Ways to help a distracted child become more independent

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

My son has always naturally been a distracted child in his own little world.  This is especially evident in math, which is not his strongest subject.  Even in kindergarten and first grade at a classical school, it would take an extreme amount of time to get him to finish his math homework (a Saxon fact practice sheet that he should have been able to do in 5 minutes.)  We would often have to sit and point to each problem to get him to do it.

 

Now this child is entering sixth grade...solid logic stage work.  And we are naturally ramping up his workload a bit (We have been through a major life transition this past year that has sadly affected our workload a bit.)  I am also adding a kindergartener this year along with a third grader (along with a one year old.)  This is a year where I am naturally going to require a bit more independence and higher level of work from my oldest.

 

He seems to work well, but he will take forever sometimes to get through an assignment.  A math assignment will have him sitting there daydreaming until I snap him back.  And then I discover that he doesn't always complete it (just leaves blank things he finds challenging), so we are having to go back and review areas I thought he knew with ease.  In other things, he does better than math, but he is constantly distracted.

 

I planned to have daily assignment sheets for his independent work and check his work at the end of the day with him.  He seems to work well off a list.  We are also finally moving into a house with a dedicated quiet place for him.  But I am a little concerned about the amount of logic stage work I think he needs to be doing and what may get done.  My strategy is to do 4 days a week of assignments with a flex/fun day to work on any extras if incomplete.  If he doesn't finish the week's assignments, there are always nights and weekends he can work (just like in public school!) if he needs more time.  I am really trying to build his good study habits this year.  Sometimes, he just wants to be in preschool with his brother and do the fun assignments with them.  I sometimes let him join in, but his workload will naturally take more time than his little brothers.

 

Any other ideas or strategies to build more independence and better study habits for a daydreamer?  (Note:  I am not saying I won't help him with something he struggles with...just thinking about the increased workload for an easily distracted child.)

[OneStepAtATime]

Any chance he has ADD?

[2_girls_mommy]

Sounds like mine with ADHD ( hyperfocused, inattentive, not hyperactive, what used to be called ADD.) And I don't have a cure for this still in high school, unfortunately. Every year is a struggle to find that balance. She is extremely bright, most likely gifted, tests well, but sits and stares and is always "behind" in everything while her sister who struggles with basic skills because of dyslexia works diligently and gets through everything in an appropriate amount of time. We work to find the right level of work and try to find the right set up for success. Is she working better at her desk in her room this year because she is highly distracted by her sisters playing? Or is that too much away from my watchful eyes and too easy to daydream? It seems like what works best one year or even month is different the next. Right now in Algebra what is finally working (has taken me all year to get it figured out...) is that she works with the problem solution key open. She copies one problem from the solution guide that has the solutions to all of the odds. Then she works the evens next to it herself. That way it is like an instructor sitting there showing how to work every problem. If I show her at the beginning then give her an assignment, she will be totally lost. Three hours later she can have seriously 3 problems done. But the every other problem works well. At the age of yours, I would sit and work every other problem on the white board next to him. You do one. He watches. He does the next on his paper and so forth. There is just no getting around sitting to work with these kids one on one. 

 

 

Edited May 23, 2017 by 2_girls_mommy

[Arcadia]

I planned to have daily assignment sheets for his independent work and check his work at the end of the day with him. He seems to work well off a list.

My 6th grader DS11 is easily distracted. What has worked for us is checking his work progress three times a day, during lunch, dinner and before 9pm. His "official" bedtime is 10pm. Also he does better with timers for timed work like SAT test prep.

 

What he managed to get done was

WTMA German 1 class & AoPS intermediate algebra class - he looks at the task and grade reports and keeps himself mostly on task. Reminders still required.

Thinkwell chemistry (self paced, online) - he does at a slower pace than the recommended 39 week schedule but that is okay as I had estimated he would take a year.

Edhesive computer science (self paced, online) - he follows the schedule and has no problem with completing exercises and quizzes on time as the schedule is light.

Labs with me supervising using a lab kit.

Chinese is with a tutor so I just need to remind him about homework.

