TCoppock
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Posts posted by TCoppock
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Is it a writing fluency issue or does he need the time to think thru the question and response before he begins his written response?
Can he keyboard his responses more quickly?
Does his written response match his oral response in complexity and depth?
It seems like he has trouble getting what is in his head onto paper. He knows the answers but putting them in writing is taking him forever.He cannot type yet, but I will allow him to voice the response into a word program. We have done this successfully with IEW and longer written assignments in the past. I've never considered allowing him to do the same for shorter answer responses.
He has always been verbally articulate. Thinking back his written work was fairly articulate as well or at least grade appropriate. It seems now his answers often run parallel to what is being asked but off the mark. (if that makes sense) You can also see his mind wandering on the paper. At first I thought it was a comprehension problem, but he answers the questions correctly when asked. I often say, "Well if that is the answer why did you put something else on your paper?" His response is always IDK. I don't get it. It is like his brain and his hand aren't connected.
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Was he only ever evaluated by a psychiatrist for ADHD? Or were there any other evaluations? Is there any chance there could be other underlying learning issues or even vision or auditory issues that actually are making this harder for him than is readily apparent? With vision and auditory issues normal hearing and vision screenings frequently do not catch the unusual issues. With some learning differences, only a really well trained neuro-psychologist (not a psychiatrist) may catch what is happening. There are so many, many parents on the Learning Challenges board that have found learning issues or vision issues or auditory issues they just didn't have a clue their kids had until bad attitude or frustrating or confusing behavior caused them to dig deeper to find the root cause.
It may very well just be his age, but I thought I would mention others that have been down this road found there really were reasons for the behavior. Good luck! Sorry you are all having such a frustrating time.
I have a hard time accepting he takes so long because when we speak to him he knows the information. It is just getting him to do the written work. My husband and I teeter back and forth on if this is an attitude/laziness issue or something else. It is hard because we have absolutely no other issues with him. He is seriously the best behaved teenager I have ever met. It is only school where we are having problems. We have been getting slower and slower for some time now. You could very well be correct pointing out there could be a learning disability that hasn't been caught. We have only seen the psychiatrist and child psychologist regarding his ADHD.
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My son is actually 14 and in 9th grade.
We are finishing up BJU Physical Science. (about 3 more weeks to go) Other than the time required, he seems to enjoy it and is definitely learning a lot. He always calls me into the room to rewind the videos to show me something "cool" and LOVES to feed me information he has learned. He just seems to take his sweet time when it comes to any written work.
TOG has been a wonderful program for us and worth the investment. The book selections have been a good fit overall and he will often read ahead if allowed. Because my son struggles with The questions can be difficult at times, and I appreciate that, but he is more than capable of answering them. I suppose I can cut the assignment in half and do some orally. I just feel it is a disservice to completely eliminate it.
I have no problem stepping back and letting him take the lead, however he would still be required to meet our basic expectations.
The above was written last night, but apparently I never hit the post button.
This morning we went to the psychiatrist. I explained what was going on and my concerns. He says it could be stress and anxiety related or possibly the medication dose being too low. The dosage was actually decreased 3 months ago by our primary care doctor pending further work up by a pediatric cardiologist. We have seen the cardiologist and received an all clear for now. The psychiatrist still wants to be prudent in increasing the dose but doesn't feel the medication is related. Because my son has had multiple episodes of tachycardia and 3 bouts of chest pain, we also want to be very cautious with medication. Tomorrow we will start a slightly higher dose and see how it goes. This school issue was going on prior to the adjustment in medication so I'm not very optimistic.
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He does have ADHD and is medicated for it. Because this is the only area we seem to be having issues, I never considered it as a potential cause. We are actually seeing his psychiatrist tomorrow, so I'm going to question him as well. Like I said, he isn't a bad kid at all. He is just seems to take forever to complete an assignment and he seems almost not to care it does.
