I decided to homeschool when I was pregnant with my first child. I was inspired by my nephews, who were homeschooling at the time and thriving. While researching ways to communicate with a baby in the womb, I stumbled upon the work of Glenn Doman, a pioneering physical therapist and researcher who discovered that the human brain, particularly in the earliest years of life, has a far greater capacity to learn than we ever imagined. His books, “How to Teach Your Baby to Read,” “How to Teach Your Baby Math,” and “What To Do About Your Brain-Injured Child” became my companions on the hour-long bus rides to downtown Chicago, where I was working as a fellow in a research lab.

 

By the time my son was born, I had read enough research to know that the traditional classroom model wasn’t designed around how children’s brains actually learn. I had flashcards ready for words and numbers. I had a plan. I was ready.

 

What I didn’t know was that those same tools and that same research would become a lifeline years later.

 

I’m a scientist by training and work as a medical writer in oncology. I’ve spent my career translating complex research into clear, actionable information. When I became a homeschool mom, I applied that same discipline to my children’s education, studying neuroplasticity, brain-based learning, gut health, sleep science, and early childhood development.

 

The results slowly but steadily began to speak for themselves. My older children were reading above grade level by age 5. My 13-year-old taught himself to code, plays three instruments, and regularly borrows books from the adult computer science section of the library. My 10-year-old is fascinated by medical anatomy and does the same. When librarians see them checking out books, they ask if the books are for mom or dad.

 

My youngest was later diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech. I went back to Glenn Doman’s book on brain-injured children and read it again, this time not as a curious expecting mother, but as a mom on a mission. Two years later, his speech therapist noted no clinical signs of apraxia. He continues to hit his milestones, steadily and surely, at his own pace. That is exactly the point of homeschooling.

 

My husband and I are lifetime members of HSLDA and passionate advocates for the homeschooling community.

 

Everything I created at The Learning Haven is built on one belief: your child’s brain is capable of far more than any classroom can offer.

 

Welcome.

 

– Dr. Sheri Abraham