 

We didn't do history or grammar. Reading comprehension was partially done using SAT test prep. We do Music Theory and Composition class and Art class in Summer every year.

[73349]

He might benefit from some kind of timer that will beep every five minutes (or another interval you both agree on) to remind him to see how he's doing with this assignment and his list overall, and from sticky notes to jot down questions and sticky flags to note things he needs to go back to.

Agreed-upon checkpoints can also help (e.g., "I think you can get this far through your list by morning snack, don't you?").

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

Thanks for your replies.  It's more of a daydreaming thing than ADD or ADHD.  He's more of the creative artist in his own little world.  He has never been thought to have ADD or ADHD, and can focus well on things that interest him.  I am familiar with the signs of that too from others I know.  He can read or do science projects for hours.  He just gets distracted by three younger siblings quite easily and is always curious about what they're doing.  He does work better when they're not around, and he will often finish a list of work when I am away.  I guess its mostly math that bogs him down, sometimes cleaning or other unpleasant chores.  He will doodle instead of doing his work sometimes.  I am thankful he will have a quiet dedicated space this year, and I am hoping with better checks and oversight and systems in place, it will work better.  

 

But I am wondering how others have built better independent study habits and quelled distractions so that we have a productive year.  Thanks!

 

 

 

 

[cintinative]

He sounds so much like my youngest who is a rising 5th grader.  Sometimes everything distracts him. He's like a dog in a room full of squirrels sometimes.   =)

[MDL]

Thanks for your replies. It's more of a daydreaming thing than ADD or ADHD. He's more of the creative artist in his own little world. He has never been thought to have ADD or ADHD, and can focus well on things that interest him. I am familiar with the signs of that too from others I know. He can read or do science projects for hours. He just gets distracted by three younger siblings quite easily and is always curious about what they're doing. He does work better when they're not around, and he will often finish a list of work when I am away. I guess its mostly math that bogs him down, sometimes cleaning or other unpleasant chores. He will doodle instead of doing his work sometimes. I am thankful he will have a quiet dedicated space this year, and I am hoping with better checks and oversight and systems in place, it will work better.

 

But I am wondering how others have built better independent study habits and quelled distractions so that we have a productive year. Thanks!

He sounds a lot like my 12 year old. I am having him work through Super Star Student from The Great Courses. And I think I'll put a desk in his room over the summer so he can have a quieter workspace. His younger (7year old) brother can be distracting. And the latest thing elder is trying to "show up" younger by actively participating in the 1st grade lessons, as opposed to 6th. It's like he is looking for praise for getting it right, and all I want to do is admonish him for taking the opportunity for learning from his little brother. It can be brutally difficult! Makes me think of Dory, "Just keep swimming!"[emoji245]

 

Oh, I also have shooting range type headphones for each child to quell the others noises. But they've balked at those a bit lately. I wonder if classical music on an iPod would help?

[Tanaqui]

It's more of a daydreaming thing than ADD or ADHD.  He's more of the creative artist in his own little world.  He has never been thought to have ADD or ADHD, and can focus well on things that interest him.

 

I don't want to argue with you, but I'm going to do just that. This description sure sounds like ADHD. People with ADHD can seem to be "daydreaming" - and it's extremely common for them to be able to "focus well on things that interest them", sometimes to the point of hyperfocusing.

 

At any rate, I bet a lot of the advice that works for kids with ADHD works for him too - checklists, frequent check-ins, a low-distraction environment.

[mom2att]

Saying this gently, as someone who has just come out on the other side of seeing two highly distractable middle school boys through homeschooling, but you are expecting a lot of a child whom you have already classified as naturally distracted. If he was distracted as an elementary student, middle school is probably going to be worse, because there is so much going on with their bodies that their minds sometimes just seem to disappear entirely.

 

Checklists and quiet places are great and will likely help him. Just remember to keep your expectations in line with where he is, not with where you think he should be. He may be fully engaged in logic-stage thinking one day, and the next day rolling around the floor with his siblings, completely unable to focus. That's okay, and it's all part of it. Be prepared to step back, give grace, and allow plenty of time to still be a kid.