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My son wants nothing to do with me teaching him, but also doesn't want to attend public school. My husband and I are at our wits end with him. He is getting close to nothing accomplished. Today he completed a single lesson of science and math. THAT'S IT! We spent a total of 7.5 hours and accomplished squat. I've tried being more involved. I've tried being less involved. I've asked if he wanted to change programs, go to a public school, or get a tutor. Nothing seems to change. He wants to go to college, but how is he going to survive college? No professor is going to give him tons of extra time to complete his work. He isn't a bad kid, but his attitude towards school stinks. Has anyone else dealt with this? Any advice on what else to try?
We are currently using BJU online for science. He finds it difficult, but is enjoying it at the same time. He has maintained a solid B throughout the course. All that would be fine, except he is taking 3-4 HOURS to complete a day's assignment.
For math we use Saxon with the teaching DVD. He teeters between a high B and low A with this. He is good at math, but again it takes him several hours to complete.
We use TOG for History, Literature, and Bible. This is his passion. He loves the reading and completes it quickly, but drags his feet and rarely completes the review questions. He definitely comprehends the readings and will go on about what he learned, but forget any written work.
Now because of him dragging his feet and taking FOREVER to complete or partially complete assignments we have dropped everything else. I want him to be writing on a regular basis. And I want him to be studying a foreign language. I seriously would be over the moon if we could do this. I just don't know where I can pluck the time from. I'm about to throw the towel in on this.
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I voted other. Bath until around 6 or 7. Then I would allow them to choose.
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Ugh. I was afraid of that. As someone who agonizes over Amazon reviews for $5 items, I'm not exactly keen on rushing to spend many thousands of dollars without giving it a week or so to consider if I'm still going to like the house in 5 years. :-\
We are looking at houses currently too, and I find it really hard to part with such a large chunk of money unless I have thought it thoroughly through and am certain it's the one. The good ones seem to move really quick and the so-so ones linger on the market forever.
My poor brother is having the same issues where he lives and even offering above the asking price isn't helping.
I was under the impression the economy was still slow, but the housing market doesn't seem to reflect that.
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Here is a link to the Church of Christ. It is non-denominational, and there are several branches with slightly varying beliefs, but this website seems to give the most information overall. http://church-of-christ.org/who.html#music
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Sorry things are so stressful. My first suggestions would have been yoga and meditation, but you said you don't really have time for that. How about a warm bath and some tea, or a glass of wine. It might give you a few minutes to relax and collect your thoughts. I like to add scented bath oil. Lavender is suppose to help you relax.
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I will pray that God keeps you safe throughout your journey. DS use to be frightened of flying, especially the takeoff and landing. We hold hands during these times and say a prayer asking God to take away our fears and to allow the pilot to safely get us to our destination. It definitely helps.
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Philippians 4:6-7
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
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I have not read other comments here. Your husband is verbally and physically abusing your son. Please stop making excuses for him. Your son probably has problems BECAUSE of your husband. I am furious right now. I would have called the police on my own husband if I found him doing this to my child. Seriously it floors me that you are blaming your child rather than the grown adult in this matter.
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Thanks! We love Redwall. We have been slowly acquiring them all, but this will be our first Kindle one.
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Yikes! That's a heavy load! 9th grade here, with a student with mild LDs in math and writing, took 5.5 to 6 hours. No WAY DS had any brain energy to go longer than that. It would have been pointless sitting, because no more knowledge would have gone into his head -- we all have a limit of how long we can concentrate and really learn!
Yes, I had to sit with him and hand-hold a lot in those LD areas -- in fact, all the way into 12th grade with the writing and math. I don't regret it at all, because it really wasn't until about halfway into 12th grade I could see DS -- in his unique developmental timetable -- begin to mature a bit. He had just turned 18yo. Besides, spending that much time together enabled us to discuss bunny trails of real life issues that cropped up. Below are a few ideas. BEST of luck in adjusting! Warmest regards, Lori D.
- Work at HIS pace.
It's about QUALITY not quantity. And it's about doing what helps your DS learn concepts and put them into practice -- NOT about making yourselves do every.single.problem.or.read.every.book just so you can check off a box. Since DS is a slow worker, then pick *carefully* what you have him do, drop EVERYTHING that is extraneous.
