Homeschool Resources for Families in the Down Syndrome Community
This list is based on programs we have used with our own son, Will and the recommendations of families in the Down syndrome community.
I have been homeschooling for over 20 years, but I do not have a background in special education. And Will is only 5, so we are walking this journey beside you. I’m not an expert! If I’ve used any of these, I will note it. But just consider this a starting guide as you conduct your own research.
Memoria Press Simply Classical Curriculum for Students with Special Needs
Memoria Press Simply Classical Curriculum for Students with Special Needs
This seems to be a very comprehensive Christian curriculum and goes from Pre-K through high school.
You can have your student take a readiness assessment for placement and then you can either purchase a level or customize your curriculum so your student can move up in a stronger subject or move down in a more challenging subject.
They have a journal you can subscribe to that includes articles on the joys and challenges of special education as well as classical curriculum for struggling learners.
They also have a forum where you can connect with other parents and expert customer service representatives to assist you. We have not used this but are seriously considering it to supplement Will’s two days in Pre-K 4.
Five in a Row
This does not appear to be specifically geared toward children with Down syndrome. However, it is very much a learn-at-your-own-pace type of curriculum and is based on children’s books. We actually used this for some of my older children and loved it.
From their website:
"Five in a Row will help you teach Social Studies, Language Arts, Art, Applied Math, and Science using outstanding children’s literature as the basis for each weekly unit study. Lessons are designed for children ages 5 through 12+ and include discussion guides and questions, teacher answers, hands-on activities, activity pages, and suggestions for further study.
This curriculum is intended to be extremely flexible, allowing you the option to do any combination of the lessons for each story. You may elect to skip over certain activities which do not fit the needs of your student, and you may place additional emphasis on other ones which seem appropriate. You will find more lessons than you can use in a week, so enjoy customizing the school day for your student and know that you can always revisit books in the future and utilize lessons you didn't teach the first time through.
You can adjust school time to fit your needs as well. By using only one lesson element each day, you can work through Five in a Row in as little as 30 minutes daily, including the time to read the book. If you choose to use all of the lessons, field trips and follow-up exercises, you could easily spend several hours daily. Use Five in a Row however it best suits your needs and the needs of your student. Five in a Row is designed to help you teach your children to love learning!
Interest-based, discussion-based, and play-based learning techniques are utilized throughout Five in a Row to capture your student’s attention and increase retention of the material. This makes Five in a Row ideal for all learning styles! For younger children, play-based learning might occur through dramatic reenactment, hands-on building, or the activity sheets provided with each lesson. In addition to the discussion-based lessons, older students will enjoy virtual tours, scavenger hunts, and vocabulary crossword puzzles—these are just some of the ways Five in a Row inspires learning and retention."
See and learn
We have used part of the See and Learn Program and are about to implement more of it this year for Will. It is best for toddlers and younger children or children who are still emerging readers.
From their website:
"See and Learn offers carefully structured, evidence-based activities and guidance to help children to speak more clearly, to communicate more effectively and to learn to count.
See and Learn offers step-by-step instructions and practical resources designed to make it easy to help children with Down syndrome and other children with similar learning needs to learn early speech, language, reading and numeracy skills.
See and Learn can be used to help children learn foundational speech, language, reading and numeracy skills from birth through to the early school years.
See and Learn teaching activities include specific adaptations to support learning for children with Down syndrome and children with similar learning needs, taking account of auditory processing difficulties, verbal short term memory deficits, hearing loss, and relative difficulties with expressive language compared to receptive language skills.
Materials are available as apps for iPads and as printed kits."
The learning program
We have been using the Learning Program for Will since he was 2 and we love it. We’ve mainly focused on their readers and memory work. In fact, Team Iron Will is a proud partner of LP and offers scholarships for their Quick Start Reading and Next Steps Reading programs.
From their website:
"LP Online consists of ten sessions from The Learning Program's face to face program offered through webinars in live and on-demand formats. LP Online sessions support development of reading, comprehension and math skills, and address general topics related to accessing curriculum, fostering independence and memory. Sessions are geared towards supporting parents and teachers in the educational process.
· Level 1 focuses instruction on supporting students in preschool through 1st grade
· Level 2 focuses instruction on supporting students in 2nd or 3rd grade
· Level 3 focuses instruction on supporting students in 4th through 6th grade
If you have a question about which level to choose, please contact us at info@dsfoc.org."
So Happy to Learn
We have not personally used this curriculum, but I know from other moms that it is very beneficial for younger learners.
From their website:
"So Happy to Learn is NOT your standard curriculum. So Happy to Learn IS a philosophy; a change of mindset, a paradigm shift from traditional teaching. It IS a series of techniques, approaches, and simple tools to instill a love of reading, writing and math in your learner. It IS a revolutionary teaching program for both special and typical learners alike.
While the program started exclusively to teach children with Down syndrome, it’s being quickly embraced by the autism community. It can also help children with a wide array of learning challenges and can even help give your typical preschooler a head-start. The program can be implemented by moms, educators and everyone in between. You don’t need a teaching degree to tap into your learner’s abilities; in fact, teachers are going to have to work hard to change their ways from testing to focusing solely on teaching!