 

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

I do appreciate and thank you for your opinions and feedback.  I am not trying to be combative.  I will give it consideration and discuss with our new pediatrician.  You're right that some of the same strategies would possibly be helpful.  

 

I truly do understand that all these changes will not happen overnight.  Next year will be the first school year in three years where we are not moving across the country or having a baby mid-year, and I want to give the time as a teacher to be more organized and address our areas that need work in a more focused and pro-active manner.  

[mytwomonkeys]

What you describe is my 13 year old to a T.  My son is getting ready to come home from public school and I'm so grateful! He makes good grades but only because I have to stay on top of his assignments every.single.day. It's exhausting!  A mom on here recommended a book "Smart but Scattered".  I'm currently reading it & enjoying it. Knowing that my son is very disorganized (very ADD but no hyperactivity), I'm really trying to get him to become organized. Anyway, not much with advice but wanted to say you are not alone.

[SanDiegoMom]

I'm just starting to suspect my graduating senior is/was ADD. It would take her 2 hours to do one work sheet after school (PS) and she has so much trouble with time management even now. She has always been highly gifted and I think she's been compensating all these years.

 

Young elementary school was bad but middle school was by far the worst. Brain fog and hormones.

[CAtoVA]

This is my 13 yr rising 8th grader DS! And it also happens pretty much only in math which is his least favorite subject. Unless I am sitting right next to him, very little gets done and what gets done takes a very long time interrupted by many distractions (playing with the dog, wanting to find his siblings, etc.). I will say my DS has math anxiety (even though he is a strong math student) and the anxiety definitely exacerbates his dawdling tendencies. He gets nervous to even start a problem sometimes unless I am sitting right next to him (even if I don't help him at all with the problem).

 

Next year with Algebra I, I think I may try the "work every other problem next to him" strategy mentioned above. I really thought that my DS's stellar performance in Pre-algebra this year would boost his confidence in math but it has done little in that area. He doesn't like math and dragggggggggs his feet doing it.

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

This is my 13 yr rising 8th grader DS! And it also happens pretty much only in math which is his least favorite subject. Unless I am sitting right next to him, very little gets done and what gets done takes a very long time interrupted by many distractions (playing with the dog, wanting to find his siblings, etc.). I will say my DS has math anxiety (even though he is a strong math student) and the anxiety definitely exacerbates his dawdling tendencies. He gets nervous to even start a problem sometimes unless I am sitting right next to him (even if I don't help him at all with the problem).

 

Next year with Algebra I, I think I may try the "work every other problem next to him" strategy mentioned above. I really thought that my DS's stellar performance in Pre-algebra this year would boost his confidence in math but it has done little in that area. He doesn't like math and dragggggggggs his feet doing it.

 

Math is definitely our big issue.  It helped when we switched from Saxon.  Part of his issue is his math fact retention slows him down as the math difficulty increases.  He does better with Beast Academy, which he is transitioning to more of next year as we prepare for pre-algebra.  I am going to make him do some math fact practice and games throughout the summer.  He does it well and with accuracy...he just dawdles and takes forever or doodles.  It drives me crazy sometimes!

[kbutton]

Honestly? Meds for ADHD. They are every bit as life-changing as therapy we've done for frank issues like speech therapy for articulation or glasses for nearsighted eyes.

[EmilyGF]

Headphones? The type that block noise?

 

I hadn't really finished a book for years...then I got headphones and scarfed down about twenty. I just couldn't really focus deeply with all the noise in my house.

​We own five pairs now. My husband loves them so much he took a pair to work. Then another big family was happy when we left a pair at their house. And another family is buying some.
 

My friend who is a special ed teacher recommended them and I heartily recommend them as a first step.

Emily

[2_girls_mommy]

Headphones? The type that block noise?

 

I hadn't really finished a book for years...then I got headphones and scarfed down about twenty. I just couldn't really focus deeply with all the noise in my house.

​We own five pairs now. My husband loves them so much he took a pair to work. Then another big family was happy when we left a pair at their house. And another family is buying some.