- Speed up the day.
1. Where possible, just do selected problems, not every.single.one.
2. Do some work orally (grammar, geography).
3. "Double dip" -- count anything written for History as part of the Writing/English credit, and don't make DS also do Writing program that same week he's doing the History writing.
- Set time limits on the History/Geog. (no more than 4-5 hours/per WEEK) and Literature (no more than 5-6 hours/per WEEK)
Otherwise, you are unfairly requiring more than a credit's worth of work, but not granting that credit. That may mean:
1. Spread out the TOG History, Geography, Literature and take 1.5 to 2 years to complete one level. This is a rich, HEAVY program, so that would be okay!
2. Just do portions of the TOG and drop other portions.
3. Switch to something less rigorous and time-intensive.
Again, work with your DS where he is at. Yes, TOG rhetoric level is worth a high school credit -- it is a rigorous program and the rhetoric stage is about right for grades 11-12. So, honestly, I think a 9th or 10th grader doing the rhetoric stage would be doing Honors History, while a 9th or 10th grader doing dialectic stage is right on target. JMO.
- Condense/Reduce/Drop some of your LA.
1. Grammar
R&S is grammar AND writing. You're already doing IEW. Drop the writing portion. Only do selected problems of the grammar. Or better yet, entirely drop the R&S. Does DS really NEED any more grammar at this point? Usually in high school the grammar is not taught/practiced with exercises, but USED as part of the writing. If the student is a bit shaky at grammar usage & mechanics, then do some sort of lite (10 minute) grammar practice 2-3x/week.
2. Writing
And how much writing is DS also doing with TOG? That is a pretty reading/writing heavy program. Don't make him write everything in TOG AND do IEW -- alternate them, or do a unit of IEW, then set it aside for a week or two and spend that time doing a writing project out of TOG. But don't make poor DS do ALL of the writing for both at the same time. That's going to KILL any interest in learning!
3. Vocab
Usually this is learned in context of the Literature. However if you really feel you want or must continue with your separate program, then drop it to just 2-3x/week.
- Science
If you're only going to do 3 credits over the 4 years, you can do about 2/3 credit each year, meaning the amount you spend each day can be less, because you're allowing yourself more time over all to complete the credit. Ours looked like this:
9th = .66 credit Biology
10th = .33 credit Biology, and .5 credit Anatomy
11th = .66 credit Chemistry
12th = .33 credit Chemistry, and .5 credit Physics
To simplify the transcript, I listed the credits by SUBJECT, not by date or by grade. So it looked like this:
SCIENCE (with labs)
Biology . . . . . . . . 1.0 credit . . . (grade) . . . . completion date
Anatomy . . . . . . . 0.5 credit . . . (grade) . . . . completion date
Chemistry . . . . . . 1.0 credit . . . (grade) . . . . completion date
Physics . . . . . . . . 0.5 credit . . . (grade) . . . . completion date
TOTAL . . . . . . . . . 3.0 credits . . . GPA (cumulative)
Thank you. There is so much here to chew on as I try to prepare for our upcoming year.
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I hope you take time to consider what 8 Fills the Heart has posted and what I'm about to post here. We've been there in your shoes, having young teens with learning challenges and trying to figure out how to prepare theme for traditional college.
It is difficult trying to figure out how to prepare DS for traditional school without squashing his uniqueness.
These young teens are now have young adults, so we've got some perspective! From my experience, I can tell you that pushing academics for 12 hours a day is NOT the answer. It will not prepare your student to survive college. Your student needs a much more balanced day so that there is time for other things -- having fun, learning to cook, exploring interests, and figuring out how to be an adult.
