Help with ADHD middle schooler?

[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.)

[OneStepAtATime]

Hugs. I know this is hard for both of you. You need to get her evaluated. You need answers to her specific areas of strength and areas of weakness. Hopping curriculum won't net much without those answers. Right now you are only guessing. There could be a ton of things going on, all affecting how she is capable of learning and what approaches may work and which won't.

 

If at all possible start with an eval through a neuropsychologist and try to find a good one. You want someone that will give you details, and analysis, not just numbers, and someone that is homeschool friendly since I assume you are homeschooling?

[EKS]

The first thing I would do is ditch any resource that is memorization heavy.  Most things that need to be learned in school can be learned conceptually rather than in a rote manner.  Instead of focusing on having her parrot back an exact definition of a sentence have her write one and then tell you why it is a sentence in her own words.  I get that math facts need to be memorized, but I'd just work on those for 5-10 minutes each day and call it good.  And I wouldn't worry about her forgetting the poetry she memorized--unless things like that are continually reinforced, they get lost.

 

We found that a protein breakfast helped with ADD symptoms.  At age 11, I sat with my son for all of his schoolwork.  Short lessons worked well, as did alternating difficult/undesirable tasks with easier/more desirable ones.  Also, we would progress from doing desk work (math lesson, spelling, grammar, etc) first to hands on stuff like science experiments to "couch work" which consisted of me reading aloud and discussion.  The only work I had my son do independently was a bit of assigned reading that was well within his reading level and that he enjoyed.

[Mom22ns]

I agree with the eval. 

 

Additionally I would encourage you not to take away the reading. Even if she can't answer questions. The problem may be more about answering the questions than it is about knowing what she read. How is her ability to answer questions in general? 

 

Ds loved to read and read extensively with good comprehension, but in order to figure out that he had good comprehension I had to learn to ask questions. Start with very specific questions like, "This is a book about a pig right? What is the pigs name?" What kind of animal does he meet hanging from the rafters?" "What does she write in her web?" "What happens after she rights it?" Note these are all what questions. Why questions are much harder! General questions like, "What was the book about?" will probably get nothing but blank stares - and frankly they deserve them. The question is too big. Once she answers a question, feel free to start a discussion. So, "What animal does he meet hanging from the rafters?" A spider. "Ewe, a spider! I don't like spiders. Did he like her? What made him like her? How was she nice? Etc. Start specific, then try to engage in broader and deeper discussion gradually. You may be surprised at what she actually knows. If she really doesn't retain anything from the book (I wouldn't wait until then end, but discuss daily) then lower the reading level of the books until she gets to something she can read and discuss with lots of help.

 

The other thing I want to tell you is not to panic. It may feel like she is 11 and knows nothing, but memorization is not the key to learning. There is no piece of information that can't be found on google in seconds. Leave memorization behind (except where it will help her such as times tables). Memorized poems are a waste of her time, not because I see no value in poetry, but because a child struggling with memorization should spend what little memorization capacity she has on information that she really needs. 

 

It is totally typical of a kids with ADHD or ASD to lose things they had yesterday. Learning comes and goes and gets repeated - a lot. For years I felt ds would never retain anything. Now he is a well spring of trivial knowledge lol. Seriously though, he is headed off to college in a few weeks and is completely ready. At 11, he couldn't work independently for 5 min - I'm not exaggerating, and anything he mastered yesterday might be totally hopeless today.

 

Get the evaluation. Find out how to work with her, what she can do and what she can't. Find out what you really need to be accommodating instead of trying to push through. It isn't a magic bullet and it won't make things suddenly easy, but it is the most important step right now.

[PeterPan]

Of all the things I've ever bought for homeschooling, R&S was probably one of the WORST and the biggest waste. :lol:  I mean, talk about what a bad fit!  Take a curriculum meant for mind-controlling amish children who will never be allowed to receive higher education and foist it on our gifted, creative, hands-on DOER learns who want to innovate and think and create and breathe and dream and connect...  

 

Have you looked at Writing Tales 2?  It's a LOT better for that age, mercy.

 

Have you ever looked at Muse magazine?  It's adorable, funny, perfect for this age.  She can outline her favorite articles and write summaries if she wants.

 

You have either two conclusions on the grammar problem.  Either she knows the grammar and isn't engaged, meaning you have a materials problem, OR she doesn't know the things despite years of instruction, which means you need hearing and psych evals.  

 

You need psych evals no matter what, because it's time to bust out of this board-loving box you've locked yourself in.  Psychs are all different.  I had a psych (psych #1 for ds) who thought parents shouldn't tutor their SN kids.  What a jerk.  Psych #1 for dd was awesome, this total sin-eater.  I poured out my woes to him, told him the range of options I had (suck it up Buttercup to middle of the road to entirely out of the box) for each subject, and his answer was ALWAYS the more out of the box the better!  That was SO freeing, and I offer it to you.  

 

FREE yourself from this burden you feel of constantly worrying she's not learning and that you're doing something wrong and going to fail.  The only thing you can do wrong here is fail to listen to her.  I tell you the truth.  If you fail to listen to her and constantly shove her in a box, she will shut down, withdraw, plug along but never blossom.  You have to listen and value engagement and ask her what she wants to do.  The more you bend, tossing board recommendations about what you "ought" to do and instead doing what will make her light up, the more she's going to blossom as her unique self.  

 

What is she interested in?  What would she like to do?  Do the things you're worried about MATTER?  

 

Can she type?  That will unlock her writing.  She may be on the cusp of her writing spurt.  I just would not worry about it.  Do creative writing or journaling or things that let her develop her voice and her comfort.  Do typing and give her devices that make her more comfortable getting out her thoughts, whatever it takes.  I would move that UP the priority ladder and writing curricula down.  The writing curricula don't matter, but the comfort DOES.

 

She might enjoy Unjournaling or Listography.  She might like Writing Tales 2, which weaves in some grammar.  But don't belabor it.  I did Shurley with my dd, because 3 sentences a day was ENOUGH, kwim?  5 minutes, that's all you should be spending.  Pick out 2 sentences from the R&S and don't do any more than that.  Seriously.  Less work with more engagement.

 

Make sure that your formal time does not cut off her self-education time or leave her too tired to do her own things.  You may need to cut your formal school day dramatically to make sure she has time and energy to do her own thing.  At that age, math, some time to write, and then some nifty things you do together (rotate through your pile of goals) is enough.  Then just facilitate her interests.  At that age my dd sculpted.  She would spend hours and hours working on her stuff.  Now she sews very complex, detailed, historically researched costumes from scratch.  If I did too much school work, I would squash out her ability to do this, kwim?  We dropped a class last year to give her more time.  It's IMPORTANT that our kids have time and energy to do their things and become who they're going to be.

