The mere thought of homeschooling can be overwhelming. What curriculum do I choose? What if we can’t afford all the books? How do I schedule our time? Will my children become socially awkward recluses? What if I screw up my kids’ education?! Lorilee Lippincott, a seasoned homeschooling mom, shows just how simple homeschooling can be. She and her husband taught their two kids in a one-bedroom apartment before picking up and moving the whole family to China. They’ve discovered that they don’t need rooms full of books, educational toys, and other teaching tools, nor do they need schedules packed full of extracurricular activities, field trips, and social events. Perhaps even more importantly, they don’t need to panic about making sure their kids turn out okay. It’s actually all pretty simple, she tells readers. But homeschooling well does require some planning and dedication, and a book like The Homeschooling Handbook to be your guide. Here you’ll find all your questions answered in Lippincott’s straightforward, warm, and witty style. Topics covered include: How to instill curiosity and a love of learning Types of homeschooling Your socialization fears assuaged How to create simple schedules and stick to them Tips for keeping costs down Teaching kids with disabilities The benefits of play time Legal requirements How to avoid burnout And much more! Full of anecdotes, interviews with other homeschooling families, and wisdom, this is a must-have for any family considering the homeschooling life.

Children and adolescents with moderate and severe disabilities often have communication challenges that lead them to use problem behavior to convey their desires. This is the most comprehensive contemporary volume on functional communication training (FCT)--the individualized instructional approach that teaches a child socially acceptable communicative alternatives to aggression, tantrums, self-injury, and other unconventional behaviors. The expert authors provide accessible, empirically based guidelines for implementing FCT, and tips for overcoming obstacles. Grounded in the principles of applied behavior analysis, the book includes detailed strategies for developing a support plan, together with illustrative case examples. ÿ

The third edition of Functional Curriculum for Elementary and Secondary Students with Special Needs outlines a broad conceptual framework of functionality for children and adolescents with disabilities. This book describes how to build a functional curriculum for studentsthat is, a curriculum with everyday usefulness and value in making the student more competent and independent. This new edition also shows teachers how to tie the curriculum from the elementary school to the curricula of middle and secondary schools, and ultimately to tasks common in adult life. to this end, response to intervention is an important concept and a new chapter on RTI is included. New chapters: * Response to Intervention * Social Security, Work Incentives, and Benefits Planning * Positive Behavior Support * Adult Services * Going to Work This new material reflects recent advances in the field and will greatly enhance the teachers ability to integrate functional curriculum into transition planning for adulthood.

The purpose of the volume is to open up new perspectives in the study of literacy by bringing together current research findings from linguistics, psychology, sociology and anthropology. The book divides into five parts. The first part deals with theoretical questions related to the definition and the modeling of the construct of functional literacy. The second part goes into the notion of literacy development. Both societal and individual aspects of literacy development are taken into account. In the next two parts the actual achievement of literacy in various regions of the world is dealt with. In part 3 the focus is on attaining literacy in developing societies, and in part 4 on attaining literacy in industrialized societies. In the final part the question is raised how functional literacy can be promoted through education. Starting from a cross-cultural perspective the central issue is how standards of functional literacy can be established throughout the world.

This text is a clear and current description of the instructional strategies that can be immediately applied across age groups and disability labels. An evidence-based instructional methodology is provided, which has proved to be effective in teaching skills to students and adults with disabilities. Signature topics include: (1) a community-referenced functional curriculum; (2) how to assess and analyze skills; (3) teaching skills; (4) functional academics; (5) teaching employment skills; (6) functional skills in community; (7) functional skills in residential settings; (8) teaching social skills; (9) self-determination and self-advocacy skills; and (10) self-management skills. Each chapter includes Key Point Questions, Windows to the World Case Studies, Best Practice Recommendations, Future Research Issues, Discussion Questions, and School and Community-based Activity Suggestions to illustrate, extend and clarify a systematic approach to improving the functional skills of individuals with disabilities. These features allow the reader to explore and apply effective instructional strategies across domains such as employment, community, residential as well as the skills necessary to enjoy recreation and leisure opportunities. The most unique feature is that it is written specifically for practitioners in the field, not for academics. The format, readability, and detailed description of instructional methodology make it a valued resource for instructors responsible for improving the skills of learners with disabilities.