Your right, living and breathing school day in and day out is killing us. The reason for this post was there is just so much I saw that needed to be done, but there was absolutely no time to do it. I am looking at what we are doing now and seeing ultimately what I want to cut back on so we can provide a more rounded life. I never noticed we were doubling up on subjects until it was pointed out. :blush:
Life skills are essential. Learning to make a check list and to establish a routine is essential. Learning to cook, do laundry, manage money are tasks that will need to be taught and practiced while at home. Shoot, learning to drive is going to be a monumental task! My ds uses the apps on his smart phone to keep his life organized -- he uses the alarm, checklists, countdown clocks and the calendar. Before the smart phone he used an iPod touch or the computer, and before that it was paper lists. He is the checklist king, and while it isn't a cure all for being an ADHD scatter brain, he stays fairly organized. He does live on his own, on the other side of the country.
We use checklists for a lot of things, but it is usually me that is making them for DS. I think teaching him this skill would be beneficial.
Developing skills and nurturing talent is equally important, if not more important, that academics. Does your ds have a knack for anything in particular? A life long interest in something? A friend of mine struggled to keep her bright teen in the AP/college track but finally let go when he was 16 because he was miserable. He was only interested in cars. He is now a happy and successful 21 year old student at a world class auto mechanics school. My own ds is about to graduate from a specialized program in technical theater where he is known for his exceptional talent and keen eye for lighting design. He spent the bulk of his time as a teen working in community theaters and volunteering at church.
DS loves reading and Star Wars, and reading about Star Wars :) Seriously the majority of DS free time is spent reading.He enjoys a variety of books, business/economic magazines, and Time. He has said in the past he might wish to be either a librarian or a historian, but he often changes, as to be expected since he is still young. I have considered seeing if he could do volunteer work at our library. His interests are few and far between, so I tend to aim for exposure to many things in hopes that something catches his interest.
Both these boys are academically bright and capable. They can write a good paper, they have read good books, but they would be miserable in a traditional 4 year university.
Accommodations for learning challenges are important and quite legitimate. In a brick and mortar school your child would likely be given some special accommodations for his challenges, whether it is someone to take notes, using a computer to type papers, or extra time for exams. These kinds of accommodations will also be available in college and can make all the difference in the world for some students. Don't think of it as "cheating", or that it is somehow unfair, that your ds has to do it like everyone else.
Although I try to accommodate DS needs, I also try to teach him the skills. I think that many skills can be learned to some degree even if they do take longer or require a different approach. I think there is definitely a balance that is needed here.
Streamline the academics. Geography IS part of history, for instance -- it does not need to be it's own separate course. Tapestry of Grace is an integrated program -- if you are going to use it, trust in the completeness of it. Grammar and spelling are part of writing and rewriting -- there is no need to use a separate program. And doing double writing isn't necessarily the way to overcome a writing weakness -- time will prove a better cure as with time comes maturity. So much improves after puberty
Combining subjects is something I see is vital to "getting it all done." I just need to figure out what I have that doubles and where I need extras.
This is probably coming across more strident than I had wanted. It is just heartfelt comments from someone who has been there and is soooo very thankful I didn't force my son into the traditional academic box! (In all honesty, I think he was 14 before I let go of trying to make him fit into that box.) You clearly love your son and are doing what you think is best. I hope the perspectives from 8 and me are helpful as you look ahead to high school.
I didn't take your comments as anything but helpful. It really does help hearing everyone here who has already been through what I am. It is a challenge knowing when to push and when to step back. We definitely want DS to get the most out of his last school years with us no matter what the specifics.
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I am going to offer a suggestion based on our experience with our almost 21 yos who is a highly intelligent Aspie. I really regret spending so much time on academics. We really should have focused on life skills and done just avg levels of academics. I remember being furious with his psy when he was 14 b/c he told me that it didn't matter what his academic background was b/c if he couldn't function independently and hold a job, then education was moot.
It was not until ds was a sr in high school that we were finally able to realize just how much his Aspergers would impact his adulthood. Even now at 21 he is incredibly dependent and we aren't sure if he will ever be completely independent. (It is hard to imagine at this juncture.). And, his psy was right. Being able to make high grades in college courses while not being able to self-regulate does not translate well into employability and independence.
If I could go back and do it again, life skills and self-management skill would be become highest priority and academics a distant second.
I have a brother who has a genius level IQ, but up until he was probably 35 could not hold down a job. It amazed me that someone so intelligent wasn't able to do something so basic; that was of course until I had DS. DS is leaps and bounds farther than my brother is/was, but he still has a long way to go.
