Sometimes a traditional public school or private school simply doesn’t work out for all families. Due to the lack of stimulation and malnutrition suffered by the majority of children adopted from the international orphanages and how that can affect learning and behavior, often times a traditional school doesn’t have the expertise or does not have a class that really fits the needs of these amazing children. Families often undertake to provide a home-based or co-op type of specialized education for their children in the beginning.

You may also find that your child remains a little immature for her age (I’ve been told a lot of our children from the orphanages may always act a few years younger than their chronological age). I’m sure this is a problem for schools…if a child is 7 and acts 5 or is 10 and acts 7. But later in life, does anyone care if someone is 35 and acts 33??? So I don’t make a big deal of the immaturity factor at all. I’m immature myself most days!

Here are some links to learning tools and curriculums that may prove to be beneficial:

 Math:

http://murraysmagicmath.com/

http://www.mathonthelevel.com/

http://www.mathusee.com/

 Reading:

http://www.explodethecode.com/

http://www.readingkey.com/demo/index.htm

http://www.brainretrain.org/prg1.php

http://picturemereading.com/

 Creative Writing:

http://www.epsbooks.com/dynamic/catalog/series.asp?subject=66S&subjectdesc=Process+%26+Skills&series=2625M

 Handwriting:

http://www.retrainthebrain.com/index.html

 Language and Speech:

http://www.laureatefamily.com/products/descriptions/langlinksdesc_906.html

http://www.ldhope.com/speech/index.htm

 Overall curriculums:

http://www.calvertschool.org/

http://www.time4learning.com/

http://www.accelerated-achievement.com/

 Other (cognitive development):

http://www.audiblox2000.com/

http://ldhope.com/

 Lapbooks:

http://www.homeschoolhelperonline.com/lapbooks.htm

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/lapbooks.html

http://www.handsofachild.com/shop/