 

On the math facts, it's a great irony that my dd, who has no SLDs but only ADHD, struggles much more than my ds who has all three SLDs and tons of other problems.  I used Ronit Bird with ds and then drilled with the Fast Facts Math app, having him read the facts aloud to get the multi-sensory input.

 

I agree with Kai's take on the memory work, btw.  After 1st grade, my dd found memory work very fatiguing.  VERY.  And you know if things don't come it's not the end of the world.  I don't know why it's fatiguing and I can't make everything all better, kwim?  

 

If you get detailed neuropsych testing, you might find things you're not expecting.  My dd has very poor word retrieval and a low processing speed.  When you pair those, it just explains a lot of the frustration I had in working with her.  Given the amount of frustration you're having, you would benefit from thorough evals to help you sort out what's going on.  Make sure you ask how many hours of testing they'll do, so you can know what you're comparing as you call around.  A clinical psych will typically do less testing than a neuropsych.  It's all in what you need.  

 

It would be interesting to notice if that blank look is only coming at certain times or if it's more frequent.  Any social quirks or anxiety?

 

 

[PeterPan]

2Ns, your discussion of comprehension was fascinating.  Thanks for sharing! I could see ds being like that. He has issues with wh-words, etc. With dd, her comprehension is linked to whether she was even attending.  I had to give her a target goal, like when we get to the end I want you to be able to answer these three questions or give me a one sentence jist.  And around that age I *think* I used the How to Report on Books series.  Again, they're more EF supports than anything, because they're breaking it down into parts.  For her it was attending, working memory, breaking it down into parts, retrieving the words.  There is a fancier way to teach reading comprehension, but I always forget the acronym.  Something about 4SQR or something.  

 

 

[EKS]

Something else to consider--and I'm saying this as a person who has been astounded by my own experiences with this sort of thing and not in a snarky way at all--try memorizing something yourself, for example a list of vocabulary words that are completely disconnected from anything you know about (or would ever be interested in) and then don't access the memory at all for 6 months.  If you're anything like me, there will be *nothing* there, even if you knew them cold at the time they were memorized.  Even something like a poem, for which there is some context for help, will probably be all or mostly gone.  

 

And I'm not talking about memorizing what your child is memorizing or learning what your child is learning or learning something that is even peripherally of interest to you.  I'm talking about something completely disconnected from your own interests that is very difficult, for whatever reason, for you to learn.

 

I think that as adults we forget what it is really like to learn new things.  I've been reminded on several occasions throughout my 12 years of homeschooling, and each time it's a bit unnerving and certainly a reality check.

 

That said, I agree with the others about getting an evaluation.

[Aurelia]

I'll look into the evaluation, but it will take some convincing to get DH to agree to it. Every time I've mentioned concerns about it, he says "she's fine" and refuses to discuss it any further. I can't afford to just take her on my own and pay out of pocket.

 

She can answer questions, though if it's not interesting, she requires heavy prompting to get to the answer (SOTW4 was SO painful), but she also has trouble making decisions. For example, we usually ask her what her favorite part of a movie was and she'll list 3 things, be unable to narrow it down, and then say that her favorite part was the whole thing. A few minutes later she'll mention something like it was sad the man had to leave his whole family behind for so many years. 

 

I wish I had the time to do everything out of the box, but I work full time and have limited resources. My mom is supposed to be helping with things like science and history and spelling, but all she wants is a checklist with pre-planned stuff to complete, and lately, even that isn't getting done. I've had to take over teaching math again because I just found out they had only done 2 math lessons in 2 weeks. I've been waiting for Adventures in Fantasy to come in, because when I looked over it, it seemed like something DD would really like. She likes to tell stories, they just need to make more sense. 

 

I think what I'm worried about IS important. She needs to be able to do math. She needs to be able to write coherently. She needs to be able to express herself clearly to others, and should be exposed to some kind of science other than zoology. She says she wants to be a singer/musician/songwriter, but then loses interest as soon as any part of it becomes difficult. She says she wants to work with animals, but what she means is she wants to have a zillion pets that someone else pays for, not actually work somewhere that requires her to figure out what's wrong with the animal, or the amount of food 4 adult tigers need, and how much it will cost. (I know, I asked.)

 

I actually LOVE to learn new things, and, oddly enough, remember nearly all the poems DD had to memorize, and occasionally find myself reciting one in my head, out of the blue. I took a couple of Coursera courses recently, because they sounded interesting (one turned out to be deadly boring, but I learned some things anyway). Then again, I'm also 2E (gifted/Aspie), and I know the way my brain works is not like other adults', nor DD's. It's part of what concerns me, because I want her to be challenged and enjoy learning, but I don't want her to be handicapped because she can't pay attention to something that's necessary, but uninteresting. I had enough trouble with that in school. 

[OneStepAtATime]

FWIW, I never successfully memorized my times tables but ended up running the financial end of the family business.  It may have slowed me down a bit in High School but it did not negatively impact my life beyond that.  

 

Now that I am teaching the kids and working with concepts and other ways of approaching learning math facts I find that some of those facts are finally sticking.  Just rote memorizing never helped me, though.

 

Good luck, OP.  You are not alone.  Hugs.

[OneStepAtATime]

Oh, and as for your husband resisting evals, I get that.  Mine did, too.  We should never have waited as long as we did but we waited because my mom and my husband thought evals were a bad idea.  They both agree now that we should have done it much sooner.

 

You might read The Mislabeled Child by Brock and Fernette Eide.  Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner by Kathy Kuhl might also help.   This website might also be of benefit to you and it is run by a woman that used to post on here fairly frequently.  She has written some books that might also be of benefit.

 

http://learningabledkids.com/

[PeterPan]

In this case, she'd get more done if you took her the ps and put her in.  No matter what, you can make a formal written request and get evals.  Given that you know you are on the spectrum and that what she's doing sounds spectrum-ish, it's time.

[Storygirl]

There is a fancier way to teach reading comprehension, but I always forget the acronym.  Something about 4SQR or something.  

 

It's SQRW

Survey

Question

Read

Write

 

If you google it, you will get a more complete description of each step. And don't give me any credit for knowing that. I happen to have DS's NP report open in front of me, and they suggested this strategy for him.

