Curriculum or learning suggestions for ADHD student?

[Aurelia]

I need help. I'm 99% sure DD11 has ADHD, and although she's really smart, possibly gifted, she has issues focusing and memorizing things (like she still doesn't have all of her times tables memorized, though she's gotten faster at calculating the answers, and of the 15 poems she had "memorized" last year, she remembers one). She can focus and remember very well when it's a topic she's interested in, but if it's not, I may as well be trying to talk to her in Greek, backwards. I was literally in tears earlier, trying to get her to tell me the definition of a sentence. It's not that she hasn't been exposed to it, she's been through FLL4, plus some other programs, but I had to go over it with her 8 times before she could say it back to me, and this is only lesson 7 in her grammar book. The thought of 119 lessons of this (but with even more complex stuff) makes me weep. This doesn't include all the time we're going over things and she goes off on a tangent talking about her friend's new bike, or how the swallows flutter like ribbons through the sky, as she stares out the window instead of doing her math. She loves being able to move and talk, play games and read. Things with a video and/or hands-on component are helpful. Songs and humor help too, especially since as soon as she becomes a little frustrated, her brain switches off. She also really loves working with others; although she CAN work alone, she prefers not to. 

 

I hate feeling so frustrated and scared. I'm frustrated because I know she should know this. She knows she should know it. She just...doesn't. I'm afraid people are going to think she's stupid. She can talk coherently and at length about things she really likes, but if it's something she doesn't, she gets this nearly "nobody is home" look and says "I don't know."  She asks if she can read more books for schoolwork, but nearly every time I ask her something about her reading (What did you read about? or What was your favorite part?, etc), I get "I don't know" or "I don't remember." 

 

I've thought about paring everything down to just grammar, writing and math, but I know that was suck ALL the fun out of her schoolwork. I don't want school stuff to be drudgery. (I could just send her to the local PS for that. LOL.) I don't want her answer to "What is your favorite part of school?" to be "When it's over." I want it to be enjoyable at least some of the time. But I NEED her to learn certain things, like how to express herself clearly, how to do math, how to spell. 

 

I need some ideas for teaching or curriculum that can help. I give DD things to fidget with, and gum, and let her stretch on the floor. Currently, I'm trying to tailor history and science to things she is interested in, and some subjects are done cyclically, like focusing on music theory and ear training for a couple of months, then art for a couple, and so on. It just doesn't seem to be working. What can I do to help her learn? And I know there's no magic curriculum that will teach her everything she needs to know with perfect retention, is there something that can work better than what we're currently using? (For reference, this is the current list: Galore Park SYRWTL Maths 1, R&S English 5, Phonetic Zoo, English from the Roots Up, Ellen McHenry's The Brain, Mapping the World with Art, Art with a Purpose, home-designed Texas history.)

 

 

 

X-posted on the Learning Challenges board

[OneStepAtATime]

I responded on the LC board but for the sake of anyone else who may read this I highly recommend getting an evaluation through a neuropsychologist to determine the specific issues and strengths your child is actually dealing with.

 

Hugs. I know this is challenging. Getting solid answers can get you both on a more productive path.

[Sandragood1]

I live with an ADHD family. I have homeschooled 2. First, repetition and constancy. If a subject is worth learning then do it every day, Monday through Friday. You mentioned doing some subjects cyclically but unless they are favorites retention is likely very low.

 

Secondly, look for co-ops or other group learning experiences. If working with others helps her learn then go for it. However make sure she works on those subjects at home every weekday that she doesn't have class.

 

Third, use an online flash card program for memorization. Quizlet includes games to help with learning and retention. Anki (Enki?) is another one.

 

I never have found a grammar/writing program that really drew my kids in and helped them learn. I myself only learned English grammar when I took French. For math we found Teaching Textbooks to be ideal. The immediate correction was key so look for version 2.0.

 

Logistically, it's all about structure. If at all possible, keep the school area (whole house if you can) uncluttered and organized. Use checklists and visual planners. There are books on organizing for ADHD. Teach note taking.

 

I was unsuccessful with the whole organized house thing. I think it would help TONS if I could do it. But 3 ADHD folks is more mess/junk than I can fight on my own. :)

[katilac]

I responded on the LC board but for the sake of anyone else who may read this I highly recommend getting an evaluation through a neuropsychologist to determine the specific issues and strengths your child is actually dealing with.

 

Hugs. I know this is challenging. Getting solid answers can get you both on a more productive path.

 

I agree with getting an evaluation.  It's hard to hit the target if you don't know where it is. 

[HomeAgain]

From what worked with my oldest and many of my friends' kids:

 

1. Movement.  Have her run to start her day and alternate lessons (no longer than 15 minutes at the table) between moving and sitting.  If science is a sit down subject, history has to be full body incorporated.  If writing is sitting, grammar has to be moving. (Writing Tales actually has movement built in. Woot!)  Moving Beyond The Page does lots of projects and different things with their book studies. 

