Ways to improve attention?

[lisabees]

DD12 is home for the first time this year.  

 

Although she is very bright, she can sometimes be so flighty.

 

Last year, her teacher mentioned a few times that dd asked questions that were JUST answered in detail.  Wouldn't you know that I am finding the same thing?

 

It could be after I explain something verbally.  It could be after she reads instructions in math.

 

I mean - we can spend an entire lesson on a particular topic and when it comes time to doing the problems, she has no idea what it is asking.  She also makes many careless errors.

 

This is occurring in math.  She has been doing AoPS Pre-algebra.  She likes it, but I felt that nothing was getting solidified.  We have been doing Jousting Armadillos to slow her down, but, again, she seems lost sometimes.  And, so far, it is easier than AoPS.  

 

Now - if you give her MEP worksheets or Dolciani pages - plug and chug stuff - she zips right through.

 

I understand that she has never before had to "teach herself".  I understand that she is 12 and fogginess is common at this age.  I understand that I cannot expect changes overnight.

 

I just don't know what I can do to help her improve in this area.

 

In other subjects, she is doing wonderfully.  She focuses more, retains everything and has great reading comprehension(!).

 

Ideas?

 

ETA:  I help dd through every lesson - it is not being done using the discovery approach.  That wasn't working!

 

 

 

[HomeAgain]

Make her verbalize the instructions before she starts.  If she reads them, have her tell you what she read.  If you tell her, have her repeat it back.  Simple, but pretty effective in nipping the problem quickly.

[Farrar]

How is she with the "Notes to Self" in JA? Does she explain the concepts well?

 

I guess I'm thinking it's a leap for most kids. Some of what you're describing seems really normal for anyone of any age learning really complex new material. For example... I think careless errors are when a child who has mastered multiplication forgets to carry a number or something and gets the problem wrong. But when the same child is faced with doing a brand new, complex problem that also happens to require that same multiplication... I would expect more of those errors because the brain is working overtime trying to keep everything straight. Sort of like how you expect kids to get the mechanics and spelling all right on a dictation when it's not their own words, but on a piece of original writing when they're trying to come up with the words, the organization, the ideas, and all the mechanics, you expect them to make a few more mistakes. Of course, as you practice and learn, you want those mistakes to be getting fewer... but I'm not sure if she's way off how it would normally be when you're learning something new... at least from what you say here.

[lisabees]

How is she with the "Notes to Self" in JA? Does she explain the concepts well?

 

I guess I'm thinking it's a leap for most kids. Some of what you're describing seems really normal for anyone of any age learning really complex new material. For example... I think careless errors are when a child who has mastered multiplication forgets to carry a number or something and gets the problem wrong. But when the same child is faced with doing a brand new, complex problem that also happens to require that same multiplication... I would expect more of those errors because the brain is working overtime trying to keep everything straight. Sort of like how you expect kids to get the mechanics and spelling all right on a dictation when it's not their own words, but on a piece of original writing when they're trying to come up with the words, the organization, the ideas, and all the mechanics, you expect them to make a few more mistakes. Of course, as you practice and learn, you want those mistakes to be getting fewer... but I'm not sure if she's way off how it would normally be when you're learning something new... at least from what you say here.

 

She tends to get very frustrated with herself when she realizes that she should understand what was just covered.  Tears flow.

 

I have explained to her exactly what you have said - that her brain is working on overload, trying to juggle so many new concepts at once.

 

Re: Notes to Self - Since we have only recently started Jousting Armadillos, I walk her through the steps.   

 

I will be sure to do what others have suggested.  Have her read and explain verbally to me.  Seems simple and effective, as long as I am consistent.

 

Just this week, I have started asking her to take notes in science and history.  So far, she has done a great job.

 

Thank you.

[Targhee]

Just a guess, but maybe she is a visual learner? Sounds like verbal (either auditory or reading) isn't her thing.  MEP is very visual in nature, and straight forward, which might explain her success with it.  Also, she is probably very used to having things explained in extreme detail in public school - very hand holding.  It may take a while to develop the self-learner muscles.

 

So suggestions to do now, do have her either verbalize the directions, or write them down, or draw a picture, or do a sample problem - something that shows she understands.  If she doesn't understand help her to phrase specific questions so you can help her.  One of the things that was so difficult for me when teaching school was kids who came up and said "I don't get it." and  expected a different explanation.  I would always tell them "do you have a question about what you are supposed to do? I want to help you, but I've already explained it in the best way I could think of.  If you have a question we can go from there."  If they still looked at me with a blank face I would then say "do you understand ______?"  If they answer no, then I would coach them to a question about the topic.  By the end of the year my 7th graders knew to both pay attention and to start by asking questions.