[Mom22ns]

I think what I'm worried about IS important. She needs to be able to do math. She needs to be able to write coherently. She needs to be able to express herself clearly to others, and should be exposed to some kind of science other than zoology. 

 

I didn't mean to trivialize what you are concerned about. I completely agree with your list. I do think you need to pick your battles though. Memorization may be something she is not capable of. period. Unless you get her evaluated, you won't know. 

 

In this case, she'd get more done if you took her the ps and put her in.  No matter what, you can make a formal written request and get evals.  Given that you know you are on the spectrum and that what she's doing sounds spectrum-ish, it's time.

 

I know this is going to sound harsh, and really, I don't want it to. I say this with utmost concern for you and your dd. If you don't have time to meet her needs, she would be better off in school. They will evaluate her. Your request will make it happen sooner, but they would probably end up doing it by the teacher's request anyway. 

 

You need to know what is going on. If things aren't ok, you need an evaluation and you sound pretty sure things aren't ok. She will always require more time to homeschool than a typical kid. She will need a lot of handholding and effort to keep her on task and attentive. 

 

In spite of how much you want her to be able to attend to uninteresting things, odds are that will never happen. That is what ADD is. She probably has the ability to hyper focus on what she is interested in, but cannot focus when she isn't interested. You can build that skill, but the fact is the disability will never go away and it will always be an issue for her. As an aspie, I'm sure you do get that.

 

Best wishes.

 

 

[PeterPan]

It's SQRW

Survey

Question

Read

Write

 

If you google it, you will get a more complete description of each step. And don't give me any credit for knowing that. I happen to have DS's NP report open in front of me, and they suggested this strategy for him.

Yeah, that's it.  The psychs suggest it and BJU teaches it in their reading.  It seems so disgustingly boring to me, I've never made her do it.  That's not one of my prouder moments, since supposedly it would help.  It's mainly non-fiction where it's an issue.

[Mom22ns]

It's SQRW

Survey

Question

Read

Write

 

If you google it, you will get a more complete description of each step. And don't give me any credit for knowing that. I happen to have DS's NP report open in front of me, and they suggested this strategy for him.

 

We learned this using BJU. They teach it repeatedly. I learned something similar when I was in elementary school. I never could use it though and my kids didn't either. :)

[PeterPan]

We learned this using BJU. They teach it repeatedly. I learned something similar when I was in elementary school. I never could use it though and my kids didn't either. :)

LOL  That's hilarious.  I always skipped those pages.  I just could not bring myself to do them.  So now we know, lol.  But if you think about Cornell notes, it's *kind* of the same thing.  I mean, there are more ways to be intentional about reading and engaging.

 

Aurelia, when you say your brain doesn't work the way hers does, are you sure?  I'm just curious what you're seeing there.  I know I've done similar things with my dc, so I was interested to hear what you're seeing with yours.  And another thing, is there any possibility your dh is on the spectrum but of a different subtype?  I don't know, the whole refusing evals thing is just curious to me.  There's usually some underlying reason. Maybe the person identifies and doesn't like the implications.  Etc. etc.  

 

If this is your mom doing the tutoring and homeschool supervising, is she also on the spectrum or is she not?  

 

I just think it seems a little realistic to take what could be a very complicated situation (ADHD, maybe even ASD, gifted, etc. etc.) and expect them to do a list of workbooks merely because someone says to.  I mean it's so not an ideal situation.  In that sense she'd actually be better in school, because it wouldn't tax her, would get the baseline work done, and then she could go home and pursue her real interests.  Lots of people get through mediocre schools doing this.  At least the school work minimum would get done, and then she could be herself after school. And really, these kids respond to structure.

 

Ideally, homeschooling this child would be a lot more interactive, which it doesn't sound like the person supervising is able to provide.  That's why I'm saying I'd either change your approach RADICALLY and eat how radical it might need to become or just send her to school and be done with it.

 

Besides, she's so young, a lot of the fears of her never being able to do this or that are really unjustified.  If she were 16, we could have that discussion.  But 5th grade???  Really and truly, LOTS of special kids look sort of dismal and abysmal at that age and they come out of it.  Truly they do.  But reality is she might not find her passion till college.  Reality is she might decide everything you do sucks until she finds her passion.  Add those two together and that's another potential reality.  Reality is being at home doesn't ensure they love what they're doing, and we're the ones that negativity transfers to when they don't.  That's the sucky reality of special needs homeschooling.  So to me, at some point we decide if something was SO IMPORTANT that it was worth jeapordizing relatinoships over, or if it didn't really matter.  Grammar doesn't matter.  Math every day does.  But even the type of math doesn't matter.  With what you've described, I was going to suggest Family Math.  Work through the elementary and then the middle grades books.  It's something your mom could do with her every day, and it's the hands-on she craves.  Stop the fighting over trying to make her into the image of the boards, kwim?  If you're going to keep her home, you have to loosen that up.

 

My standards?  

 

-some kind of math every day--Anything will do.  Family Math (awesome), Marilyn Burns, a curriculum she likes, Singapore word problems, anything

-some kind of writing every day--Any kind will do.  Journaling, the Don't Forget to Write exercises (awesome), Writing Tales, Wordsmith Apprentice, starting a blog, taking up a hobby that involves writing, anything, in any combination

-typing--Because it opens up the world.  Pay her.  Big time.

-read a lot every day--Because she just should.  With variety.  If all she likes is zoology, then get her all kinds of genres that involve zoology

 

Content stuff like history, science, art, etc. is really personal preference.  There are so many ways to do this.  Does she have a fixation on zoology or were you just joking?  I think you know this, but it's not generally helpful to try to change someone's obsession.  Generally works out better just to roll with it.  I spent some time talking with the man who was telling me about his son.  That son had an obsession for computers growing up, and the family was concerned, thought there was no future in it (because of course lots of people like computers), so they tried to get him off.  They went to GREAT LENGTHS to get him off the obsession.  So the boy did the other thing they tried to get him onto, did it well.  And then what happened?  When that was done, he went RIGHT BACK to his obsession.   :lol:   Now the boy has a fine career in that obsession. Maybe not a swanky executive pay level career, but that's not everyone's lot in life.  The point is he was who he was and he wasn't going to be anyone else.

