Help with my struggling child

[Mom28kds]

My child is doing poorly and I'm at a loss. She continues to get so much wrong and doesn't remember the stuff we've been doing for months even years in some instances. We are currently doing CLE where is slowly adds steps of new stuff and continues to review. She just doesn't remember the stuff she learns. I'm at a loss. She is in 5th grade and doing CLE 400 books along with her younger brother. I sit with her and go over all the stuff she gets wrong so she will understand do better next time. Each day she gets so much wrong. It gets hard on her. It's getting worse as the work is getting harder. If we don't figure something out now it's only going to keep getting worse. Can I get some advice please?

Edited December 6, 2016 by Mom28kds

[MistyMountain]

It is hard when your child is having difficulty. Have you looked into the symptoms of dyscalculia? Maybe there is an underling issue with number sense and the curriculum does not teach that well. There are materials out there like Ronit Bird that specifically target that and you can do it alongside other curriculum. Maybe the curriculum is just a poor fit and something else would work better. I will be trying some of the stuff in Activities for AL abacus to see if that will help my child who is having some math difficulties and if that does not work I will try Ronit Bird. Is it only math she is having difficulty with?

Edited December 6, 2016 by MistyMountain

[HomeAgain]

Your child isn't remembering.  That's different than failing.  Failure is the unwillingness to try.

 

She may or may not have a processing disorder.  While you get her tested, you can still approach the problem differently.  It might help to reverse the steps you're doing - instead of going over the paper at the end, go over the rules and things she needs to remember before she even touches the paper.  Sit with her.  Stop her when she forgets and refer her to the list of things she needs to remember to complete the work.  Think of it like an extension of the Charlotte Mason way of doing dictation - prepare first, stop at a mistake, and let her continue when she's ready. 

[Mom28kds]

We do go over the work before for the new stuff. But on the review I have her do the work on her own. It's not just Math that she struggles with. She was evaluated at the local school system 2 years ago but results came back that she was within normal range. 

[bolt.]

Try some videos to see if visuals and conceptual explainations stick better. There are a lot of types of learning, and some methods just don't fly with some learners. Switch it up and see if anything changes.

[Mom28kds]

Try some videos to see if visuals and conceptual explainations stick better. There are a lot of types of learning, and some methods just don't fly with some learners. Switch it up and see if anything changes.

 

Can you give me some examples? Are there any that you would recommend? 

[Ellie]

My child is doing poorly and I'm at a loss. She continues to get so much wrong and doesn't remember the stuff we've been doing for months even years in some instances. We are currently doing CLE where is slowly adds steps of new stuff and continues to review. She just doesn't remember the stuff she learns. I'm at a loss. She is in 5th grade and doing CLE 400 books along with her younger brother. I sit with her and go over all the stuff she gets wrong so she will understand do better next time. Each day she gets so much wrong. It gets hard on her. It's getting worse as the work is getting harder. If we don't figure something out now it's only going to keep getting worse. Can I get some advice please?

 

Is that CLE for all subjects? Maybe you should try something different.

[Mom28kds]

Is that CLE for all subjects? Maybe you should try something different.

 

I'm doing CLE for Math, LA and Reading. I do other things for the rest. I'm hoping someone will chime in with ideas that might have helped in a similar situation.

[Plink]

You may be dealing with a processing or learning disability.  I'd visit a neuropsychologist for a full evaluation.  They can tell you exactly where the holes in her learning process are, and point you in the right direction to fill those holes.

 

That said - I knew my child who presented in a similar way to yours needed an evaluation for years, yet I was quaking in my boots at the thought of making the appointment.  What if the evaluator was anti-homeschooling?  What if I was making a big deal out of nothing?  What if the testing process didn't reveal the actual issues?  What if we couldn't afford it? What if I just needed to try a different teaching style?  What if, what if, what if...  Looking back, my only regret is not getting the evaluation sooner.  It has made teaching this child SO much easier.  

[Mom28kds]

You may be dealing with a processing or learning disability.  I'd visit a neuropsychologist for a full evaluation.  They can tell you exactly where the holes in her learning process are, and point you in the right direction to fill those holes.

