Barton Blessed!

Meet this cutie:

You would never know it by looking at her, but she is is a super star. You see, my daughter has severe dyslexia. Technically, it's called "double deficit dyslexia," and it has made reading and spelling for her a near impossibility. Remediation for something like this is huge and scary, not to mention time consuming. It's not for the faint of heart. To successfully tackle this beast, we had to pull out the big guns, and I found them through Susan Barton and her fabulous product, Barton Reading and Spelling. We began approximately five years ago. Faithfully, at a minimum of two hours per week and often more, we laboriously moved through all ten levels. There were tears and tantrums. Some of them came from her. Still we persisted, keeping the hope and the vision in sight.

Today was the day. Today she completed all TEN levels of Barton successfully. The child can read and spell. She is bright. She loves books. Her knowledge of science and her dedication to her education humbles me. She teaches me daily. She inspires me. In fact, she inspired me so much, that I got certified myself in Barton.

What's next?

We will continue to read, spell, learn, and love. Her possibilities are limitless. Today we ate at her favorite restaurant. I think that's a good start!

Yep, that's right. Three clean plates!!! All that reading drums up an appetite!

Congratulations, my darling. You are amazing, and you have moved me to advocate for other students who face your mountains. You are a blessing to me. I can't wait to see how you shape this world of ours!

A Walk in the Woods

My husband and I woke early. Neither of us had slept well. The house was still and dark as I prepared coffee and tea, our daily ritual. We sipped while sitting close to each other on the couch, listening to the silence. As we savored our steaming mugs, the sun slipped up above the horizon and darkness began to dispel.

"Let's go on a walk," my husband proposed.

"Sounds lovely," I answered.

And so we left our sleepy home and instead walked into an awakening wilderness, the only humans in the place.

Once the sun decides to rise, nothing can stop her, and before we arrived the disk had slipped the bounds of the earth. Daylight had come and with it all the animals were stirring.

Shelf Fungi on a Fallen Log

In the silence I was studious. Colors appeared more brilliant; movements more pronounced. We enjoyed watching the birds flutter from tree to tree, fresh from their night of rest. I stopped to photograph the shelf fungi from a fallen tree and when we resumed our walk, we spotted a deer in our path.

We looked at it, and it looked at us. Eventually it decided to give us the path for our walk, and we slowly ambled up to where it had stood gazing at us.

A freshly laid hoof print

It was a treat to spend this time with my husband. It was sacred. I'm so glad our sleep was disturbed; it allowed us to see the undisturbed beauty of morning life in the woods.

On the way back home...

Windows Into Next Year

IEW Windows to the World Class for 2016-2017

Do you have a homeschooled high school student that is in need of an English credit for the 2016-2017 school year? I will be hosting a class utilizing IEW's Windows to the World and Teaching the Classics in my home on Friday mornings next year. Space is limited, so if you are interested, please contact me through the blog. The class will run approximately 32 weeks and will focus on literary analysis. Students will read novels, plays, short stories, and poetry throughout the year. Class will be based on Socratic discussion with an emphasis on crafting the literary analysis essay. We are going to have a great time! Come join us!