 

My friend who is a special ed teacher recommended them and I heartily recommend them as a first step.

Emily

Are you just putting them on and not playing anything? 

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

What are you playing on the headphones, or are they just blocking noise?  Thank you for the suggestion!

 

As far as meds, I don't think it's wise to give any child medication for something they have not been diagnosed with.  And while I appreciate the board's insight and will observe and discuss potential issues and/or treatment with my pediatrician, I, respectfully, do not believe anyone here has met my son or has a medical degree (as far as I know) and can actually provide such a diagnosis.  ADHD is a brain disorder.  Being a daydreamer who doesn't want to focus on math could be a symptom that indicates such a brain disorder exists, but it also can just be part of a creative artist's personality.  Time will tell, but without such a diagnosis, it is not productive to continue making this a conversation about ADHD treatments.  

 

In the meantime, I welcome suggestions on helping a young pre-teen focus on his math and learn better study habits.  

[2_girls_mommy]

I think those of us with kids with ADHD diagnoses deal with the exact behaviours to a T with our kids and recognize it in your description. Sounds like a lot of us could have written your exact post about math and our kiddos. I know I am not diagnosing. But strategies that work for kids with ADHD with the exact same symptoms you are dealing with and asking for help for are where you should be starting. Maybe not meds or going to a dr if you don't see an issue, but the headphones, quiet places, working one on one, checklists, timers, etc. are exactly the things that you should be looking into to see which could help not because your child as it, but because the strategies could help whether he does or doesn't.  I would read up on strategies and the book mentioned above for ideas on how to help your child work through these things. 

 

And thanks btw to PP above for mentioning that Scattered book. I haven't read that one. I already have it checked out and started. I went to several workshops from Little Giant Steps, a hsing company that focuses on brain development at convention. She had some great strategies for working with kids. It isn't about an actual diagnosis. It is about helping the kids overcome the difficulties so that they can be successful. I would suggest looking into them if anyone is interested. I am reading their book on auditory processing right now. 

Edited June 3, 2017 by 2_girls_mommy

[Pen]

It helped here to have a length of time for math and do it in a serious focussed way and then be done with math for the day, rather than to try to do a certain number of pages or a lesson.

[Pen]

It also helped to use a math program that was limited in amount that was needed to feel like progress was being made and that encouraged focus.

[Tanaqui]

I think those of us with kids with ADHD diagnoses deal with the exact behaviours to a T with our kids and recognize it in your description. Sounds like a lot of us could have written your exact post about math and our kiddos.

 

And those of us with non-typical kids, or who are ourselves non-typical know exactly how common it is to chalk up symptoms of a learning disability to anything else.

 

I'm autistic. My parents knew I was autistic even as a baby (despite being unable to get a formal diagnosis), and yet they still had a clever answer for everything. I couldn't write neatly, tie my shoes until twelve, reliably zip or button my clothes, or eat without getting food all over those same clothes, my face, and in my hair... because I was left-handed. (No, it was because, like many autistics, I had some serious motor control issues.) I couldn't walk three city blocks without tripping, and routinely took pratfalls until I was nearly 20 because... I liked to read, so I didn't get out much. I didn't speak clearly, to the point of needing speech therapy (and still having a noticeable foreign accent syndrome) because... I had crooked teeth. I couldn't make friends because I was too smart, I couldn't get any sort of work done for the same reason and also laziness (nowadays I can be quite scathing on the very concept of laziness!), and I don't remember what explanation they gave for my inability to point or to reliably identify what other people were pointing at, but I'm sure it was a doozy. (Possibly they didn't have an explanation for that one, they just called it "one of her quirks"). Spending hours lining up and sorting my crayons and my toys, and making lists of things, this was "the normal way children play". (Actually, I think both my parents actually believed this. Conditions like autism and ADHD are highly heritable. It is normal for parents of children with these conditions to display many of the same traits as their children do, and to see those same traits reflected in their own parents and siblings. Consequently, they dismiss their importance.)