 

2. Visual aids.  I use dice and a timer.  Roll the die, work for that many minutes (or do that many problems) and then get up for that long.  Repeat ad nauseum.  It sounds like it'll take longer, but it often takes 2 hour problem sessions down to 30 minutes.

 

3. Add movement/therapy aids to sitting.  Yoga balls bounce away and are a distraction here, but putting a resistance band on the chair legs to bounce feet against helps.  Smencils, thinking putty or squish balls..whatever doesn't make you go insane or cause her to focus more on the toy than on the work.  As soon as the toy takes first place, take it away and replace with a different, less distracting aid.

 

4. Touch, talk, listen.  Important things - TOUCH to get your child's full attention, TELL her in few words, LISTEN to her repeat it back.

 

5. Routine, routine, routine.  Don't allow for distractions to start off your day: no tv, video games, etc. until the weekend or at least day's end.  Adapt to strengths when organizing - use open containers instead of closed, make things easy to put away.

 

6. Have her make a plan each day.  I used a simple word doc in a sleeve for dry erase markers.  Plan to do, what order, check off when accomplished.  It's a bridge to helping her learn how to be accountable to herself.

[SporkUK]

Lots of good tips here already. I recommend looking at Look We're Learning which is a blog written by an ADHD mother about her and her ADHD kids home as it has a lot of tips and ideas that might be useful for you and child. Her brain breaks have been very useful here. 

[Aurelia]

We actually do a lot of the suggestions, routine (though it's been disrupted the last couple of weeks due to family issues), movement, fidgets, etc. I may try the foreign language suggestion for grammar, since she's been asking to learn French, but I've been hesitant to do it, because teaching Latin was like beating my head against a wall every day, and she lost interest in learning Spanish after a couple of months (and much expense).

 

I don't rotate things like math or writing, it's content subjects like art, science or geography, so she shouldn't be losing ground in foundational skills. I started alternating things so we wouldn't have to try to get through as many subjects in a day or week, and could dig into the subject in a more focused way. They are subjects she likes to do, and really doesn't have an issue retaining them, it's things like what a verb is, or the number of sides in a triangle. 

 

Would something like workboxes help? I would LOVE to have an uncluttered house (and if it was just me and DD, it would be), but it's impossible because my mom, who lives with us, is a pack rat, and DH doesn't notice it until it's overwhelming. I do try to keep the school room relatively clutter free, though, especially DD's work area, which helps. 

 

I don't know that all of her issues are ADHD related, I think part of it is puberty, since her 11 and 12 year old friends seem to be experiencing some pretty significant brain drain, too. It's just so. darn. frustrating.  :banghead:  And I don't want to fail her. 

[smudge]

Get an eval, meds finally saved our relationship. DD was diagnosed distracted ADHD. She still struggles but taking her pill in the am has made NIGHT AND DAY difference for us. Best wishes to you!

[Targhee]

I agree getting an evaluation is very helpful. What if it's not ADHD, and it's CAPD, SPD, dyslexia, ASD, or another learning/processing issue that would be better served by different therapies and strategies?

 

I have three with ADHD. I want to emphasize that ADHD is only one component of an individual's entire learning/processing/expressing mosaic. It flavor slots of other things, but does not dictate so take all advice knowing that.

 

If we are dealing with ADHD I think a top priority is routine and structure. But, here's the catch, you can't just do the same thing every day because ADHD kids bore easily (ie their minds begin to wander if the scenario is too predictable). It's a delicate balance of offering novelty within your routine and within your structure. Here's an example of the balance we found in DS's math. He does math every day after morning basket, and he does 3 pages. That is the routine. But the curriculum (BA) has a great variety of exercises so the novelty factor stays relatively high.

 

Curriculum choices should be made based on learning styles, your circumstances (time, budget, etc), and interests if possible. My 3 ADHD kids all use different primary math and language arts programs (though there's crossover in the supplementary things we do). I usually teach history and science together, but have different output expectations from each.

 

Best Wishes!

[Aurelia]

I agree getting an evaluation is very helpful. What if it's not ADHD, and it's CAPD, SPD, dyslexia, ASD, or another learning/processing issue that would be better served by different therapies and strategies?

 

I have three with ADHD. I want to emphasize that ADHD is only one component of an individual's entire learning/processing/expressing mosaic. It flavor slots of other things, but does not dictate so take all advice knowing that.

 

If we are dealing with ADHD I think a top priority is routine and structure. But, here's the catch, you can't just do the same thing every day because ADHD kids bore easily (ie their minds begin to wander if the scenario is too predictable). It's a delicate balance of offering novelty within your routine and within your structure. Here's an example of the balance we found in DS's math. He does math every day after morning basket, and he does 3 pages. That is the routine. But the curriculum (BA) has a great variety of exercises so the novelty factor stays relatively high.

