Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Henn.
Jennifer, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Homeschooling intrigued me. I didn’t do well in school and wanted to spare my children of the discouragements I went through. While living in Atlanta in the late 80’s, I met some terrific kids who were homeschooled and decided to look into it. Then, I read books about it and talked with other families who homeschooled. In the end, my desire to spend a lot of time with my kids, and keep them out of the school environment I experienced, helped me make the decision.
Terrified to start, I kept telling myself, “You can teach kindergarten, you can teach first grade.” At first, I took one year at a time thinking it might be my last. Eventually, I needed the stability and commitment of a long-term plan. I also stopped comparing what I was doing with a perfect school. There’s no such thing as a perfect school.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My first struggle came in teaching my oldest child to read. In fact, a question I often get is, “How do you know how to teach a child to read?” Teaching a child to read is multi-faceted and there are many curriculums available to help you. The first year, I used a program many homeschool families use successfully, but it didn’t work for us. Neither did the next or the next. I blamed myself and wondered where I went wrong. I studied the curriculum guidelines and sought the advice of others who had used the same programs. Is it me, or is it the curriculum? After the third reading program, my son still didn’t advance.
One day, while working side-by-side on the couch, I realized he didn’t hear some of the sounds of words. Other problems began to be clear and I knew I needed help. Together, my son and I prayed for help every day. Not long after, I met a licensed educational psychologist at a parenting seminar. He offered to test my son and we set an appointment for the next week. The results found that along with Dyslexia, my son had problems with auditory processing and mild ADD. Getting answers brought relief, our problems with the school weren’t anyone’s fault. However, the relief didn’t last, I soon realized knowing the problem was just the beginning. I needed more help.
We prayed again and I searched for a homeschool support group that could help with learning disabilities. I found a group (it no longer exists) who introduced me to the Wilson Language System — a sequential, multisensory program.
I enjoyed learning the program and did most the tutoring myself. The process was slow, and at times, difficult. We went through months when the learning didn’t seem to come but kept at it until we finished the program. In total, it took about three school years to finish the program and have success. People with dyslexia will never be fast readers or great spellers, but huge improvements are possible and they often excel in many areas.
My advice for parents starting the homeschool journey is to employ steady plodding, which will bring positive results. Have confidence in the time you invest and using the right materials. There’s no fast track or an easy track for most families.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Well-Adjusted Homeschooler – what should we know?
My sweet spot is when I’m helping mothers to homeschool, whether speaking at conferences, support groups, or giving one-on-one coaching. I use a lot of our family’s stories when I speak because I want parents to see the reality of what homeschooling is like on a day to day basis. “You were real,” is the number one comment I get.
I encourage parents to work with a plan. I call myself the well-adjusted homeschooler and encourage families to avoid the extremes of crazy, excessive academics or we’ll get around to it eventually ideas. I’ve fallen into both of these at different times and now help parents to find a balance.
I’m also excited about a ministry I’m starting. When fully developed, the ministry will help homeschoolers abroad whether they’re a missionary or expat. I’m on the mission’s assessment team with First Baptist Church Woodstock and I’ve counseled this year with families who will be leaving for other countries in 2018.
However, the ministry is taking a second place to the finishing of the book I’m writing, Homeschooling Your Child with Dyslexia. Now that my last child has graduated high school, I’ll have more time for writing.
What once felt like a burden, now sets me apart from others. I don’t have degrees, but I have experience and a love for learning. I don’t have a teaching certificate, I have dyslexia. Unlike my son, my learning disabilities were never discovered. I understand the child who is struggling and know what it’s like to fall behind in the classroom. Kids don’t want to fail. I also know what it’s like to be the parent who just wants their kid to “get it”.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
I had a career, homeschooled for 18 years and now have a new set of plans. Many women head back to school after they’ve graduated their children. They get recertified, add to their degree or start their own business. Statistics tell us, women over 50 have a higher incidence of succeeding at owning a business versus someone who is younger. The years we spent to homeschool were not a loss. Homeschooling grew us in adaptability and perseverance. We’re in our 50’s — wiser and stronger than ever. It’s a beautiful thing to plan the next twenty years.
Pricing:
- Consulting is available for 1 hour appointments at $50 an hour.
- Two consulting sessions with email correspondence between sessions, $100
Contact Info:
- Website: www.JenniferHenn.com
- Phone: 470-775-2533
- Email: Jennifer@JenniferHenn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/welladjustedhomeschooler/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Well-Adjusted-Homeschooler
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/WellAdjustedHS
Image Credit:
ReAnn Ring
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