 

Ok, now I'm going to say something because it just bugged me a bit.  You mentioned something about not liking how her zoology interest plays out, that it seems sort of immature.  I'm sure it is.  Here's the thing that bugged me though.  I'm like that.  Some people just really are sort of theoretical.  Actually doing things wigs me out.  I'm MUCH better at theories.  So, whatever, that's just your free bonus for the day.  I'm saying relax, let her mature, and WHATEVER she is is OK.  Truly, whatever she is will be ok.  She is a gift to the planet and a gift to humanity, and you just need to let her blossom as she is and not fret over who she ISN'T.

 

[Storygirl]

A couple of quick thoughts. We have several things going on in our house, including ADHD.

 

*I agree with considering placement in school (and not lightly -- we are enrolling three of our kids in school in the fall, and it has been a hard decision).

 

*I agree with getting evaluations. Would your husband be willing to read some things? I'd start with asking him to read this thread. Special needs can run in the family, so since you have some genetic indicators, I'd make sure your husband understands that.

 

*I'm not sure anyone has mentioned meds yet, but they have helped DS tremendously. I mean it's night and day. If you are anti-meds, maybe you should think about it anyway or talk to your doctor (we were anti-meds).

 

*I agree that memorization may be a lost cause. We've moved away from materials that require a lot of rote memorization, because it just wasn't working. We do memorize some things but focus on things that are central -- math facts, Bible verses, months of the year, etc. You can do a lot of poetry reading for fun, for example, without trying to memorize it.

 

*I suggest CLE for math and reading (not their language arts, but their reading). The reading is a great structured comprehension program. Day One you introduce the new story from the reader; they read it silently and do workbook pages. Day Two the child reads the same story aloud (or takes turns reading it with someone else helping) and does workbook pages. Day Three starts a new story. The repetition has been good for improving comprehension with all of my children. There are also a lot of tips on teaching the children to read aloud properly, so buy the teacher's manual. Quizzes and tests are included.

 

The workbook has comprehension activities as well as alphabetization, using the glossary/dictionary, discerning fact from opinion, etc. Good stuff. You can find a scope and sequence on their website. Consider using a level down, because it gets difficult at grade five. I had to backtrack my oldest when I tried to start her in that level. Grades three and four are year-long daily programs. I think it is at grade five that it becomes a half-time program, so you can do it two to three days a week and still complete the whole level in one year. I like their math, too, but you would want to do a placement test.

 

 

 

 

[sbgrace]

I thought I would attempt to help, because I have an 11 year old with ADHD and ASD. He sounds pretty similar in terms of focus issues. Once his focus clicks in, he has a good memory. But the focus clicking in is hard to accomplish, and so can look like memory issues.

 

Most people even without issues, though, will forget what isn't regularly recalled (tested/questioned). There is a ton of research showing this, both old and new. So if you really want her to remember stuff, you need to work in regular questions for recall. Pick and choose what is important to remember of course! Keep a notebook and make sure you are asking her to recall those things regularly. But make it what matters. You identified your goals (math, writing well). Try to avoid cluttering her day or mind with things that aren't meeting those goals. That said, my son needs exposure to other things to broaden his horizons! But make it pleasant and engaging if possible (think documentaries, videos, perhaps magazines (the cricket magazines are educational and interesting), audio books if she likes that, etc.)

 

I am not going to wade into testing. The schools did free testing for us. They weren't terribly helpful here, but not worthless. That may be an option where you live. I get why some on here are suggesting school. If school testing did one thing, it showed he wouldn't be able to go to school here, but all kids and schools are different. I'm going to make suggestions assuming that isn't a good choice for her.

 

Thoughts on curriculum:

Prioritize what you said was important. Think practical, quick, effective.  LA (composition? proper writing of sentences/editing? spelling?) Math? 

Consider rewards for getting assigned work done daily, if she's motivated by this.

 

What I do:

Math, the area with the biggest focus issues for him, first thing. I switched to CLE, and that has been a big help for him. They spiral...so if he's tuned out on day 1 he'll keep seeing whatever it was over and over--more chances to really click in focus wise. Each lesson has tons of variety. This helps with his focus. It's incrememental, so little bits to master at a time increase the chances of success. Math is a lot less stressful here. The levels to 5th grade have regular fact  practice built in. I ripped those pages out of my 5th grade book, so he is still doing that in 6th grade. Most kids test below grade level on CLE's placement tests, and that's ok. This is mostly self teaching. You could (and I would) go over the next day's teaching part with her the night before. I would do this so I could add conceptual teaching when needed. I would also work through 1 or 2 problems out of Singapore FAN math books (if there isn't any exposure to good word problem solving, start with the early books). Grandma can then just sit with her daily (it has to be daily/and she has to sit with her!) for the CLE lesson, maybe splitting the lesson into 1/2 in the morning, 1/2 after lunch or something. You look the work over, grade if it grandma didn't, each day too.

 

I focus on quality over quantity in composition. I let him write in areas of interest, and in history/science topics we're studying. (ie write a paragraph showing the effects of fire on paleolithic cultures; write an example paragraph about something in Minecraft). I do a lot of pre-planning with him, and we used to do almost all partnership writing (composing together). I suspect your time would be better spent, if grandma can be consistent with math, in working one on one in composition. You could write paragraphs together in her areas of interest or topics of study. Write summaries of articles or WWE together with her (if needed).  You could perhaps look at enrolling her in Bravewriter course if you feel she's ready. Maybe work with her 2-3 times a week, having her do something simple on her own the other days.

 

I am using CLE reading program with him. I think it's doing him good, but I have to sit with him. It's stretching him/not easy. I feel it's worth our time (twice a week).

 

Fix It Grammar is pretty quick, and I like that it's a practical grammar (sort of editing your own writing oriented). If she can write a complete sentences, who cares what he definition is? I'd think practical. In the early levels, she could probably do a week at once. My kids do that with level 1.

 

Is phonetic zoo working? If so, great. If not, I use Spelling Power and/or Apples and Pears (for a weak speller) for spelling. Both are quick. Grandma would need to do either of those with her daily though.

 

I do agree with pushing keyboarding skills. You may need to supervise this, though, to make sure she's learning by touch and not watching her hands--using a keyboard cover or similar. We used Typing Instructor for Kids.

 

I do focus on either history or science at one time. I use a lot of documentaries and videos with those. An idea: documentaries, videos (like Bill Nye, BBC, Discovery (preview whatever...). Have her write down 2 or 3 things to remember as or after she watches. The Cricket Magazines could be used for Science and/or History too, maybe with you on week-ends? You could tie composition into the articles (read, outline together, discuss, write a summary). I see these areas as interest broadening for my son. So I try really hard to make it interesting and engaging.

