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Dyslexia Action Month • Part 3 of 4 Sometimes a parent’s concern sounds like this: “They can read, but it takes so much effort.” Being able to get through a book does not tell us everything about the experience. In older elementary students and teens, possible signs include slow or effortful reading, difficulty working out unfamiliar words, persistent spelling struggles, and avoiding reading aloud. Some students understand a story much more easily when someone reads it to them. Every student learns differently and every student deserves the opportunity to shine! Look beyond whether an assignment is finished. Ask what finishing costs your child in time, effort, and frustration. That does not mean every long homework evening points to dyslexia. It means the struggle deserves a closer look. Your action this week: Gather examples and listen. Save a few reading, spelling, and writing samples. Note how much help was needed and approximately how long the work took. Then ask your child gently: “What feels hardest about reading?” “What helps?” “Is there something you wish your teacher or I understood?” Give them room to answer without turning the conversation into another test. Share those observations with the school and ask about assessment and targeted support. Older children deserve help, too; noticing later is still a reason to act. At My Learning Farm, academic assessments can help clarify current reading and writing skills, identify strengths, and guide educational recommendations. These assessments are separate from a formal evaluation for dyslexia. Explore My Learning Farm’s academic assessments. I want your child’s effort to be understood—and their learning needs to be taken seriously.

Dyslexia Action Month • Part 2 of 4 “My child loves being read to, but reading independently is such a struggle.” That is a concern worth exploring. Loving stories and finding printed words difficult can exist side by side. Reading development needs to feel joyful, fun and encouraging and that's exactly what we do here at My Learning Farm In kindergarten and the early elementary years, possible signs of dyslexia include persistent difficulty connecting letters with sounds, blending sounds into words, or sounding out simple words after those skills have been taught. A child may guess from a picture instead of using the letters, or begin avoiding reading because it feels so hard. These difficulties deserve attention, but they do not automatically mean dyslexia. We need to understand the child’s skills, instruction, and progress. Your action this week: Ask how reading is being taught. Meet with your child’s teacher and ask: How are letter sounds and blending taught? What happens when my child encounters an unfamiliar word? Which specific reading skills are difficult right now? What additional instruction is being provided? How will we measure whether it is helping? You do not need to arrive with all the answers. Bring your questions, a few examples, and a willingness to work together. At home, keep reading aloud for connection and enjoyment. I want children to keep experiencing the wonderful places books can take them while adults work on understanding their reading needs. At My Learning Farm, I use Orton-Gillingham–based structured literacy: direct, carefully sequenced instruction that helps students build reading and spelling skills step by step. If you are unsure where to begin, contact My Learning Farm to discuss your concerns and whether an academic assessment would be a useful next step. Your child deserves support that begins with understanding.

Part 1: From Awareness to Action You practiced yesterday. Your child seemed to know the letter sounds. Today, some of them feel brand-new again. Working with student to build their skills, confidence and a love of learning is what I do at My Learning Farm As a parent, that can leave you wondering: Am I doing something wrong? Why isn’t this sticking? Persistent difficulty learning the connection between letters and sounds can be an early sign of dyslexia. It does not diagnose dyslexia on its own, but it is worth exploring—especially when the difficulty continues despite instruction and practice. Rather than adding more flashcards or making practice longer, ask a more useful question: What kind of instruction does my child need? Write down which sounds are difficult. Ask your child’s teacher how those skills are being taught, what additional support is available, and how progress is measured. This is where My Learning Farm can help. My academic assessments help identify what your child knows, which skills are still developing, and where instruction should begin. In individualized instruction, I use Orton-Gillingham–based structured literacy to teach reading and spelling explicitly, with a carefully planned sequence and opportunities for review. I want practice to have a purpose—and your child to experience success as skills grow. October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. Let’s use it to get curious, ask questions, and take action. Explore academic assessments at My Learning Farm, or reach out to discuss your child’s needs.

