Why You Want Rochelle for Your Event

  • In her role at HSLDA, Rochelle works closely with homeschooling families. Her specialties are in guiding families through the high school years and supporting families who have children with special needs.
  • For the last 10 years, Rochelle has served as a program director, community instructor, and educational consultant to the local homeschool community.
  • She’s a seasoned teacher/tutor with over a decade of experience working with K-12 homeschool students in one-on-one and group settings. She also has experience working with students at the university level.
  • Rochelle and her husband currently homeschool their six children, ranging from kindergarten through high school.

Travels from

Washington, D.C.

Honorarium

HSLDA consultants are happy to offer their speaking services and expertise in support of the homeschooling community. In return for speaking at your event, we request that hosts cover all travel and related expenses and, if applicable, provide a complimentary exhibit booth/table for HSLDA. Honorariums are greatly appreciated but not required.

Sessions

Teaching Struggling Learners at Home: Nuts and Bolts for Success (Part 1)

This workshop offers practical resources, lists of materials, and curricula to equip you as you homeschool a struggling learner. Rochelle presents ideas for designing a unique home instruction program tailored to your child’s specific challenges.

Teaching Struggling Learners at Home: Nuts and Bolts for Success (Part 2)

In this second half of “Nuts and Bolts for Success,” Rochelle addresses homeschooling and working, teaching multiple ages, scheduling the day, and practical teaching strategies you can use regardless of your curriculum program. Rochelle also explains multi-sensory teaching methods, direct instruction, and modeled teaching.

Teaching Struggling Learners at Home: Nuts and Bolts for Success (Condensed Version) 

This workshop offers practical resources, lists of materials, and curricula ideas to equip you as you homeschool a struggling learner. Rochelle presents ideas for designing a unique home instruction program tailored to your child’s specific challenges. She also addresses homeschooling while working, teaching multiple ages, scheduling the day, and practical teaching strategies you can use regardless of your curriculum program. Finally, Rochelle explains multi-sensory teaching methods, direct instruction, and modeled teaching.

Accommodations: What Every Homeschooling Parent Needs to Know 

This workshop addresses a crucial but frequently misunderstood topic related to special needs homeschooling. In this content-rich workshop, Rochelle explains the difference between accommodations and modifications, describes 504 Plans, and answers homeschooling parents’ most frequently asked questions regarding the best ways to support learners who benefit from accommodations. 

You Can Homeschool Your Neurodivergent Learner—and We Can Help!

Unpack the frequently asked questions of how to homeschool struggling learners and those who learn differently. Be encouraged and equipped as Rochelle shares diagnostic checklists for struggling learners, discusses common roadblocks homeschooling parents face (and how to navigate them), and gives strategies for achieving success with your children who learn differently.

Developing and Drafting an SEP (Student Education Plan)

Have you pulled your child out of public school where he or she used to have an IEP (Individual Education Plan)? In this workshop, you’ll learn the purposes and benefits of an SEP, the homeschool version of an IEP. You’ll receive guidance on drafting your own SEP, explore sample plans, obtain your own template, and leave with a resource list of books to set you and your student up for success.

Understanding the Twice Exceptional Learner—Boundless Gifts

This session offers a discussion of learners who experience some form of disability or learning challenge alongside an exceptional gift. You’ll come away with a broader understanding of how different exceptionalities can manifest themselves within learning styles and preview resources that match your child’s unique learning profile. Ultimately, this workshop will enable you to spend less time searching for resources and more time nurturing your child’s gifts.

You Can Homeschool Your Child with Autism! Building Successful Programs at Home

This session focuses on using evidence-based instruction methods to address the core issues of autism spectrum disorders: communication and social skills. Dr. Rochelle Matthews-Somerville integrates developmental perspectives and strategies to provide practical, functional intervention approaches that you can easily implement within your daily homeschool routine.

Motivating the Reluctant Learner 

Could you use some encouragement and strategies to help reignite your student’s love of learning? If so, this session is for you! There are many factors that impact a child’s motivation level—stress, executive function, nutritional needs, media usage, and more. With a little bit of theory and a whole lot of practical application, Rochelle equips parents with the tools they need to tap into their child’s God-given gift of curiosity.

Tricky High School Issues: Homeschooling Teens with Special Needs

This workshop addresses some of the challenges associated with teaching struggling or atypical learners at home in the high school years. Do you have questions such as “How do I award my teen with special needs a diploma?” or “What do I do when my teen with dyslexia can’t read high school-level material?” Rochelle discusses alternative coursework, specialized curricula and learning materials, assistive technology, transcript options, possible graduation guidelines, high school programs for special learners, and post-high school options. She also offers tips for navigating the process of applying for testing accommodations for College Board tests.