 

Curriculum choices should be made based on learning styles, your circumstances (time, budget, etc), and interests if possible. My 3 ADHD kids all use different primary math and language arts programs (though there's crossover in the supplementary things we do). I usually teach history and science together, but have different output expectations from each.

 

Best Wishes!

 

Honestly, I don't think there's any other issue, other than being an adolescent. I've considered the eval, but DH won't even discuss it and thinks she's fine. I've got several family members on the spectrum, and it's not that. She's been evaluated for visual issues and dyslexia. It may just be ADD, with a lot of energy. 

 

I have definitely noticed the bolded. It's part of the reason I started cycling content subjects, because DD will get excited to study something and inhale the subject as long as it's a novelty, but after a month or two, gets bored and quits paying attention. I think the math program we're using now is a fairly good fit, because the topics change every couple of weeks and the exercises are varied, but we just started chapter 4 of 20. I used CLE for a couple of levels before that, and she was retaining pretty well, but switched because DD started crying when the math books came out. We had the same experience with MM, only with less retention. I wish we could have stuck with RS, because she really learned best with that, but I had to hand off math teaching to my mom (I work full time) and she could not wrap her head around how to teach it.

 

I really try to take her interests into consideration when planning curriculum, and create one if I can't find anything suitable, but I just don't have the time to do that for every subject. (That, and science can't be zoology every year. She really needs to learn about other branches, too.)

 

This is what I'm thinking of doing for the next couple of months/next semester:

finish SYRWTL Maths 1, then either move into book 2 or an online Pre-Algebra course. (I'm thinking TabletClass, but I'm open to other options if you think there's something better)

Super Grammar (she likes comics and graphic novels), maybe Basher Grammar, and hang the poster in her workspace so she can refer to it.

Finish This Book, then Adventures in Fantasy

Lightning Literature 7 (she's interested in most of the books, but we'll be skipping Tom Sawyer and Helen Keller, at her request)

 

I put together a study of Vikings and a little early Middle Ages for history, at her request, and have McHenry's The Elements for hands-on-ish chemistry. She's also working through Mapping the World with Art and a couple of elementary level Artpacs I found while cleaning out my school supplies.  She likes to watch Crash Course videos, so I'm sure there will be a few of those thrown in as we get time. 

 

She wants to study French (maybe L'art de lire?) but I don't know if attempting it would be a good idea. I'm not sure she'd want to stick with it for the long term.

[FO4UR]

Read Charlotte Mason's books.

 

Instead of asking what curriculum, ask HOW to implement.  15 minute lessons, and move along, alternating between things that require concentration and things that bring delight. Break math up into 15min chunks.  15min of arithmetic, 15min of practical geometry, 15 min with a challenging word problem...spread that out throughout the day if needed.

 

Streamline LA.  Get the most bang for your 15 minute lesson.  Dictation.  Utilize narrations across the curriculum.  

 

Drop boring books.  Find captivating narratives, and vary the way they are read.  

 

 

Purposefully give meaningful work that stretches her ability to pay close attention, take her time, and work thoroughly.  This might be art, hobbies, music, sports, or a combinations of all that and more.  This will eventually carry over...eventually.

[Targhee]

Please take this in all sincerity and kindness. I hope your curriculum choices work out well, but without actually addressing the ADHD it really doesn't matter much what curriculum you choose. If you are convinced it is ADD/ADHD, it's no trivial thing. These kids need help with many life, academic, and social skills beyond what neurotrypical kids need. Even mild ADHD behaviors can be helped significantly by therapies (talk, medicinal, and other) and scaffolding. It has been clinically shown that kids who receive therapies (including medication) and scaffolding for executive functions have better executive functions as adults than those who did not, those who had only scaffolding, or those who began therapies at an older age.

 

I know about a spouse's reluctance for evaluation. My DH was against it and insisted they were fine ("he's just like I was as a kid!"). For us it was because DH didn't want it to mean there was also something "wrong" with him (he wasn't diagnosed). There's nothing wrong of any of them, but they do all have ADHD. DH and I have many discussions now about ADHD in adulthood, and what's different now for kids from 25 years ago when he was able to go undiagnosed/unassissted through adolescence, and how he managed to be successful (and all the supports he had and didn't even realize).

 

There are so many more things in our contemporary life that exacerbate ADHD (on-demand food and entertainment, longer school days and a more sedate and verbal type of learning with increased output ability, over-scheduled "free time" with detached/automated structured time, etc) and so many fewer things that help (lots of large motor play, lots of child-directed decision making and negotiating, natural diet which stabilizes energy levels and provides building blocks of neurotransmitters, etc) that there's a greater need to get these kids help. And if your child is gifted too (mine are 2e) then some ADHD issues may be masked, for now, by the giftedness. The mask won't last forever. Almost universally what I hear from parents of ADHD kids *and* of parents of gifted kids was that they wish they would have had an evaluation sooner so that they could have better helped their kids in their unique needs. Best Wishes!