I’m going to say something a little unpopular: I hate awareness months. I understand the intention. Getting people talking matters. But every October, I find myself thinking about the children who are still struggling to read, the parents searching for answers, and the families being told to give it more time. As a mama of children with learning differences and an educator who works with struggling learners, I want awareness to lead somewhere. Our children need something to change. Being aware doesn’t teach a child to read. Sharing a ribbon doesn’t provide effective instruction. Children need adults to take what they learn and do something with it. At My Learning Farm every child is capable To better instruction. To provide answers for families. To give a child the support they need. What we do with that awareness matters-take action. Write down your concerns. What are you noticing during reading, spelling, and homework? Write down specific examples, how long the struggles have continued, and how much help your child needs. Save dated work samples. Include your child’s strengths and their own words about what feels difficult. Meet with your child’s teacher. Share your observations and ask what the teacher sees at school. Bring your questions and request current reading data. Before you leave, agree on next steps and a date to check progress together. Find out how literacy is taught at your child’s school. Ask which curriculum is used and how children are taught to connect sounds with letters, read unfamiliar words, and spell. Ask whether instruction includes explicit, systematic teaching—and what additional instruction happens when a child struggles. Ask specific questions. You deserve explanations you can understand: Which reading skills are difficult for my child? What do the assessment results show? What instruction are they receiving, how often, and in what size group? What training does the person providing intervention have? How will we know the instruction is working? When will we review progress, and what will change if progress is limited? Learning should feel calm, joyful successful and at My Learning Farm-it is! Learn about dyslexia and its signs. Persistent difficulty learning letter sounds, reading words accurately or fluently, and spelling can warrant further investigation. Dyslexia does not reflect a lack of intelligence or effort. These signs alone do not establish a diagnosis, but they are reasons to ask questions and seek assessment. Research effective instruction. Learn about structured literacy: direct, carefully sequenced instruction in sounds, spelling patterns, syllables, and other parts of language. Ask providers how their instruction follows these principles and responds to your child’s progress. Follow through. Send a brief email after your teacher meeting summarizing the plan. Schedule the assessment conversation. Take a parent training. Explore formal training or certification if you want to develop your own teaching skills. Choose a step you can take this week. And if you need help turning all those questions into a plan, that is where My Learning Farm can help. Celebrating success daily at My Learning Farm Educational consultations: Bring your concerns, questions, and information about current instruction. I can help you organize what you’re noticing, discuss learning needs, and identify practical next steps—including questions to bring back to school. If you're a homeschool parent, let's sit down together to choose effctive curricula and methodoligies. Academic assessments: I assess reading skills such as phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, and comprehension to identify strengths and areas needing instruction. Families receive a report and a parent meeting to discuss results and recommendations. These are educational assessments, not formal dyslexia diagnoses. Learn about academic assessments. Special education advocacy preparation: I help parents organize records, understand educational information, prepare individualized questions, and get ready for IEP/504 conversations. My role is to help you participate with greater understanding and preparation; I do not attend school meetings or provide legal advice. Explore advocacy support. Individualized instruction is more than teaching it is developing connections through laughter, games, activities and trust! Individualized academic instruction: I use Orton-Gillingham structured literacy to support reading, writing, and spelling through explicit teaching and guided practice. Learn about reading support and contact me about the waitlist. Here are two resources to help you begin: Dyslexia Basics — International Dyslexia Association: Learn about dyslexia, common signs, evaluation, and support. Structured Literacy — International Dyslexia Association: Understand the instruction to look for and ask about. Ready to take action? Contact My Learning Farm to arrange an educational consultation. Tell me what you’re noticing and what you’re hoping to understand. We can discuss whether a consultation, academic assessment, or advocacy support is the right next step. I know how much courage it can take to say, “Something isn’t working, and we need help.” I’ve been that mama, too. I LOVE celebrating student success EVERYDAY at My Learning Farm This October, write it down. Ask the questions. Meet with the teacher. Learn about the instruction. Reach out for support. Let’s give our children something that lasts beyond an awareness month's ribbon: informed adults taking action on their behalf. ❤️

