Taking the BIG Out of It

Taking the BIG Out of It

In this Vital Mercy series, Dr. Brenda Murphy shares letters to help calm the fears, answer the questions and steer parents on a path to successful teaching and learning with struggling learners at home. I cried at the end of Facing the Giants. I’m not ashamed to...

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Special Needs Child vs Struggling Learner

Special Needs Child vs Struggling Learner

In this Vital Mercy series, Dr. Brenda Murphy shares letters to help calm the fears, answer the questions and steer parents on a path to successful teaching and learning with struggling learners at home. Every parent worries. Does my child have special needs? A rather...

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Schedules, Calendars, and Coffee. Oh My!

Schedules, Calendars, and Coffee. Oh My!

In this Vital Mercy series, Dr. Brenda Murphy shares letters to help calm the fears, answer the questions and steer parents on a path to successful teaching and learning with struggling learners at home. Get yourself a cup of coffee and let’s talk. Fact: Homeschooling...

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A Powerful Learning Tool Called Hope

A Powerful Learning Tool Called Hope

In this final letter of the Vital Mercy series, Dr. Brenda Murphy shares letters to help calm the fears, answer the questions and steer parents on a path to successful teaching and learning with struggling learners at home. It’s taken me a long time to write this...

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Counting the Costs

Counting the Costs

In this Vital Mercy series, Dr. Brenda Murphy shares letters to help calm the fears, answer the questions and steer parents on a path to successful teaching and learning with struggling learners at home. A parent recently sent me an update on her children. The family...

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Apples

Apples

In this Vital Mercy series, Dr. Brenda Murphy shares letters to help calm the fears, answer the questions and steer parents on a path to successful teaching and learning with struggling learners at home.      “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” certainly...

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Snapshots of Struggling Learners

Snapshots of Struggling Learners

In this Vital Mercy series, Dr. Brenda Murphy shares letters to help calm the fears, answer the questions and steer parents on a path to successful teaching and learning with struggling learners at home. It’s Monday, the beginning of another typical home-school week....

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Welcome! It’s Going To Be Okay

Welcome! It’s Going To Be Okay

In this Vital Mercy series, Dr. Brenda Murphy shares letters to help calm the fears, answer the questions and steer parents on a path to successful teaching and learning with struggling learners at home. Welcome! It’s going to be okay….It started getting better the...

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Four Alternatives to Traditional School For Your Child

Four Alternatives to Traditional School For Your Child

    Four Alternatives to Traditional School For Your Child With the recent upheaval from the pandemic, many parents are still wondering what the best environment is for their child’s education. Are their children safe in a public school environment or should...

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Spotlight on Success

Spotlight on Success

A “special needs child” is defined by their different, non-typical educational and behavioral needs. A “child with a special need” is a unique, precious, perfect creation of God.

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What if it’s not ADHD?

What if it’s not ADHD?

Marty walks around the classroom, daydreams instead of listens, and turns in half-finished assignments if he turns them in at all. He gets off the school bus, runs to the house, through the door, up the stairs, to his bedroom and immediately whips out the video games....

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What is ADHD anyway?

What is ADHD anyway?

According to the American Psychiatric Association, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. A study conducted by the Center for Disease Control between 2012 and 2014 found that over 10% of American children ages 5 – 17 have...

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Is it Dyslexia or Something Else?

Is it Dyslexia or Something Else?

Is it Dyslexia or Something Else? Jeremy is in 8th grade and hates reading. He is the slowest reader in his class and is embarrassed to read out loud. He always has to read and re-read chapters in his textbooks to make sense of the information and to retain it -...

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Microschools: A Contemporary Twist on Education

Microschools: A Contemporary Twist on Education

What are microschools?   Microschools are the contemporary cousin of the one-room schoolhouse -  a true alternative learning experience. Microschools come in all sizes--with as few as 5 students up to 150. There’s never more than 15 in a class, an inviting...

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Why Can’t My Child Follow Directions?

Why Can’t My Child Follow Directions?

Jennifer’s teacher is concerned with her performance in school. She seems to be in her own little world during class. When called on, she responds by asking for the question to be repeated or saying she can’t remember the answer, even though the answer was just given...

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What to Do When My Child is Not “Getting” Math?

What to Do When My Child is Not “Getting” Math?

Cooper gets very frustrated while doing his math homework. He has to do every problem more than once and still gets most of them wrong. He begins to call himself “stupid” and his distress brings him to tears. Cooper tries so hard but he doesn’t seem to be making...

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