Can I ask what specific life skills you feel are most important? We are still working on a lot of DS social skills. This has become extremely hard because at times it is difficult to note what is teenage defiance and what is caused by his condition. We don't allow him to use his condition as an excuse, but we definitely allow for more grace.
I think by the time he is college bound we should have taught him:
Morning Routine: Wake up, shower, brush hair, eat breakfast, take medicine, brush teeth, etc.<-- We are still working on this
Review Daily Schedule (We use Motivated Moms which he is already used to)
Cook
Budget
Plan Meals
Make a grocery list
Pay Bills
Laundry
Dishes
What else am I missing?
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I would agree with the others that your son seems to be spending too much time on history/geography & lit/writing/rod&staff. If there is any thought of him going into a STEM field, I would not cut back on the math time. I would look at the Life Science and see if you could streamline the work so he's spending only 1 hr/day on that. I would also aim for 1 hr max on history/geography and 1 - 1.5 hrs on all the language arts stuff combined. I don't know what he's doing with Rod & Staff, but I'd look to drop that and focus on the writing. A lot of hand-holding is normal for kids this age for writing, especially with boys (in my experience). I'd also look at what he's doing with the literature. If any of it includes busy work, like worksheets, I'd cut that out or do it orally. If you are not doing this already, can you have him do his IEW writing on topics having to do with his literature reading?
History and Literature are his favorites, and I don't foresee him going into a STEM field. DH and I have discussed removing Geography all together or making it a discussion type of learning tied tightly to history. We travel and DS reads and watches the news, so he has exposure to the basics of geography. Again I can see dropping Rod and Staff to review. DS has a pretty solid grasp there. Is high school level Language arts basically just reading and writing? I know for sure I had a grammar book still in 9th grade.
:iagree: , but I would not cut math back to 1 hour since it builds from year to year. :iagree: and I found that to be difficult for me in scheduling/facilitating high school. You really do have to make tough choices on where to focus. The other thing to keep in mind is that I've learned that it's hard to plan 4 years in advance for high school. Sure, you can have a basic idea of what subjects your student will do, but for both of mine, I've had to make changes in the upper high school grades based on what they were interested in and what outside courses were available. It was so much easier in the lower grades to just think, "we're doing Core 3 now, then we'll do Core 4, Core 5, etc. with SL, and it all worked out pretty well. Scheduling high school is much trickier.Sorry if it came across that I was just going to move everything blindly to the next level. It was not meant that way. :) We have finally found programs that are working for DS, and it is for that reason that we were planning to stick with them. I am definitely willing to abandon or even revisit programs based on DS needs. That has actually been one of the biggest benefits of homeschooling.
Just remember, though, that you're only making year to year decisions. If you find you've cut the wrong thing, you can bring it in again the next year, or put a heavier focus on it at that time. If you look at your son's basic skills, math, reading, writing, I'd focus on making sure those are well developed. Yes he'll need to do other subjects, too, but he has a lifetime to learn about history, science, etc. If he has good core skills when he's done high school, he can realistically tackle any subject matter in college and beyond. HTH, BrendaI think knowing I'm coming down to the final years is really what might be getting me. I feel like judgement day is nearing, and I must ensure I've sufficiently prepared him. I think we will be ok based on what I'm reading here as long as we continue to work diligently on his core subjects. Thanks
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Yes, you're expecting too much. 12 hours a day is on the road to burn out for both of you.
I'm definitely afraid of this. We have always had a longer school day than most, but it was much more relaxed and fluid.
I know nothing about TOG, so I'll let those with more experience recommend how to wrangle all those topics. I would drop mind benders and vocabulary. With TOG, he's getting good literature and could do word study from that if necessary. I would not double up on writing assignments, but pick and choose. R&S one week, IEW another..I can see where we could drop grammar lessons down to light review. I've never considered dropping vocabulary. It doesn't take but 15 minutes a day. We do look up new words in our reading that he can't figure out using context clues, so counting that as word study might work. Should we make flashcards of the new words, or should we just let it be making he continues to look up the word until he remembers without looking? Some weeks we use IEW with our other subjects. For example, this week we wrote a paper on the heart to help him memorize the parts and processes for science. I would assume doing more of this type of work might work better for high school level than keeping everything separate.