 

And maybe you're reading all this and rolling your eyes, but this is sooooo normal. It is an incredibly common story among people who didn't get diagnosed until adulthood - their parents were just full of explanations for every little odd thing they did. Some of those explanations were loving and supportive ("just a quirk!"). Some were judgmental ("my kid is so lazy!"). But they all had them.

 

Now, you said you're taking our advice seriously, which is all any of us can ask for. But this is why you got the dogpile. We all have learned from experience that if you don't push a little, parents will rationalize away almost anything. They're used to their kids, after all!

 

It can be hard to know when to stop pushing :)

[PeterPan]

What are you playing on the headphones, or are they just blocking noise?  Thank you for the suggestion!

 

As far as meds, I don't think it's wise to give any child medication for something they have not been diagnosed with.  And while I appreciate the board's insight and will observe and discuss potential issues and/or treatment with my pediatrician, I, respectfully, do not believe anyone here has met my son or has a medical degree (as far as I know) and can actually provide such a diagnosis.  ADHD is a brain disorder.  Being a daydreamer who doesn't want to focus on math could be a symptom that indicates such a brain disorder exists, but it also can just be part of a creative artist's personality.  Time will tell, but without such a diagnosis, it is not productive to continue making this a conversation about ADHD treatments.  

 

In the meantime, I welcome suggestions on helping a young pre-teen focus on his math and learn better study habits.  

 

Cognitive Connections  This is the site for 360Thinking, which specializes in time management issues. They just did a really good webinar that you can watch for $39. It's mentioned on their home page. He can watch it with you and will find the tools very applicable. I'm going to be going through it with my ADHD dd who is going to college.

 

You're pretty defensive right now on the ADHD thing, and you're right we don't know your kid. Not sure what you mean by time will tell. Lots of people don't get diagnosed for a LONG TIME and go through life struggling. I really don't think of my dd as having a "disorder" so much as a difference. She has widely spaced mini-columns in the brain that result in slower processing but more divergent, connected thinking. That kind of pattern, with people who think differently and make connections way outside the box, is common in artists, etc.! So maybe don't take it too personally and just sorta scavenge for the good that can apply? Yes, you could have your ped run the Quotient or go to a psych, but even without that you could decide to use the *strategies* that work well for people with distractibility, EF issues, processing speed issues, etc. 

 

So what are some best practices, things you might decide to use? Well the 360 Thinking stuff, absolutely. Limited distraction environment (headphones, noise canceling earbuds, private office, etc.), yes. STRUCTURE. This is huge, huge huge. Structure means clear expectations, a plan. Some kids are going to do better with the herd effect of being with some other people doing things. It increases structure. Tech is another best practice. Alarms, having all his devices (phone, laptop, ipad, etc.) sync so he can find his files, have alarms, make notes that are there across tools.

 

You've given him a private office, check. Daily work lists, check. This is good stuff! I think you'll find the 360 Thinking helps you take it to the next level. They have ways to help the dc estimate/calculate how long the work will take and set midpoints and alarms for checking himself. You'll love it. Totally worth the $39 for the webinar. Or at least I thought it was. :)

 

One advantage of evals is helping you catch some things you're missing. For instance, they can catch low processing speed, low working memory, vision issues, social delays, etc. that would affect his work. It's just concrete info that, if you had it, would help you work with him better. If his processing speed is low relative to IQ, it might not be realistic for him to get a lot more done without fatiguing. It might totally change your plan for how you work with him. Maybe you'd decide to keep his load low but school year-round. If his working memory is low, you could do some work and bring that up. He might be fatiguing in his work because of developmental vision issues or because of trying to hold so much in his brain when his working memory and processing speed are low. So then, in his immaturity, with no words to know what is happening or why, he just seems to fade out or take breaks.

 

So some concrete data could help you figure out *why* it's happening and see if there's something to be done about it. I'm not a horribly strong proponent of meds. I'm just saying there's a lot of good BEYOND meds that could be had with evals and data. And, frankly, I think it's a pain in the butt to live with an ADHD person who doesn't get themselves. If he IS ADHD, it would be better for him to know NOW and start making better choices and working with himself better NOW, rather than just thinking it's not and living with the consequences. And maybe it's not, not saying it is. Your ped could run a screening tool. I like the Quotient that our ped runs. I like that it's sort of objective and concrete. 