Step-by-step instructions with detailed information are provided for each aspect of the program. Extensive libraries of tutorial videos are in place to help So Happy to Learn teachers. A large archive of Happy Sheet packets (worksheets) is also available for the Beginner, Level 1 and Level 2. In addition, new packets are uploaded each month to provide fresh and relevant content for your learner.
The primary goals of So Happy to Learn are that the learner will:
- Read and enjoy reading,
- Write and enjoy writing,
- Understand and enjoy using basic math concepts.
Most importantly… the learner will enjoy learning!"
Time 4 learning
This program has been recommended by several moms, but we have no experience with it. It mentions that it is appropriate for children with autism, not Down syndrome, but it seems to follow some of the same learning approaches as other programs specific to Down syndrome.
From their website:
"Time4Learning can help any child, including those with special needs. Every child has their own combination of gifts, abilities, needs, and challenges with learning, so each deserves a learning program suited to their needs. Here are some reasons why parents of both gifted students and children with special needs choose Time4Learning:
· Lessons build on existing reading, writing, and math skills.
· Learning levels, or grade levels, for each subject are independently set for each child, helping those who perform or progress at different levels.
· Time4Learning memberships include extra practice, such as free access to Time4MathFacts, to help students develop strong foundational math skills.
· Depending on the grade level and course, students have access to one grade above and one grade below their grade placement so they can review or move ahead whenever they need to.
· The program allows students to go at their own pace and even repeat lessons if need be. You determine your student’s schedule.
· The lessons use exercises that stimulate students’ visual, auditory, and motor skills with multisensory activities that are animated and interactive."
In fact, for the reasons above, we have been approved by the IBCCES as a Certified Autism Resource.
Learning Without Tears (Formerly Handwriting Without Tears)
We used this program for many years when it was just handwriting and have used the keyboarding as well for my older children. We have not used it with Will yet, but we will use it this year to help him learn his letters. My older kids loved Mat Man, and I think Will is going to love him as well.
While the main focus is handwriting, they also now focus on phonics, keyboarding skills, and early number concepts.
Math-U-See
Math-U-See is recommended by a lot of people because it is very hands-on, and our children seem to largely be visual learners. I do not have experience with this program, but it was one of the most recommended programs from other moms in the community. It can be used all the way up through high school.
Knowledge Crates
These are hands-on crates that have a Montessori approach to learning, and this company offers activity crates for children from Pre-K through the teen years. For children up through a 5th grade learning level, they offer many unit study options for various subjects. For children learning at a level above that, they offer art kits.
This is not something that we have used, but it was recommended by several families in the Down syndrome community.
Learning with Kelsey
These boxes are geared toward children who are at a preschool or kindergarten level of learning. We were sent one to try and really enjoyed it, so we are using these for Will this fall. Each box contains lots of hands-on activities that are good for learning and reinforcing letters, numbers, and colors. Plus, they are great for working on fine motor skills. We highly recommend them!
Big Play in a Box
Developed by an occupational therapist with over 30 years of experience, these boxes are great for children of all abilities. On her website it says that they are intended for children who are developmentally 3-8 years of age. You can purchase both a quarterly subscription or just one box at a time. Will and I are just getting ready to try a box for the first time so will report back!
Happy kids therapy
This is an incredible resource for parents working on jaw strength and stability as well as feeding support. Heather offers one on one training for parents as well as 2 6-week classes each year. She will help you develop a program that fits your child’s speech needs. And let’s face it, helping our children to become as articulate as possible is one of the most important things we can do in the early years. We have made this part of our daily routine and we call it “school”!
From her website:
"Heather's passion for inclusion and independence translates directly into her oral sensory-motor work with children on speech clarity, oral motor development, and feeding development.
Heather is a certified TalkTools Instructor and teaches webinars, seminars, and parent feeding classes. She was trained by the creator of the TalkTools program, Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson, MS, CCC-SLP.
Heather has recently completed the advanced Orofacial Myofunctional training program called "Myo Masterminds," taught by the very highly esteemed Breathe Institute in Los Angeles.
Heather sees children of all ages (birth — adults). Heather's specialty in working with children with Down syndrome also includes in-depth knowledge and resources regarding orthodontics, craniofacial and airway development, sleep apnea, orofacial myofunctional therapy, dietary considerations, communication programs, educational programs, medical considerations, reading programs, physical and sensory needs, as well as behavioral strategies.
Team Iron Will offers scholarships for parents to attend Heather’s 6-week speech courses. You can register here!
We have been utilizing Heather’s approach with Will for almost a year and have seen great improvements in his speech."
Teaching Reading to Children With Down Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Teachers
This book by Patricia Oelwein is a great resource for parents teaching their young children to read. It was the first thing I read on early learning. There is some outdated language in this book which could be considered offensive, but I just ignored it, as it was written during a different time and the content of the book is still very relevant and helpful for parents. You can find it on Amazon. Link here
Suggest a curriculum or supplement!
If I’ve missed a curriculum or supplement that you think I should include, please reach out and let me know. Like I said, I am learning alongside you and taking notes to share!