Sometimes the farm has a lesson ready before I even open our book. Yesterday in My Learning Farm READS!, we discovered not one, but two barn spiders—orb weavers! As we read Charlotte’s Web, we had the chance to observe real spiders and their webs right here on the farm. Suddenly, Charlotte’s world felt a little closer. We slowed down, looked carefully, and learned some fascinating spider facts: Spiders are arachnids, part of the same animal class as ticks, mites, and scorpions. They have eight legs, and most spiders have eight eyes—although some have fewer! Barn orb weavers typically have a life cycle of about one year, though climate and conditions can affect their lifespan. Orb weavers get their name from their round, wheel-shaped webs. Look closely and you’ll see threads stretching out like bicycle spokes, with a spiral winding around them. Spiders make silk in glands inside their bodies and release it through spinnerets on their abdomens. Think of spinnerets as tiny silk-spinning tools! Some orb weavers can produce up to seven different kinds of silk, each with a special job. Strong silk supports the web, attachment material anchors it to surfaces, and stretchy threads coated with sticky glue help catch insects. Other silk wraps prey or protects eggs. What an amazing toolkit! Spiders have a surprising way of eating. They use digestive fluids to break down their prey, then suck up the liquid food. It’s a little like turning dinner into a spider smoothie! After reading chapters 8 and 9, we carried that curiosity into our learning activities. We put our ideas on paper and made our own heart spiderweb crafts—a sweet connection to Charlotte, her web, and the friendship at the heart of the story. Take a peek at our day—from our spider discoveries to our writing and crafts! This is what I love about READS!: the classroom comes to life all around us. A story gives us something to wonder about. The farm gives us something to observe. Those experiences give children meaningful ideas to talk about, draw, and write. In READS!, I do the reading aloud so children can enjoy rich stories while we practice vocabulary, comprehension, discussion, and written responses together. Crafts and farm discoveries give us more ways to explore what we are learning. Our classroom might be the greenhouse, the barn, or wherever the day’s adventure takes us. There is room for questions, creativity, and the joy of discovering something together. To our READS! families: thank you for letting me share the wonder of nature and stories with your children. I love seeing what catches their attention and hearing the ideas they bring to our time together. Want your child to join the adventure? I have just a couple of spots left for Spring READS! This spring, we’ll explore My Side of the Mountain and discover new connections between literature and life on the farm. I would love to welcome your child! 🌱 Register for Spring READS! 📚 Learn more about My Learning Farm READS! With love from the farm, Ms. Sara

What if your child could experience all the magic of a wonderful book without the pressure of having to read it independently? That is a big part of what makes My Learning Farm READS! so special. READS! is a small, engaging literacy class built around a great story—and Ms. Sara does ALL of the reading aloud.❤️ That makes READS! a wonderful fit for reluctant readers, students who find independent reading challenging, and kids who simply LOVE listening to a really good story. Instead of spending their energy trying to get through the words on the page, students can listen, imagine, think, wonder, make connections, and truly become part of the story. We Don't Just Read the Book—We Experience It! Each week, we use our story as the jumping-off point for learning. We dive deep into vocabulary and written expression, helping students learn how to take the ideas swirling around in their heads and put them into thoughtful, detailed writing. We talk about characters, setting, problems, solutions, predictions, connections, and all those little details that make a story worth talking about. But this is My Learning Farm, so we certainly aren't sitting at a desk for two hours! Our story spills into hands-on activities, crafts, games, projects, nature, outdoor exploration, and farm experiencesthat help students make meaningful connections to what we're learning. One moment we might be curled up listening to our story, the next we're discussing a character's choices, filling a page with descriptive writing, creating a project, or heading outside to explore something from the book. Reading → Thinking → Talking → Writing → DOING! That's READS! Our Spring Adventure: My Side of the Mountain This spring, we'll be exploring My Side of the Mountain—a wonderful story for taking learning beyond the pages. We'll use the book to explore themes of nature, adventure, independence, problem-solving, survival, creativity, and perseverance, with activities and projects that bring those ideas to life. And because Ms. Sara reads the story aloud, students can experience this rich book together regardless of their independent reading level. Spring READS! Details January–March 2027Tuesdays | 10:00 AM–12:00 PM$600 for the semesterLimited to just 10 students 🌱 ONLY THREE SPOTS REMAIN! Keeping READS! small is intentional. I want students to have room to ask questions, share ideas, participate in discussions, receive support with their writing, and feel like an important part of our little learning community. Come READ With Us! If you have a child who says, “I don't like reading,” READS! may give them a completely different way to experience books. If you have a child who could listen to stories for hours, they'll be right at home here, too. And if you have a student who has wonderful ideas but needs support turning those thoughts into written expression, we'll be working on that every single week. Most of all, I want kids to discover that literacy can be joyful, meaningful, creative, hands-on—and a whole lot of FUN. 