HOMESCHOOLING WITH A PRESCHOOLER WITH DOWN SYNDROME

Leilani Garcia is a former classroom teacher and a current special needs mom to four. In this episode, she chats with hosts DeeDee and Ximena about her life of parenting and homeschooling a preschooler with Down Syndrome. They'll cover juggling multiple kids when one child has a ton of therapy appointments, how to teach critical thinking, dealing with insecurities, and finding supportive community.  Connect with Leilani on Instagram or YouTube. ★★★ LISTENER COUPON CODE Request your coupon code to use on any purchase at bookshark.com. Thanks to show sponsor BookShark. Request a homeschool curriculum catalog or download samples at bookshark.com. TIMESTAMPS 02:01 Help kids learn to use a planner or daily checklist. 03:51 Leilani shares her background and how she came to be a homeschooler. 07:10 How the older siblings are impacted by having a little sister with special needs. 09:56 Trust your curriculum. Don't try to reinvent the wheel. 12:06 Challenges: insecurity, being shunned, being misunderstood, lacking self-confidence. 13:57 Who is an expert? 16:30 How is homeschooling a preschooler with Down Syndrome unique? 23:59 "Do right, not be right." You want to do what's right, not always trying to prove that you're right in the situation. 25:33 The critical thinking gap. Thinking Like a Lawyer: A Framework for Teaching Critical Thinking 27:52 So much therapy! How to handle all the appointments. 31:11 Frontloading the details of the day with your kids. 33:16 How community has been critical in Leilani's homeschool journey. 35:30 Leilani's advice to her younger self: stop! If you'd like to share an aha moment, an inspirational quote, a homeschool hack, a book you're loving, or a suggested podcast topic/guest, leave a comment at bookshark.com/podcast. We'd love to feature your reflection on a future episode.