 

That said - I knew my child who presented in a similar way to yours needed an evaluation for years, yet I was quaking in my boots at the thought of making the appointment.  What if the evaluator was anti-homeschooling?  What if I was making a big deal out of nothing?  What if the testing process didn't reveal the actual issues?  What if we couldn't afford it? What if I just needed to try a different teaching style?  What if, what if, what if...  Looking back, my only regret is not getting the evaluation sooner.  It has made teaching this child SO much easier.  

 

Thank you! We did go and have the local public school for an evaluation 2 years ago and they said she was within the normal range. I think I would need another referral from our doctor and I'm not sure about asking for another one. I'm looking into it though to see what our insurance will cover :) Thank you so much!

[Ellie]

I'm doing CLE for Math, LA and Reading. I do other things for the rest. I'm hoping someone will chime in with ideas that might have helped in a similar situation.

 

I know that's what you're hoping someone will do. I'm clarifying the situation. :-)

[OneStepAtATime]

I would strongly urge a private evaluation. Many times the school system simply does not have the training or expertise to tweak out the details of what may be going on. If insurance does not require a referral, look around for a neuropsychological evaluation directly.

 

You might also read up on learning challenges such as the book The Mislabeled Child by Brock and Fernette Eide.

[OneStepAtATime]

Check out learndifferently.com It's my sil, Kathy Kuhl. She does a free phone consultation and she can set you on the road to some help.

This! Margaret is right, contact Kathy. Kathy is awesome! And she has books that might help, too. Truly a kind and wonderful human being.

[MerryAtHope]

I'm doing CLE for Math, LA and Reading. 

 

So, are you wanting help with all three subjects? Are there some particular things she's struggling with right now (for example, certain concepts in math, certain types of issues with LA and/or reading)?

 

How is her reading--does she read fluently, or is reading a struggle for her?

 

 

[Mom28kds]

So, are you wanting help with all three subjects? Are there some particular things she's struggling with right now (for example, certain concepts in math, certain types of issues with LA and/or reading)?

 

How is her reading--does she read fluently, or is reading a struggle for her?

 

I am working on getting an evaluation. In the meantime I'm looking for options for Math and LA. She can read but is slower. She also needs lots of help in Spelling. The pace of  CLE is just too much for her. 

[MerryAtHope]

I am working on getting an evaluation. In the meantime I'm looking for options for Math and LA. She can read but is slower. She also needs lots of help in Spelling. The pace of  CLE is just too much for her. 

 

Math-U-See worked well for my kids (I didn't start using it until Pre-algebra, but my oldest, who had the most struggles, always said he wished we'd used it in elementary. It has short video demonstrations and uses manipulatives--involving more multi-sensory might help your dd with remembering things. See what you think of the online demos.)

 

For spelling, All About Spelling is what turned things around for my kids. Incremental, go at her pace, mastery-based, multi-sensory, and you can do as much or as little review as she needs to master something. Here's my AAS review.

 

I'd really encourage you to download this free report on how to Help Your Child's Memory. That, combined with using AAS and seeing how to put the strategies to use, actually helped me to alter how I taught most subjects to my kids. 

 

If she's having trouble keeping up with reading, she may have some gaps or need more fluency practice. Check out All About Reading. Here's an article on Signs of a Reading Problem, that also has some links you might find helpful. HTH some!

[Mom28kds]

Math-U-See worked well for my kids (I didn't start using it until Pre-algebra, but my oldest, who had the most struggles, always said he wished we'd used it in elementary. It has short video demonstrations and uses manipulatives--involving more multi-sensory might help your dd with remembering things. See what you think of the online demos.)

 

For spelling, All About Spelling is what turned things around for my kids. Incremental, go at her pace, mastery-based, multi-sensory, and you can do as much or as little review as she needs to master something. Here's my AAS review.

 

I'd really encourage you to download this free report on how to Help Your Child's Memory. That, combined with using AAS and seeing how to put the strategies to use, actually helped me to alter how I taught most subjects to my kids. 

 

If she's having trouble keeping up with reading, she may have some gaps or need more fluency practice. Check out All About Reading. Here's an article on Signs of a Reading Problem, that also has some links you might find helpful. HTH some!

 

Thank you :)

[shinyhappypeople]

While you're figuring out your next step in terms of evals, perhaps have her use a math mini-office that's customized to the skills she's working on.  It helps build the habit of consulting reference materials when you can't remember something (versus just giving up or getting frustrated), which will serve her well.