 

Is there anything on his mind when he takes those breaks or drifts off? Can he verbalize why he's doing them? There are some strategies people use, like setting a timer for every 10 minutes and logging what they're doing. It helps them snap back and realize how often they drift. Also, people will set timers and rotate what they're working on. So one pile, working through it one thing at a time, changing with the timer, cycling through till the pile is done. The 360 Thinking people suggest 20 minutes on, 10 minutes break. They say EVERYONE gets more done using a paradigm like that. :)

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

I do thank you all for pointing me to all of these strategies, and I understand that some of the same strategies will be effective.  Thank you for sharing those resources as I am not familiar.  I have a lot of summer reading to do!

 

I am not defensive on getting an evaluation or a vision check (which I know we need) or discussing this with his pediatrician.  I am defensive on giving meds to a child who has not been diagnosed with anything.  Medication is not even the first tool that is standard in the treatment protocol, so I think it very premature to suggest meds at this point.  What I mean by time will tell is that as I discuss these concerns with a medical professional, we can determine whether these issues are just a part of his personality or vision focus issues or ADHD or something else entirely.  

 

As far as not seeing these things because they are similar to me, that really isn't the case in these circumstances.  I don't think I indicated that I saw the same things in myself.  I was actually a very focused student.  

 

I do understand the frustration and struggles that many parents face with autism and ADHD.  I have friends and extended family by marriage who are close to me who do struggle with these issues, and I understand their advocacy and do not minimize these difficulties in any way.  I know that some things can go undiagnosed for some people for a long time.  I really do appreciate the awareness.  Some of these same people in my life who know these issues and know my son really do not see those warning signs in him.  I will say he does not have hyperactivity.  I am not trying to be defensive, because as I say, time will tell as I discuss these issues with my doctor and get a professional opinion.  I realize there is an inattentive ADHD, but I am defensive in jumping to a diagnosis right away without looking at all the details.  I guess you could say I am cautious in immediate dismissal or immediate diagnosis.  If we determine that these issues are present, I will definitely be asking you all more questions and advice because I know the value of these forums.  

 

P.S. If I seem cranky at all, I ask you to please allow me some grace as we are going through some completely unrelated stress piled on in our family lately that I do not care to really talk about on the internet.  I am trying to check my grumpiness, and I apologize if I come across short with anyone on some of my worst days.

Edited June 6, 2017 by AdventuresinHomeschooling

[Tanaqui]

We've all been there, don't worry about it :)

[Pen]

1)  I have a lot of summer reading to do!

 

2) I realize there is an inattentive ADHD, but I am defensive in jumping to a diagnosis right away without looking at all the details.  I guess you could say I am cautious in immediate dismissal or immediate diagnosis.  If we determine that these issues are present, I will definitely be asking you all more questions and advice because I know the value of these forums.  

 

 

 

 

I'm gone for long periods since my ds has gone to public school now.

 

1. In case you decide you want to look more in the ADD direction please consider adding the book Delivered from Distraction by Edward? Hallowell to your summer reading. I recommend it in audio version and skip the chapters about drugs that you don't want to have as your direction. But do consider some of the discussion, outlook, and strategies etc. as possibly helpful for your ds's dreaminess even if it is not ADD.

 

Also according to a book by Barbara Reed Stitt, food changes often have major helpful impacts on behavior. While in a study done on boys to try out various interventions (not for daydreaming issues though), such as tutoring, counseling, etc.,--the things we usually tend to think will help with behavior-- the actual results did not show that the behavioral type interventions actually did help much, in fact possibly the opposite. 

 

 

2. Consider seeing if some of the supplements that can help some people with ADD could help your ds, such as B vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids etc: that is,  things that are not dangerous and that do not have serious (if any) side effects. Look at orthomolecular medicine, perhaps, where vitamin B3 and other vitamins have shown some alleviation of such symptoms. There are both books and websites about this sort of thing.  I find it very hard to get my ds to take vitamins, but the difference for him when he does (particularly Bcomplex, B3, and Omega 3)  is remarkable.

