Rochelle Matthews-Somerville, PhD

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.