Alessa Giampaolo Keener, M.Ed.

About Alessa

Alessa homeschooled her two children from Kindergarten into college. Throughout her years of homeschooling, she embraced a child-led learning approach, with an emphasis on social-emotional development and community-based learning. With a Masters in Education from Johns Hopkins University; a Bachelors degree in Psychology from Lehigh University, and a Certificate in Special Education Advocacy from the William & Mary Law School, Alessa is uniquely qualified and trained to provide educational testing, curricular support, and general consultations to families.

Unschool Phonics
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Unschool Phonics

By Alessa|2023-09-05T09:59:18-04:00September 28th, 2019|Categories: Reading|Tags: phonics, unschooling|

Phonics, the 2nd stage of the reading process (after phonological processing), teaches children the link between letters and the sounds they make. Phonics instruction provides children with skills for blending individual sounds into words. With consistent practice, children eventually Read more...

What Order Do I Teach Phonics?
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What Order Do I Teach Phonics?

By Alessa|2023-09-05T09:35:43-04:00September 28th, 2019|Categories: Reading|Tags: phonics|

Phonics is the 2nd step in the reading process. After children have developed Phonological Awareness, they are ready to connect that oral language skill to the written symbols - our alphabet - that make up words. Look at any Read more...

What Are Phonemes
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What Are Phonemes

By Alessa|2023-09-05T09:57:22-04:00September 27th, 2019|Categories: Reading|Tags: phonemes, phonological processing|

Phonemes Phonemes are the smallest unit of sound that make up our language. Learning about phonemes (individual sounds) is a critical part of developing phonological awareness (learning how sounds work together to make words).While we have Read more...

What is Phonological Awareness
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What is Phonological Awareness

By Alessa|2023-09-05T08:20:12-04:00September 27th, 2019|Categories: Reading|Tags: phonemes, phonics, phonological processing|

Phonological Awareness Phonological Awareness includes a broad set of skills that identify and manipulate sounds in oral language. Because no print or text is involved, you can think of phonological awareness as pre-reading skills. Teaching Read more...

IEP Process
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IEP Process

By Alessa|2020-04-15T14:58:53-04:00August 19th, 2019|Categories: Special Education|Tags: IDEA, IEP|

Accessing IEPs as a Homeschooler If a homeschool parent suspects their child may have a learning disability, they can request a free evaluation through their local public school. Governed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), all Read more...

Signup Early College Checklist

By Alessa|2023-12-03T11:39:08-05:00December 2nd, 2000|Categories: Starting|

Thank you for signing up for the Hand In Hand Homeschool newsletter. Download your free Early College Readiness Checklist: Download Now Read More About Early College: Early College and On-Campus Living Read more...