 

 

3. In our case, we got better results with focus by keeping school short so that it required intense focus for short burst of time, and then there was free time, rather than a long time doing boring schoolwork which tended to result in lack of attention.  And my ds did not especially like crafty "fun" school stuff, but preferred a get 'er done as to the required basics, and then be free to go do things he found fun approach.  For a number of reasons while the WTM approach with logic stage etc. appealed to me, it was not a right fit for my ds.  

 

Mine sometimes even did better with things like a Spectrum Math workbook (very short and get er done!) or khan Academy to the more often recommended home school math programs. "Better" is not necessarily better if it is not actually getting done, or only getting done with stress. MUS tended to work because if he understood something on the first try at practice problems he could move on rather than doing page after page (such as is the case with Saxon)--but did have plenty of pages if more practice was needed on a skill. He also liked Beast Academy math, but it did not go up high enough for him in level.  Khan academy had a way to get 2 problems in a new skill right to be able to move on to a next skill, which helped foster focus on those two problems--otherwise if one was wrong, it required doing a lot more to show mastery.

[Pen]

ps I think that Saxon is likely to be an especially bad fit math curriculum for  a distractible child.

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

ps I think that Saxon is likely to be an especially bad fit math curriculum for a distractible child.

This is what we started with. He hated it! He liked A Beka better because they had a better order for presenting the facts to memorize, but he will take a long time doing it. He did Beast Academy as a supplement and will do it solely next year with some fact practice as a supplement.

[Pen]

This is what we started with. He hated it! He liked A Beka better because they had a better order for presenting the facts to memorize, but he will take a long time doing it. He did Beast Academy as a supplement and will do it solely next year with some fact practice as a supplement.

 

I expect that BA with time required, and maybe more than one shorter stint daily (eg 15 minutes with good focus 3x/day) rather than one long one with a lot of drifting off task will help a lot!  

 

Try to find some other way for him to do fact practice.  Maybe out loud while shooting baskets (basketball) or some other active thing to go with it. Maybe flash cards. Maybe him teaching facts to your 3rd grader.  My ds learned facts with shooting baskets, flash cards, and playing Sumdog on computer.  You need to know the facts before Sumdog helps, but it can make them a lot faster and automatic.

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

I have never heard of Sumdog.  We have the Right Start games that I plan to use more this year as his younger brother is now learning multiplication and division too.  We also use Xtramath.  We also play games like Leapfrog, etc. with flash cards.  We know he could solidify his facts a little better, which would also help his speed.  I definitely think Beast Academy is better for him.

[Pen]

Sumdog, according to my son's feelings about it, has extremely fun computer games that require math.  I think it is www.sumdog.com.  And it used to be that older games were free and new ones had a fee. My ds only used the free ones.  He is several years past that point, so I don't know the situation now. Could even be defunct, but it seemed so popular that I doubt that.

 

It is nothing like Right Start games.   Examples from times past: it will set up something like a soccer field looking thing and you (student that is) have to answer a math facts question fast or it means a goal against you.  Or answering math questions makes a tennis game work.  Some required a math answer and then also something else, like lining up a trajectory of a ball to score.  Some had things like math and at the same time assembling hamburgers, or rescuing people off an island.  Everyone started as a common brown rat in a level system. As you got better and better you were assigned a level of an animal that was less and less common in the world, toward levels where some were endangered and so on, which was for my ds an extra fun part.  Some games were against the computer. Some were against other players from around the world (with sometimes flags to indicate from where) in real time. Or some had the choice of playing computer or playing real other people.

 

I vaguely recall that info could be put in about the child's level so that when playing against the computer or choosing problems or games it did not expect a first grader to be doing what a 5th grader could do.  I never saw anyone else's math problems, but assume that my ds was getting problems at his level, while maybe another player for real time games against other people was getting totally different problems at that player's own age/grade/etc level.