📚 Only 3 of our 10 Spring READS! spots remain. Register for Spring READS!:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-If3v-Zu5WoecK2iiGYoWrXhCjeHW0g-fLfMThP-chKCjmA/viewform Learn more about My Learning Farm:www.mylearningfarm.com Come listen to a wonderful story, dig into writing, create, explore, get outside, and make some pretty special memories with us. I can't wait to READ with you this spring! ❤️ —Ms. Sara

If you’re considering homeschooling in California, you may have heard someone say, “You need to file a PSA.” It’s one of those phrases that can make a big decision feel even more overwhelming. Let’s make it a little clearer. A Private School Affidavit, or PSA, is an annual filing with the California Department of Education. Some families who teach their children at home establish a home-based private school and file a PSA as part of that option. California also has other ways to educate a child at home, including public charter schools and independent study programs, so filing your own PSA is not a step every homeschool family needs to take. Why does the PSA matter? For families using the home-based private school option, the affidavit provides the state with information about their school. California requires private schools covered by this rule to file annually. The usual filing period is October 1–15, although the state’s online system is open from August 1 through June 30 to accommodate schools that begin at other times. Filing a PSA does not mean the state has approved the school or its curriculum. You can find the state’s instructions and filing link on the California Department of Education’s PSA page. What happens after you file? This is where many parents have the bigger question: What am I actually going to teach? Families who choose to operate a private homeschool are responsible for selecting and providing their child’s curriculum and instructional materials. They also need to attend to the applicable course and recordkeeping requirements. The affidavit is one part of getting started; it doesn’t hand you a reading program, a math plan, or a daily rhythm that fits your child. And if you’ve spent an evening looking at curriculum choices online, you know how quickly that can become overwhelming. A beautiful program may still move too quickly for your child. A highly recommended math curriculum may need more hands-on instruction than it first appears. The best place to begin is with the learner in front of you: their strengths, their needs, and the way your family can realistically support learning at home. Let’s dial in your child’s learning plan At My Learning Farm, an educational or homeschool consultation gives us time to look closely at your child’s reading, writing, spelling, and math needs. We can talk through the curriculum you already own, explore options where something isn’t working, and identify practical next steps. We can also think about a homeschool routine that leaves room for your child’s interests, confidence, and joy in learning. You don’t have to have every answer before we meet. Bring your questions, the materials you’re considering, and what you’ve noticed about your child. We’ll start there and build a more thoughtful plan together. If you’re preparing to homeschool under a PSA, or you’ve already filed and want help choosing curricula, learn more about homeschool support at My Learning Farm. I would love to help you find a path that fits your child and feels manageable for your family. This article provides general educational information. For filing requirements and current instructions, consult the California Department of Education directly.

There are moments when I look around My Learning Farm and think, how did I get this lucky? I get to wake up every day and do something I truly, deeply love. I get to work with kids and families, help children discover that learning can feel different, and remind them that hard things can become possible. I get to watch confidence grow and see that moment when a child realizes, “Hey, I CAN do this.” There really isn't anything better. THANK YOU to everyone who has poured themselves, their hearts, their hands into My Learning Farm! I get to teach reading, writing, spelling, and math, but I also get to read books with kids, sit outside and listen to the sounds of the farm, plant flowers, snuggle animals, laugh, make messes, explore, create, and celebrate little victories that are actually really big victories. Somehow, all of the things I love most—kids, animals, learning, families, agriculture, and community—have come together in this little place called My Learning Farm. And I am incredibly grateful. This is how I see EVERY student-CAPABLE!!!! Over the years, My Learning Farm has grown in ways I never could have imagined. What began with a heart for helping my own children-Ava and Ryker has grown into Farm Classes, where kids can get outside, learn about animals and agriculture, explore nature, get their hands dirty, and learn from some pretty incredible people. It has blossomed into READS!, where books become the beginning of an adventure filled with vocabulary, writing, projects, animals, outdoor