 

So it might look like:

Grandma: CLE math, Spelling, Fix it, Journal or similar easy writing M and W, some type of history or science video/reading or documentary T and Th, audio books or reading aloud daily)

She gets to do x or y when her stuff is done for the day (or work rewards in as things get done; if this works).

 

Keyboarding daily...will need supervision from someone while she learns.

 

You:

Go over CLE lesson (check it, give feedback (praise mostly....), go over the teaching part for the next day...this will take 10 minutes I suspect if she's at the right level of placement),

 

Do 1-2 problems in FAN math. I do this on scrap paper or a white board with him. If I have to help a lot, I make a note in the book so we can redo. In the later books, I go through the entire book twice. They are short, so this is possible even with a slow pace.

 

Composition-guided writing together with her Tues and either Fri or Sat, CLE reading with her M and W (if grandma can't do that...she might be able to).

 

I school year round to make up for the fact that he can only focus so much each day.

 

She needs someone right with her while she does her work. Can grandma do that kind of supervision?

 

You have limited time and limited focus. So make sure what you do is working toward your goals. 

[PeterPan]

The only reason I suggested ps evals is for the pricepoint.  Totally agree they can be a crapshoot.  At our ps their autism "expert" who decides your diagnosis is an SLP with a couple grad classes, not even certified to teach ASD and certainly not qualified to diagnose.  Oh yeah, baby.  Here you have to go private if you want to get it done.  But that's not true in everyone's school district, so maybe hers would be better.  You can also then use the law to contest the outcome and force them to pay for private 3rd party evals.  Takes time, but at that point you have your higher quality evals done.

[geodob]

You introduced this post by saying that you're 99% sure DD11 has ADHD.

From what you've described, I would suggest that this should be your starting point?

To clearly identify whether or not attention difficulties are the foundation of her problems?

Where a trial of medications could quite quickly identify whether this is an issue or not?

 

If it turns out that she has attention difficulties, then it would completely change the situation.

 

[1shortmomto4]

Okay, I'm going to bring something totally different to the table to consider - did your child enjoy the mapping the world with art?  creativity?  Do you notice that when she is working through her math that she seems to look up in to her head like she's searching for the answer?  Does she exhibit a whole lot of empathy for others?  Is she very sensitive?

 

If you find yourself answering yes to a lot of those questions then take a look at visual spatial learners.  Those kiddos with right-brain learning traits.  They are gifted and rather smart but rote memorization is not their strength by any stretch of the imagination.  Oh they get the answers but it may take awhile but on the flip side, they can do advanced math skills that you had no idea they could do.  They are the ones that can do an algebra problem in their head but don't dare ask them to work it out on paper.  There are actually two different types of VSL/RB kiddos - some are stronger with picture learning and some are stronger with visual-print skills. 

 

I used to struggle with my youngest thinking he needed math manipulatives to learn math - disaster.  He could turn those counting bears into some great stories and the whole math lesson would be lost.  They seem to live in another world.  They are dreamers and creaters.

 

It might be interesting to see if you can find a 'cartoonish' book at the library and have your daughter read through it (they even have history ones!) and then ask her questions about what she read.  The outcome just might be different.

 

As for grammar - well I've found greater success with later than early and repetition.  We worked through a daily evan moor editing/grammar book on a white board each day-result and the retention was excellent.  This year we've worked through IEW Fix It grammar and the combination of editing the sentence and, at the end of the week, typing in the selection has been excellent.  I also use a lot of picture books that focus on a grammar skill.  If we're covering verbs, then I check out a few picture books all about verbs (for the life of me I can't remember the author but can see the covers of the books clearly).  These learners need time to file it in their brains and they need time to bring it forth when needed.  I work in units which seems to work so much better for mastery.

 

For science you might give a look at the Nancy Larson science.  yes, it is expensive but when you add up all the failed options you bought along the way along with all the supplies that correlate to the failed science, NL will add up to less.  Your mom could easily teach this in just minutes.  Scripted and engaging.  Hands-on with a combination of print/writing.  Seems easy on the face but retention is what you are looking for and this does the job. I can see why SOTW was flop - to my ds that was almost like nails on a chalk board.  Hated listening and then answering a bunch of questions.  Tried having him color while listening.  He retains a lot by listening but coloring was not the answer - playing with his toys were. Still searching for the perfect history fit - MFW was almost a good option but he didn't like skipping around in books - but the hands-on fun was scheduled and that was a bonus.

 

No real answers but perhaps just a different avenue to consider (aside from my other standard recommendation which is to be sure the child has a strong hearing evaluation that goes beyond the raise your hand when you hear the sound).

[PeterPan]

You introduced this post by saying that you're 99% sure DD11 has ADHD.

From what you've described, I would suggest that this should be your starting point?

To clearly identify whether or not attention difficulties are the foundation of her problems?

Where a trial of medications could quite quickly identify whether this is an issue or not?

 

If it turns out that she has attention difficulties, then it would completely change the situation.

It wouldn't address the question of whether there's more going on in addition to the ADHD, and it wouldn't give the additional info on teaching that full evals would provide.  A ped diagnosis and meds is the LEAST reliable way to get a diagnosis.

[Citrusheights5]

Sometimes it's just one step at a time. Look into adhd. All 4 of my kids have it, one could not function without meds, one has absolutely no reaction to meds, but is functional without them. The other two, have enough coping without them, but as they get older and their load increases they may need it.

 

For my sn kiddo, the meds allowed us to see the dyslexia. It's like layers of an onion. If you need a first step. Try that, if your going for broke, get a full eval, even thought the PS, because some info is better than none.

[Aurelia]

 

Aurelia, when you say your brain doesn't work the way hers does, are you sure?  I'm just curious what you're seeing there.  I know I've done similar things with my dc, so I was interested to hear what you're seeing with yours.  And another thing, is there any possibility your dh is on the spectrum but of a different subtype?  I don't know, the whole refusing evals thing is just curious to me.  There's usually some underlying reason. Maybe the person identifies and doesn't like the implications.  Etc. etc.    

 

I'm pretty sure. I memorize easily. Always have. I hate listening to almost anyone read (It's taken me my whole life to find 4 people I enjoy hearing). She struggles with memorizing (which was why I had her memorize poems before, to try and stretch her) and loves to be read to. We both can hyperfocus on things, but she rushes to be "done" or simply abandons tasks, whereas for me, nothing else is going to happen until my current task is done, unless someone is dying. (A little overstatement, but you get the idea.) DH may be on the spectrum, but I couldn't say for sure. He's never had any kind of evaluation, but is a visual learner.

