simply Classical Curriculum. I’ve seen a growth and confidence in him this year that I’ve never seen before. Something just clicked with this curriculum and I’m so glad we found it! – Erin

I am using Book One of Simply Classical’s Myself & Others: Lessons for Social Understanding, Habits, and Manners with both of my boys with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/FAE. Lessons are basic but very good: washing hands, taking care of your nose in private, being kind, having good table manners. Each week there’s a read-aloud that goes with the lesson. My boys LOVED Rikki Tikki Tavi. Thank you! – Lillian

I had not found anything else like the Simply Classical Curriculum in the homeschool market. I am the parent of a child with severe mental insufficiency and developmental delay. She is also visually impaired and has autistic tendencies. She is six years old who functions basically on a two-year-old level, but without as much cognitive reasoning skills. I just wanted to thank you for making this special needs homeschool journey a little less lonely. Someone finally gets it! Thank you.” – JB

Our son is 14. He has low-functioning autism, is non-verbal, has auditory processing disorder, muscle spasms, sensory integration disorder, and sleep disorder. Your book and curriculum have been an answer to prayer. – Elaine

The pre-writing skills are one of my favorite things about the special needs readiness curriculum!! I was thinking, ‘What? This can be FUN?’ Because we were not having fun before the Simply Classical Curriculum. – JA

Grateful for the excellent books we get to dive into with Memoria Press! We use Myself & Others Book One. I love that my autistic 5-year-old and his neurotypical brothers all learn so much from each week and their love of good books continues to grow! Thank you for putting together these Myself & Others sets. They are wonderful for everyone! – Jeannette

This is our family’s fourteenth year of homeschooling. Our fifth child has Down Syndrome and is twelve years old. We are so grateful to have found the Simply Classical Curriculum. Last year we did Simply Classical Level B and it helped our son become more acquainted with academic work, reciting and listening. This year with Level C we are so excited. Up until now I would piece together a mish-mash of materials and activities, which would vary drastically according to my energy levels and his tolerance. We have hope finally that our son can feel proud to join his siblings in school work that is his level and he is really working! Perhaps most importantly he will be able to grow in good habits of learning. We promote this program to anyone with children who have special needs. It is just wonderful to have the practical format for skills and goals along with lesson plans that are easy to follow and allow for adding other special learning tools and therapy. Thank you VERY much for helping many special needs students including our son! – VH

I’m loving it! It’s been a joy to do with my daughter. I appreciate the open and go of well crafted plans. – FA

My twins made more progress with Simply Classical Level One than in any other year with any other programs. – Jennifer

Tomorrow will mark the end of 6 weeks and the difference in my son is remarkable. Yes, we are still working through some of the big issues but life is much better. The suggestions for the daily schedule, the picture cards, ideas for managing his anger and a beautiful curriculum have been a much needed breath of fresh air. The Simply Classical Curriculum is a wonderful fit and it is so wonderful to see him thriving in exciting ways. – Heidi

My son has severe anxiety and autism and is doing Simply Classical 3. We have time for him to go to extra therapies that are based on his needs, vision therapy, OT, PT, counseling, speech therapy, horseback (hippotherapy). The curriculum from Memoria is so much richer than anything they get in public school, too that I feel that he is getting a more robust education even if he isn’t learning any number of things the public school are wasting time on these days. He’d likely be stuck in a self contained classroom due to his inability to cope with the larger environment (at least when he was younger). And those classrooms are notoriously bad at actually *teaching*. Especially for a child who has a high IQ. If he was spending every day in an environment that stressed him and caused him pain (like a noisy public school) then all of his at home time would be spent trying to recover and that’s not how I want to spend his childhood. I don’t believe he’d be where he is today if we had not homeschooled him. I strongly believe that homeschooling with Simply Classical is the single best option for an SPD/autism kid. – Miah

The Simply Classical Curriculum is the gentle approach to early learning we need right now. It complements my own educational preferences and offers an easy layout for my son’s day nurse and I to share. Thank you. – Kim

We love the way the Simply Classical Curriculum flows. It’s easy for teachers to understand to use in the classroom every day. We really liked the kinesthetic activities with the reading curriculum. – Erika (as head of a classical school)

My teen on the autism spectrum is benefiting from Myself & Others: Lessons in Social Understanding, Habits, and Manners. What I did not expect was that overhearing the lessons from Healthy, Happy, Habits in Myself & Others Book Three would benefit his older brother!