experiences, and lots of fun. And, of course, at the heart of My Learning Farm is still the individualized work I love so much—sitting beside a child and helping reading, writing, spelling, or math finally begin to make sense. It has sprouted into supporting families as they navigate SPED advocacy and with homeschool and educational consultations and assessments. Being able to learn in the fresh country air on the farm is a DREAM come true! But the truth is, I didn't build this dream alone. My family has supported every wild idea, every new program, every animal, every project, and pretty much every “What if we…?” that has come out of my mouth. They have volunteered, hauled things, cleaned things, moved things, cared for animals, helped with classes, listened to endless ideas, and cheered me on every step of the way. Thank you Nick, Ava, Ryker, nonni and nano! I've never had to look for support-because I'm LUCKY to have the family I do-thank you mom, I LOVE YOU! And my husband…there really aren't words. When I say he has literally built my dreams, I mean it. So many things that started as an idea in my head became real because he picked up the tools and figured out how to make them happen. He has built, fixed, moved, repaired, created, problem-solved, and supported this dream over and over again. My Learning Farm simply wouldn't be what it is without him standing beside me and believing that even my craziest ideas are worth building. Thank you Nick!❤️ Thank you, Baber, for building my dreams! To my friends-THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! Then there are my friends—Kim, Jen, Erika, Sabina-too many to count-I am LUCKY. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for volunteering, helping, encouraging me, sharing your talents, and being part of this little community. Thank you for loving this place right alongside me. There is something incredibly special about having people in your life who don't just say they support your dreams—they roll up their sleeves and become part of them. Thank you for sharing your passion, skill, job and love for agriculture with my students! I am also so grateful for every one of our Farm Class guest speakers who has taken time out of a busy day to come to My Learning Farm and share something they love with our students. You have brought your expertise, your passions, your stories, your careers, and even your animals to the farm because you wanted our kids to experience and learn something special. Those are the experiences children remember, and I don't take a single one of them for granted. The BEST way to learn is in a space where you feel love, joy, beauty and nature! To my families—past and present—thank you for trusting me with your children. That trust means more to me than I can adequately put into words. I know how precious your kids are. I know how much hope, worry, love, advocacy, frustration, and celebration can be wrapped up in a child's learning journey. Being invited to walk even a small part of that journey alongside your family is something I will never stop being grateful for. The JOY I feel when students master new skills-there are no words! And then there are my former students. ❤️ The kids who have grown up, graduated, and moved on to college, careers, businesses, adventures, and lives of their own, but who still send me a text, a picture, an update, or a little “Guess what I'm doing?!” Please never stop. I want to hear all of it. I want to know about the classes you passed, the jobs you landed, the places you've traveled, the animals you've raised, the businesses you've started, the scary things you tried anyway, and the dreams you're chasing. Once you've been one of my kids, a little piece of my heart goes with you. Watching friendships bloom on the farm is magic! Sometimes when you're busy building something, you don't stop long enough to look around and realize what has been built around you. When I look around My Learning Farm, I see so much more than a business. I see a community. I see kids who have found confidence. I see parents who have trusted me. I see animals who have somehow become some of our very best teachers. I see friendships. I see people giving their time simply because they care. I see my family standing behind me. I see years and years of students whose stories I have been lucky enough to be a tiny part of. I am a lucky girl to be surrounded by kids, animals, families, friends and to do work I LOVE! And most of all, I see love. A whole lot of it. This is one very, very loved girl—and I feel that love. ❤️ And maybe that's why I'm so excited about what comes next for this little business built from love. My Learning Farm will keep doing the things that have become such an important part of who we are—individualized academic instruction, Farm Classes, READS!, summer learning, and opportunities for kids to learn in ways that feel meaningful, joyful, and connected to the real world. But there are some new things beginning to grow, too. 