 

As far as paying attention generally, has this always been an issue?  The answer to that will steer my suggestions.  I have 3 with ADHD, and we've worked through a number of different things to help improve attention.

[MerryAtHope]

It's possible that there is an auditory processing issue or some ADHD going on. Consider those possibilities as well. Things that can help:

 

Read just a bit more slowly, with a bit more space between phrases and sentences.

Stop to discuss things more frequently to make sure she's tracking--don't just stop at the end.

Pre-teach--let her know some of the things to listen for BEFORE you do the lesson. Key words or concepts etc... If there are questions to answer, tell her the questions ahead of time to encourage her to listen with purpose.

If you are speaking to her, make sure she can see your mouth so that sounds are crisper and clearer. This can make a big difference. 

Short lessons rather than long, drawn-out ones.

Give her visual and/or kinesthetic reinforcement to back up oral methods whenever possible.

[lisabees]

Thank you both for the specific suggestions!

 

Definitely no ADHD going on.  But, she is very, very visual.  She is also going through a lot emotionally, lately.  As my 22 year old son says, it is hard for him to do his physics work when his mind is a mess.  

 

She told me that she would like to stick with AoPS and make it work.  She likes to work things out on a whiteboard.  It really seems to help.

 

I will definitely use your suggestions, starting today.  I love the goal of having her know which questions to ask.  The "self-learner" muscles definitely need to be developed!

 

Thanks again.

[redsquirrel]

I second the having to read instructions out loud. That is something that can be helpful with almost all kids her age.  There is a reason that in Writing with Skill the first step in 'how to help your student' is always "have them read the instructions out loud"

 

If she is working on something difficult, with moving parts, offer to sit with her and let her talk to you as she does it.  Ask her to 'teach you' what she is doing. That can help her to think through what she is doing.

 

If she is doing a task, try to break it down into steps and check for correctness along the way. Don't let her get to far into an assignment without checking to ensure she is still on the right track. At her age, and I am sure you have seen, if she makes a small error early on and it compounds, it can be defeating.  Someone who can be a bit...lacking in focus..can really go off the rails and then it feels like all that work was for nothing. With AoPS, dh was his 'math buddy'..in fact his own private tutor, lol, but ds1 didn't know that.  Their math was very verbal, dh kept ds1 talking about what he was doing and why, sometimes dh would scribe for him if ds1 was tired, and it really helped keep ds1 on track.

 

My older boy is now 15 and he has what is often called an 'artistic temperament'.  Completely neurotypical and no problems with learning or processing, and smart as a whip...but we like to say that he only visits this dimension on occasion. When he was that age it was a whole lot worse. Now he's 15 and still driving me crazy, and he will always march to his own drummer, but at least now he brings a drum to the party...but he is likely to wear it as a hat.

 

And, this might sound a bit odd, but I have found that a lot of physical exercise can help..and not having all the time in the world makes a difference.  DS1 is a ballet dancer in a 'pre-professional' company and I think it has helped him with his overall discipline in ways other things just didn't.  He already had a hard time with focus, but being quite busy seems to help.  He doesn't have a lot of time to muck around and he has responded very well to that.  It has given him a lot of practice with schedule juggling and setting priorities and a few other things that are a particular challenge for his 'head in the clouds' persona.

 

[Targhee]

Thank you both for the specific suggestions!

 

Definitely no ADHD going on. But, she is very, very visual. She is also going through a lot emotionally, lately. As my 22 year old son says, it is hard for him to do his physics work when his mind is a mess.

 

She told me that she would like to stick with AoPS and make it work. She likes to work things out on a whiteboard. It really seems to help.

 

I will definitely use your suggestions, starting today. I love the goal of having her know which questions to ask. The "self-learner" muscles definitely need to be developed!

 

Thanks again.

Emotions and hormones make thinking and working harder for sure!

 

Some general helps for attention:

1 - work in time-bounded ways (eg I will work 20 minutes hard, then break for five; repeat) - use a timer if helpful

 

2 - physical exertion before (and between) mental exertion - go for a walk or jog, a quick round of jumping jacks, etc

 

3 - meditation - this could be yoga style meditation, a short breathing practice, or other, to help clear the mind of the extraneous.

 

4 - setting up your student's study environment to match her learning style. Some variables are noise/sound, lighting, posture/position, time of day, presence or absence of others in the space, snack/water available, etc.

 

When I met my husband in college this is how he studied. He would bring out his notes and books and spread them around the floor of the front room, turn on a movie (usually one he'd seen a hundred times), and lay on his belly to study. I tried to "help" him learn a less distracting way to study, but what I didn't realize at first was this *is* his best/least distracting way to study. That's how he studied all through med school too! His learning style needs are different than mine.