 

If this is your mom doing the tutoring and homeschool supervising, is she also on the spectrum or is she not?  

 

I'm pretty sure she's got ADD, since my brother is actually diagnosed and their behaviors are super similar. It's part of the problem. Every time we get near the end of a curriculum or school year (I use the term loosely, since we school year-round) or semester, she just kind of stops doing all but the things that take the least time and effort. 

 

I just think it seems a little realistic to take what could be a very complicated situation (ADHD, maybe even ASD, gifted, etc. etc.) and expect them to do a list of workbooks merely because someone says to.  I mean it's so not an ideal situation.  In that sense she'd actually be better in school, because it wouldn't tax her, would get the baseline work done, and then she could go home and pursue her real interests.  Lots of people get through mediocre schools doing this.  At least the school work minimum would get done, and then she could be herself after school. And really, these kids respond to structure.

 

I really can't put her in school right now, there is only one middle school in the district and it's awful, with violence, bullying, and failing ratings. There is no way I would put anyone I loved in that school. I'd rather have her learn nothing at home, if that was the only option. I don't like handing her workbooks, but I also need some way to track her progress. I've been considering having her write a one paragraph summary when she reads her school books, so I'll know what she's actually covered. 

 

Ideally, homeschooling this child would be a lot more interactive, which it doesn't sound like the person supervising is able to provide.  That's why I'm saying I'd either change your approach RADICALLY and eat how radical it might need to become or just send her to school and be done with it.

 

Besides, she's so young, a lot of the fears of her never being able to do this or that are really unjustified.  If she were 16, we could have that discussion.  But 5th grade???  Really and truly, LOTS of special kids look sort of dismal and abysmal at that age and they come out of it.  Truly they do.  But reality is she might not find her passion till college.  Reality is she might decide everything you do sucks until she finds her passion.  Add those two together and that's another potential reality.  Reality is being at home doesn't ensure they love what they're doing, and we're the ones that negativity transfers to when they don't.  That's the sucky reality of special needs homeschooling.  So to me, at some point we decide if something was SO IMPORTANT that it was worth jeapordizing relatinoships over, or if it didn't really matter.  Grammar doesn't matter.  Math every day does.  But even the type of math doesn't matter.  With what you've described, I was going to suggest Family Math.  Work through the elementary and then the middle grades books.  It's something your mom could do with her every day, and it's the hands-on she craves.  Stop the fighting over trying to make her into the image of the boards, kwim?  If you're going to keep her home, you have to loosen that up.

 

My standards?  

 

-some kind of math every day--Anything will do.  Family Math (awesome), Marilyn Burns, a curriculum she likes, Singapore word problems, anything I actually bought Family Math a couple of months ago because I thought she'd like it, but I haven't had a chance to really wrap my head around it.

-some kind of writing every day--Any kind will do.  Journaling, the Don't Forget to Write exercises (awesome), Writing Tales, Wordsmith Apprentice, starting a blog, taking up a hobby that involves writing, anything, in any combination I just found Finish This Book, and got Adventures in Fantasy, which I think she'll enjoy. She likes doing the things in Writing Magic, too. 

-typing--Because it opens up the world.  Pay her.  Big time. She's slowly getting there. She types up stories she makes up on her own about once a week.

-read a lot every day--Because she just should.  With variety.  If all she likes is zoology, then get her all kinds of genres that involve zoology She loves to read. She usually has at least 3 going at a time, plus what I read aloud. Some assigned, some free choice. 

 

Content stuff like history, science, art, etc. is really personal preference.  There are so many ways to do this.  Does she have a fixation on zoology or were you just joking?  I think you know this, but it's not generally helpful to try to change someone's obsession.  Generally works out better just to roll with it.  I spent some time talking with the man who was telling me about his son.  That son had an obsession for computers growing up, and the family was concerned, thought there was no future in it (because of course lots of people like computers), so they tried to get him off.  They went to GREAT LENGTHS to get him off the obsession.  So the boy did the other thing they tried to get him onto, did it well.  And then what happened?  When that was done, he went RIGHT BACK to his obsession.   :lol:   Now the boy has a fine career in that obsession. Maybe not a swanky executive pay level career, but that's not everyone's lot in life.  The point is he was who he was and he wasn't going to be anyone else.

 

Ok, now I'm going to say something because it just bugged me a bit.  You mentioned something about not liking how her zoology interest plays out, that it seems sort of immature.  I'm sure it is.  Here's the thing that bugged me though.  I'm like that.  Some people just really are sort of theoretical.  Actually doing things wigs me out.  I'm MUCH better at theories.  So, whatever, that's just your free bonus for the day.  I'm saying relax, let her mature, and WHATEVER she is is OK.  Truly, whatever she is will be ok.  She is a gift to the planet and a gift to humanity, and you just need to let her blossom as she is and not fret over who she ISN'T.

 

It's her passion, and has been for years, but we've spent the last 3 years doing zoology for science. I'm happy to let her pursue her interest on her own time, which she does. I just want her to be exposed to some of the other branches of science. She actually enjoys taking care of the neighbors' horses (including helping to trim their hooves and such), she just doesn't want to deal with the "gross or hard stuff" (her words.) I enjoy theory, a lot. In fact, I spend a lot of time on pondering the theory of this or that other thing, and not a whole lot actually doing. (Because as an Aspie, motor skills are hard for me. I'll never be a world class musician because that kind of thing is HARD. I understand the theory perfectly, but my fingers don't sync up with my brain the way it seems to for other people. It doesn't mean I stop practicing. I practice so I can be better. And that's what I want DD to learn.) 

 

 

Sorry if some of this seems rambling, it's been a very long day for me. 

[Aurelia]

Okay, I'm going to bring something totally different to the table to consider - did your child enjoy the mapping the world with art?  creativity?  Do you notice that when she is working through her math that she seems to look up in to her head like she's searching for the answer?  Does she exhibit a whole lot of empathy for others?  Is she very sensitive?

 

If you find yourself answering yes to a lot of those questions then take a look at visual spatial learners.  Those kiddos with right-brain learning traits.  They are gifted and rather smart but rote memorization is not their strength by any stretch of the imagination.  Oh they get the answers but it may take awhile but on the flip side, they can do advanced math skills that you had no idea they could do.  They are the ones that can do an algebra problem in their head but don't dare ask them to work it out on paper.  There are actually two different types of VSL/RB kiddos - some are stronger with picture learning and some are stronger with visual-print skills. 