🌱 New Group classes forming for 27-28 school year! Next year, I am planning small-group math class: Multiply & Divide (8 students 3-6th grades) as well as career exploration group class: Growing Futures (10 students 5-12 grades) designed to help kids discover their strengths, interests, possibilities, and the many different paths their futures might take. Interest Lists forming: https://www.mylearningfarm.com/calendar I am so GRATEFUL to do the "work" I do! Just like everything at My Learning Farm, I want these groups to stay small and intentional. I don't have dreams of filling giant classrooms. I want to know the kids sitting around the table. I want them to feel seen. I want there to be room for questions, conversation, encouragement, laughter, and individualized support. That means space will always be quite limited—and I'm okay with that. That's part of what makes My Learning Farm, My Learning Farm. Interest lists are beginning to form now for upcoming classes and programs. Families who think one of these opportunities might be a good fit can explore what's growing next and join an interest list through the My Learning Farm calendar. THANK YOU Thank you for believing in me, for believing in My Learning Farm, and for helping me create a life where I get to spend my days doing what I love most: loving kids, supporting families, helping children learn, caring for animals, and watching all kinds of things grow. I don't know exactly where this little farm will take us next, but goodness, I am grateful for every single person who has helped us grow along the way. From the very bottom of my heart, thank you. 🌻❤️ Happy Learning, Sara

"I told my child five times it was time to start math." "Moving from reading to writing ends in tears." "Getting out the door feels harder than the schoolwork itself." If you've ever found yourself saying these things, you're not alone. Many parents assume their child is being stubborn, distracted, or unmotivated. But often, the real challenge is something called executive functioning. What Is Executive Functioning? Think of executive functioning as your brain's "air traffic control system." These are the mental skills that help us: 🧠 Plan ahead 📋 Organize materials and ideas ⏰ Manage time 🎯 Stay focused 💭 Remember directions 🚦Control impulses 🔄 Transition from one activity to another ✅ Finish what we've started These skills continue developing throughout childhood, adolescence, and even into early adulthood. For some children—especially those with ADHD, dyslexia, autism, anxiety, or other learning differences—executive functioning skills may develop more slowly or require extra support. Why Are Transitions So Difficult? Imagine you're completely absorbed in building with LEGO®, drawing a picture, or reading a favorite book.Suddenly someone says, "Okay! Put everything away. It's time for math!" For some children, that change happens smoothly. For others, their brain has to stop one task, remember the next task, gather materials, shift attention, regulate emotions, and begin something entirely different. That's a lot of work. It's no wonder transitions can feel overwhelming. The good news is that executive functioning skills can be taught, practiced, and strengthened over time. Practical Ways to Make Transitions Easier One of my favorite strategies is to start with the end in mind. Before beginning a lesson, show your child exactly what success looks like. Instead of saying, "We're doing math," try saying: "Today we're going to complete five problems, play one math game, and review our multiplication facts. When we're finished, we'll head outside for a snack." Knowing what's expected helps reduce uncertainty and gives children a clear destination. Break Big Tasks into Small Steps Large assignments can feel overwhelming. Instead, break them into manageable pieces. For example: ☐ Read one page. ☐ Answer three questions. ☐ Write one paragraph. ☐ Put your folder away. Each completed step gives your child a sense of accomplishment and makes the task feel more manageable. Celebrate Every Step Forward We often celebrate the finished product But children also need encouragement for the journey. Praise the transition. Celebrate the effort. Notice the progress. "I love how you came to the table the first time I asked." "You finished the first problem! Great job getting started." "You remembered to put your folder away without a reminder." Those small victories build confidence and motivation. Make Success Visible Many children benefit from seeing their progress. A simple checklist, dry-erase board, sticky notes, or visual schedule allows them to check off each completed task. Every checkmark tells their brain: "I'm making progress." And progress builds momentum. Progress Over Perfection Executive functioning isn't about being perfectly organized or never forgetting something. It's about helping children develop the skills they need to plan, adapt, solve problems, and become increasingly independent over time. These skills grow with patience, practice, and support. How My Learning Farm Can Help At My Learning Farm, executive functioning strategies are woven into everything we do. Whether we're working on reading, writing, spelling, math, or homeschooling, I help students learn how to approach a task—not just complete it. Together we create routines, visual supports, checklists, and step-by-step systems that help learning feel more manageable and less overwhelming. I also offer Homeschool Consultations for parents looking to build realistic daily routines, choose appropriate curriculum, and develop practical strategies that support both academics and executive functioning at home. Together we can work through stragetiges, determine when transitions are the hardest and plan to implement supports to ease transitions. Schedule a homeschool consultation here: https://calendar.app.google/VDqsD4vB5cMcyo4NA 🌻 Sometimes the biggest obstacle isn't the lesson itself—it's knowing how to get started. With the right supports, children can learn to navigate transitions with greater confidence, independence, and success, one small step at a time.