 

I researched VS learners ages ago, and she is like that. She also has issues with impulsivity, focus, memory, and follow-through. 

 

I used to struggle with my youngest thinking he needed math manipulatives to learn math - disaster.  He could turn those counting bears into some great stories and the whole math lesson would be lost.  They seem to live in another world.  They are dreamers and creaters.

 

It might be interesting to see if you can find a 'cartoonish' book at the library and have your daughter read through it (they even have history ones!) and then ask her questions about what she read.  The outcome just might be different.

 

I did that as the first book for state history this year. She did great at describing the pictures. Not so much with the actual storyline. Her favorite books tend to be picture-heavy, or ones she hears that describe things well, so she can make the picture in her head.

 

As for grammar - well I've found greater success with later than early and repetition.  We worked through a daily evan moor editing/grammar book on a white board each day-result and the retention was excellent.  This year we've worked through IEW Fix It grammar and the combination of editing the sentence and, at the end of the week, typing in the selection has been excellent.  I also use a lot of picture books that focus on a grammar skill.  If we're covering verbs, then I check out a few picture books all about verbs (for the life of me I can't remember the author but can see the covers of the books clearly).  These learners need time to file it in their brains and they need time to bring it forth when needed.  I work in units which seems to work so much better for mastery.

 

For science you might give a look at the Nancy Larson science.  yes, it is expensive but when you add up all the failed options you bought along the way along with all the supplies that correlate to the failed science, NL will add up to less.  Your mom could easily teach this in just minutes.  Scripted and engaging.  Hands-on with a combination of print/writing.  Seems easy on the face but retention is what you are looking for and this does the job. I can see why SOTW was flop - to my ds that was almost like nails on a chalk board.  Hated listening and then answering a bunch of questions.  Tried having him color while listening.  He retains a lot by listening but coloring was not the answer - playing with his toys were. Still searching for the perfect history fit - MFW was almost a good option but he didn't like skipping around in books - but the hands-on fun was scheduled and that was a bonus.

 

I looked at Nancy Larson, but it only goes up through the 4th grade. DD would be bored stiff and complain it was "baby stuff." I've been trying to find 8th/9th-ish grade science activities, because she learns and understands hands-on things at a much higher level than the rote basics. I'm really looking for something that will keep her engaged and, if possible, be fun. That is what seems to get harder as the material gets more complex. I have never found the perfect history program, and I don't think it exists. This upcoming semester I put together a Viking study based on the Great Courses lectures because she listened to the sample and was fascinated. I haven't figured out a way to check her retention, though. I'm wondering if I should just let her go through the material and just be happy with whatever happens to stick.

 

No real answers but perhaps just a different avenue to consider (aside from my other standard recommendation which is to be sure the child has a strong hearing evaluation that goes beyond the raise your hand when you hear the sound).

 

[PeterPan]

Yes, you just throw the TC courses at her and let stick what sticks.  

 

Is there a way to somehow merge history and zoology, since that is her interest?  I've been merging biology and history this year for my history-lover, so you ought to be able to do the reverse.  

 

No, I would not make her do paragraph summaries for books she reads, yuck.  So WTM, so dead.  She's gifted, read it, liked it, and it adds to her pool of thought that eventually allows her to make connections.  I don't use the use of a summary paragraph.  If you actually want her to study literary elements or plot lines, give her the chart to fill out.  There's a nice reproducible book How to Report on Books that I think has a gr 6 level.  You could do one for each book, just like one a month or one every other week or something.  Don't belabor it or get freaky.  

 

Hmm, zoology with history, that's interesting to ponder.  What does zoology mean to her?  You could definitely cover geography with zoology, no problem.  In fact, she's at such a super fab age for it, that might be tons of fun.  Have you seen this?  Travels to the Edge - with Art Wolfe  I watched a whole Creative Live class on photography taught by him, awesome, awesome, awesome class.  Did I mention again how awesome it was?  So there you've got photography, zoology, geography, and even some history.  Superb stuff, more likely to stick than a textbook ever would because it's making connections.  

 

This list might or might not have things on her level right now, but it might give you ideas of ways to use her interest in science to connect to other things you want to cover.  http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2L2758EUNGF22/ref=cm_wl_rlist_go_o? Then look at the Amy Stewart books.  They're pretty accessible and merge that history and science thing.  It's just new genres for her, kwim?

 

I'm sorry your local ps is so unacceptable, wow!  

 

I read this comment about ASD where they suggested that part of the sad consequence of the withdrawal is that they lose the chance to have the interest stimulation they would get by interacting with other people.  So there's a sense in which I think it's ok to say ok, your interest is zoology, could we weave in a little chemistry or history or geography, etc. into it, kwim?  Poetry, literature, science fiction, comics, you could milk all the genres.  They really are ought there.  Movies about zoologists, biographies of zoologists, documentaries, mapping the places of those documentaries, etc. etc.  

 

My ds has an obsessession too, and yes for him that's how it is.  It turns up in his games, in his toys, etc. etc.  I'm cool with it and feel comfortable using his obsession and letting the learning flow from it, because I know it *can*.  And the stories I'm hearing are that later, much later (as in late teens, not now), the kids start to open up to more interests.  Our SLP says it's the dc's way of trying to organize the world when they're very disorganized internally.

 

[JennW in SoCal]

Yet another perspective here, from an old veteran. Not that it is any different from what others have already written here - you've gotten lots of good, thoughtful responses. But I sympathize -- I could have started a similar thread many years ago when I was panicked and worried about my ADHD tween. I learned to let go over the years, let his obsessions guide us, and he is now a college grad who is gainfully employed in the field of his long obsession.

 

The most important thing to stop and consider is that your dd is only 11 and has years of growing and maturing ahead of her. That maturity will help her hone writing, communicating and math skills. It isn't something you need to panic over now, just work on it little by little each day.  Baby steps. In my experience, comprehension questions are a lousy way of going about either writing or getting her to discuss what she reads. You need to model how to discuss a book by talking about what you like or don't like. Or if you really want written output, assign simple narrations -- a section of a chapter of something she likes to start with. Just ask for a sentence or two, once or twice a week. It will be slow going but it will improve over time. If she is more the creative type, have her do a newspaper, or create a private blog. 

 

My ADD kid never did master his multiplication tables. He had the multiplication tables on a sheet next to him while he worked, and he finally got accommodations to use a calculator when he was in high school. And ADD medications really, really helped.

 

Your dd sounds like a typical 11yo.  Most young kids don't want to do anything hard, and she is too young to understand, to picture or even imagine what it really will take to be a musician or zoologist or vet or to just be a college student. Again -- it will come with maturity.  She's a kid, behaving like a kid. Let her read, watch dvds and listen or watch TC lectures.  Don't fret so much about output -- it isn't all its cracked up to be.  My kids did very little output til high school, and then it was more about mastering expository writing skills and not about measuring their understanding about a subject.

 

Sorry this is so disjointed -- I've been trying to write this while watching Jaws, lol!!  Hope this and the other posts help give you some perspective.

[Love_to_Read]

A few quick things that jump out at me:

 

If you decide that an evaluation through the public school would be helpful, they are federally mandated to provide that evaluation if you request it in writing, even as a homeschooler.  States vary as to whether the schools have to provide any special services after the evaluation to students who are not enrolled  (in some states, homeschoolers can access special needs services such as speech therapy, etc.), but the evaluation itself must be provided to anyone whether enrolled or not, in all 50 states.

 

About not being able to tell you her favorite part of a book....that might be a personality difference rather than the ADHD.  Take a look at some Myers-Briggs websites on the difference between personalities that have P instead of J in their system, particularly ENFP, ESFP, INFP, etc.  Maybe give her a personality quiz to take from a reputable site...see what it says.  For most types with a P, trying to quantify "most favorite" out of many possibilities is overwhelming, and weak executive function probably exacerbates that.  You'll get a much better response if you ask an open-ended question that allows more of a brainstorming response than an evaluating response..."What were some of your favorite scenes?" instead of "Which scene was your favorite?"  If that's still not getting a response, you might try getting more specific..."Were there any scenes that were disturbing, or where you couldn't wait to find out what happened next?" or go through a checklist of elements in a plot summary: "Who was the main character? What was(were) the main problem(s) the character had to solve? How did that problem resolve in the end?" 

 

When you want to work on analytical skills, start with having her brainstorm a list first before trying to put it in order, and stick to something that can be backed up with evidence.  For example, "Who were the bad guys in that book?  What did they do to be evil?  Who do you think was the worst?"  That leads her through making a list, gathering evidence/criteria, then evaluating....that's the skill you're really looking for when trying to promote decision-making...teaching her to evaluate evidence/criteria to reach a decision, when a decision needs to be made.  She's going to get to it through her strength in seeing all the possibilities first.  "Favorite" doesn't have specific criteria to be analyzed, and P personality types really can be too enthusiastic to narrow it down from "I liked the whole book." It's not a defect so much as a difference...strength in reserving judgment in order to see all the possibilities rather than strength in making quick decisions.
 

My favorite hands-on or visual curriculum that's fairly scripted:

Math-U-See...the blocks helped once I convinced my 10yo to use them, and surely your mom can put in a DVD. The pages aren't colorful or anything, but they are mercifully short and to the point.

multiplication.com or Times Tales

Winston Grammar

All About Spelling...sadly, both Winston and AAS require the teacher's time/focus, but they are scripted, and can be done 15min/day each if you break up the lessons.

I have a friend who raves about Rainbow Science being accomplishable, with experiments that can get done without planning ahead because of the lab kit.

Donald Silver's Interactive 3-D Maps for American History

 

Now, we paired the 3-D maps with Sonlight's Cores D and E for reading, and written output was primarily the multiple choice aspects of the workbooks in the earlier versions (in the pre-2013 cores...The Story of the USA and American Adventures). We aimed for multiple exposure to main events...make the map, read a novel, watch a video if available, do a workbook page if available.  Took forever, but she retained it, and the novels helped her care more than a textbook.  If she isn't engaged in reading the novels at that level, Homeschool In the Woods has some hands-on history materials that look great, but I'd worry about your mom ever getting them done.

 

Other favorites:

good old Writing With Ease...this worked well for helping dd to listen/summarize...we started with the level 1 workbook at age 11 since we'd never done WTM before, and it's scripted

Daily Grams...not terribly interactive, but relatively quick and independent, so therefore usually held out for the 5 min before the attention caved in.

Bravewriter...this I think would help her develop her writing voice...perhaps if you did a few projects a year with her, perhaps even let her use a speech-to-text app if she hasn't learned to type yet....probably also not something your mom will do consistently, but maybe she'll be interested in a project or two...it doesn't have to happen often to still be better than never, though.

Dance Mat Typing...it's free, and silly, and hopefully learning will help speed along the writing process

 

 

Curriculum won't fix root causes, but it's a place to start seeing whether something might meet needs better.  Kids vary, though, so I don't know whether our favorites would work for your child, and I haven't used the majority of what you already own to have a clue how it compares.  Maybe see if anyone can come up with some strategies to apply in general.  For example, trying to interrupt hyperfocus on a book in order to ask comprehension questions more frequently.  I have my ADHDer stick a bookmark in her assigned book at the place where I want her to stop and talk about it, to keep her from reading straight through to the end and forgetting the middle.  We try to have some mindless physical task to do while listening or sitting, like playing with putty.  If she has good handwriting, then taking notes might help her stay focused, but that might not develop for a couple more years.  Let's see...we alternate sitting vs. doing.  So, while we try not to have too many transitions than interrupt her, I try to insert snacks/meals/chores/projects between subjects that require reading/writing because doing two sedentary tasks in a row increases the odds of tuning out, unless they're very short.

 

Good luck!

[geodob]

Attention difficulties will make the results of a general evaluation invalid, unless the attention issues are taken into account.

What you have outlined, are clearly attention issues that effect her cognitive function.

 

Where you first need to identify whether this is the cause?

Before going into a full evaluation of the symptoms?

[Storygirl]

About the possible ADHD -- I think you really need to find out for sure. You can make an appointment with your pediatrician to discuss it. Sometimes pediatricians do their own screenings, and sometimes they will refer you out to either a psychologist or a psychiatrist.

 

We always figured out that DS11 had ADHD but didn't see the point of having him officially diagnosed, since we did not want to medicate. When we finally decided to investigate, we found that there were some treatment choices that did not include meds.

 

Full disclosure -- DS did evenually begin medication (it made a huge difference in his ability to focus on and accomplish his work, by the way), and I do think they are an effective tool. But I want to be sure that you know that they are not the ONLY tool. Getting a diagnosis my open some doors to treatments and educational choices that will improve your child's ability to learn. And that is totally worth it.