Where stories come alive, imaginations grow, and reluctant readers discover the joy of books. If your child has ever said, "I hate reading," my heart understands. As both an educator and a mom of children with learning differences, I know that those words rarely mean a child truly hates stories. More often, they mean reading has been frustrating, difficult, or overwhelming. That's exactly why I created My Learning Farm READS! This isn't a traditional literature class. It isn't another worksheet packet or a program that asks struggling readers to push through a novel on their own. Instead, it's a place where children can simply fall in love with stories. 🌿 A Literature Experience Unlike Any Other Each week, students gather in the cozy greenhouse classroom at My Learning Farm while Ms. Sara does all of the reading aloud. That means children can relax, listen, laugh, wonder, ask questions, and truly experience the magic of a great book—without the pressure of decoding every word. Together, we'll journey through the beloved classic My Side of the Mountain, the unforgettable story of Sam Gribley, a boy who leaves city life behind to live in the wilderness. Along the way, students will explore themes of independence, courage, resilience, nature, and problem-solving while building vocabulary, comprehension, and confidence. 🌻 More Than a Book Study Every chapter becomes an adventure. Students will enjoy: 📖 Rich read-alouds by Ms. Sara ✍️ Guided written expression activities that meet students where they are 🌱 Vocabulary instruction that builds language naturally 🎨 Creative projects and crafts 🦅 Guest speakers connected to the themes of the novel 🌿 Hands-on outdoor activities 🎲 Games that reinforce learning 🐦 Nature exploration inspired by the story Every activity is intentionally designed to make reading meaningful, memorable, and fun. ❤️ Perfect for So Many Learners READS! is especially wonderful for children who: Are reluctant readers Say they "hate" reading Are emerging readers Struggle with written expression Have dyslexia or other language-based learning differences Learn best through discussion, movement, creativity, and hands-on experiences Simply love stories and nature My greatest hope is that children leave class saying: "I can't wait to find out what happens next!" Because when children discover the joy of stories, they begin to see reading differently. 🌼 Developed by a Mama's Heart READS! was born from my own family's journey. I wanted to create the class I wished had existed for my own children—a place where literature wasn't another struggle but an invitation to wonder, imagine, create, and connect. Every lesson has been thoughtfully designed to nurture confidence while helping children build vocabulary, language, writing, and critical thinking skills in a joyful, low-pressure environment. There truly is nothing else quite like it. 📚 Spring READS! 2027 📅 January–March 2027 🕙 Tuesdays | 10:00 AM–12:00 PM 📍 My Learning Farm Greenhouse Classroom Tuition: $600 per student ✅ 12-week program ✅ All books and student materials included ✅ Charter funds accepted ✅ Venmo accepted: @Sara-mattia 🌻 Only a Couple of Spots Remain! To keep READS! personal, engaging, and interactive, class size is intentionally limited. Only a couple of spaces are still available for Spring 2027. Once those spots are filled, registration will close. If you've been hoping to help your child discover that reading can be joyful, meaningful, and full of adventure, I'd love to welcome your family to READS! 🌼 Reserve Your Child's Spot Today 📝 Register Here:https://forms.gle/EnWcwo1nzRHmXF4eA 📚 Learn More About My Learning Farm READS! and Other Programs:https://www.mylearningfarm.com/mylearningfarmreads "At My Learning Farm, we're not just reading books—we're growing curious minds, confident writers, and children who discover that stories can change their world."

If your child has ever struggled to memorize words like said, does, was, have, or because, there may be a better way than simply handing them another stack of flashcards. At My Learning Farm, I teach students to understand how and why words work. The High Frequency Word Projectis one of the resources I use to bring deeper word investigation into reading and spelling instruction. 🌻 What Are High-Frequency Words? High-frequency words are simply words that appear very frequently in written English. In fact, the 100 most frequently occurring words account for approximately half of the words students encounter in text. High-frequency words and sight words aren't quite the same thing. A high-frequency word appears frequently in print, while a sight word is any word a reader recognizes automatically without needing to consciously decode it. Our goal is to help students build a large, automatic sight vocabulary—but that doesn't mean children need to memorize words as unexplained strings of letters. 🔎 There Is Usually a Reason! One of my favorite things to tell students at My Learning Farm is: English isn't as random as it sometimes looks! The High Frequency Word Project encourages students and teachers to investigate words through their sounds, spelling, meaning, structure, grammar, and history. Instead of telling a student, “This is a tricky word. Just memorize it,” we can ask: 🌱 What sounds do you hear? 🔤 How are those sounds represented? 🔎 Are there meaningful parts inside the word? 🌳 Is it related to other words?📖 Can the word's history help explain its spelling? Suddenly, spelling becomes an investigation rather than a memory test. 🧠 Anchor. Analyze. Practice. The High Frequency Word Project uses a wonderful framework: Anchor, Analyze, Practice. ⚓ Anchor: We make sure the student understands the word, its meaning, and how it is used. 🔎 Analyze: We investigate its sounds, spelling, structure, related words, and—when helpful—its history. ✏️ Practice: Students read, write, spell, and use the word repeatedly so that it can become increasingly automatic. This approach fits beautifully with the structured literacy and word inquiry instruction we use at My Learning Farm. 🐴 What This Looks Like at My Learning Farm At My Learning Farm, I don't simply hand every child the same list and ask them to memorize it. We look at the student in front of us. Which words can they already read automatically? Which can they spell? Where are the gaps? What phonics patterns do they understand? What word connections haven't they discovered yet? Then we investigate, explicitly teach, read, write, practice, play—and build those connections together. This can be especially helpful for students who have spent years trying to memorize “sight words,” only to forget them again and again. Sometimes a child doesn't need to try harder to memorize a word. They need someone to teach them why the word works. 💚 Growing Word Detectives at My Learning Farm My goal isn't simply for students to memorize more words. I want them to become curious word detectives who understand that words have sounds, structure, meaning, relationships, and history. The High Frequency Word Project is another evidence-informed resource I am excited to incorporate into individualized reading, writing, and spelling instruction at My Learning Farm in Penryn, California. Because when we help children understand the why behind words, we aren't just helping them learn today's spelling list. We're growing stronger, more confident readers and writers. 🌱 Learn more about The High Frequency Word Project:https://www.thehfwproject.com Learn more about literacy support and programs at My Learning Farm:https://www.mylearningfarm.com

If you have ever sat in an IEP meeting listening to conversations about assessments, eligibility, goals, services, accommodations, and acronyms while quietly thinking, “I don’t even know what I’m supposed to ask,” I understand. I have been that parent. Long before I began helping other families navigate special education, I was navigating it for my own children. I remember the worry, the stacks of paperwork, and the feeling that everyone else at the table seemed to understand a language I was still learning. Get The California Parent's Guide to Special Education That experience is one of the reasons I do the work I do today at My Learning Farm—and why I created The California Parent’s Guide to Special Education. You Don’t Have to Become a Special Education Expert One of the things I tell parents again and again is that you do not need to walk into a meeting knowing every law or acronym. But you do need to understand enough to ask questions. What does that score mean? How does that show up in the classroom? What data supports this decision? How will we know if this goal is working? How many service minutes will my child actually receive? Is that an accommodation or a modification? Where is what we just discussed written in the IEP? Those questions matter. And so does something much simpler: document, document, document. Save the email. Write down the phone call. Keep the progress report. Hold onto representative work samples. Follow up important conversations in writing. Over time, those individual pieces begin to tell the story of your child’s education. A Guide for the Whole Journey I wanted this resource to help families from the very first feeling of “Something isn’t right” all the way through transition to adulthood. The finished guide is 200 pages of parent-friendly explanations and practical tools covering evaluation requests, assessment reports and scores, eligibility, IEPs, goals and services, accommodations versus modifications, progress monitoring, 504 Plans, behavior and discipline, FBA/BIPs, parent rights, dispute-resolution options, transition planning, age 18, graduation, college, trade school, testing accommodations, and employment. But I didn’t want to create a 200-page book that parents simply read and put on a shelf. I wanted to create something families could use. That is why the guide also includes printable worksheets, checklists, trackers, email templates, meeting-preparation pages, behavior logs, transition tools, parent-rights references, and binder organization pages. Print the pages you need. Write all over them. Bring them to your meeting. Put them in your child’s advocacy binder. Come back to them next year when your child’s needs have changed. Your Child Is More Than an IEP or 504 Plan There is something else I hope parents carry with them while using this guide. Your child is more than an eligibility category. More than a diagnosis. More than a reading level. More than a test score. And certainly more than the hardest day they have ever had at school. I often think about accommodations like scaffolding on a construction site. We put support around a child where it is needed so important learning can happen. As skills develop, some scaffolding may come down. Other supports may remain because they continue to provide meaningful access. The goal isn't to make school “easy.” The goal is to help children access learning, build skills, experience success, develop confidence, and increasingly understand themselves as learners. Eventually, we want our children to be able to say: This is how I learn best. This is what helps me. This is what I find difficult. This is how I ask for support. That is advocacy growing into self-advocacy. From One Parent to Another I love educators. I also know that schools operate within real systems of staffing, scheduling, resources, and competing demands. A parent's job isn't to assume bad intent. But it also isn't to assume that everything a child needs will automatically happen without attention, questions, documentation, and participation. There is a place in the middle. Learn. Ask. Listen. Document. Participate. Follow the data. And keep your child at the center. This is a marathon, not a sprint. You don't need to know everything today. You just need to know your next step. And if you're somewhere in the middle of this journey right now, I hope this guide helps you feel a little more prepared—and a lot less alone. The California Parent’s Guide to Special Education The complete 200-page guide + printable parent advocacy toolkit is now available in the My Learning Farm Teachers Pay Teachers store and on our website. Find The California Parent's Guide to Special Education Happy learning to navigate special education and advocate for your child.