Another thing you need to consider for high school is credits. Most college want 2-3 years of a foreign language, so you'd need to add that back in next year. I would map out a 4 year plan, realizing you cannot do in all or all in one year. Our plan is 7 credits per year. This year we dropped to 6 1/2 to shore up math and writing skills. My son works slow as well. We have so many great subject we want to explore together, but prioritizing has led us cut back for now.Is 7 credits per year the average pace? I can see where prioritizing will be difficult with such a buffet of good options. Is it frowned upon to do multiple courses light rather than few full credits. For instance, if DS wanted to take music and study sketching, but also wants to take PE and something else all in the same year would it be better to spread the classes over 2 years giving him complete credits or is it ok to give 1/2 or 1/4 credits. With his condition he is either fully engrossed in a subject or the novelty wears off quickly. I could see the benefits for him if smaller credits weren't frowned upon.
Many of the struggles you list with the organization are typical for the age. My ds still talks, is unorganized, lacks focus. Part of it is maturity, part of it hormonal. Growth spurts and brain fog are common. Also, remember the child that enters 9th grade while not the young man that enters university. So many wise women on this board have reminded us repeatedly that 14 is very different from 18-19.Thank you for pointing this out. It is hard to believe that so much growing up will occur over the high school years.
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I use Tapestry so I know sometimes it can be a BIG. However, let me make some suggestions. First, if your ds is only 12 currently, I would consider very carefully if he should move up to high school level next year or not. It might be wise to take another year at D level in Tapestry and just move forward with your other subjects. This would give him a lot of advantages not just now, but also at the end of high school when he graduates.Yes, I'd step back the TOG part, the rest is fine.
I have considered only moving one or two subjects to rhetoric level with TOG. That way we are able to ease into the higher level work. My question about that is should I really be giving him high school credit if the work isn't high school level.
Next I would look at the add ons and language arts materials you are using. First you've got Tapestry for lit, then you have Rod and Staff and then IEW and finally a vocabulary program. I'd eliminate a lot of this in high school. I'd continue to use Tapestry and do something for writing. I don't know enough about IEW to tell you if that is the way to go or just use Tapestry's assignments with something smaller like The Lively Art of Writing.If I'm dropping the grammar program, would just reinforcing it through writing be enough.
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I started out more ambitious for my 9th grader this year and have scaled back. I think I was unrealistic not in what he *could* get done, but in what would be reasonable, kwim? I felt like I was constantly pushing, and that's not what I wanted his hs experience to be.
Sometimes it's good to know that just because our children are capable of doing things it isn't necessarily the best thing for them in the long run. I don't want him to look back at his childhood with only memories of school, day in and day out.
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I would suggest for high school, you change your thinking a bit. Instead of looking at all the curriculum you want to use, choose classes and credits that your 9th grader will have. Then, see what curriculum you need to facilitate those classes. Toss the rest. It is hard and harsh, but there isn't time to do everything. Your child can't succeed in 10 credits worth of classes.
At this point I'm taking a bunch of slow deep breaths. DS has always done a large variety of programs, but I can definitely see that as subjects become more complex we need to have more focus on the most important.
Some suggestions: Math: sounds like it is going great. I don't know the Saxon sequence to know what is next, but 1 credit of math Science: If you stick to BJU, then go to Physical Science for 9th and again, you've got a solid credit Language Arts: You are doing 3+ hours/day. That probably needs to cut back. Is he ready to be done with Rod and Staff? If you can't cut below 2 hours/day, you can give separate credits for writing and literature. History/Geography/Government: That is 3 credits of history per year. You have to cut that to one or at the most 2 credits. I would give a full credit for history and scale the geography and government to 1/4- 1/2 credit so he gets 1 credit of each over the 4 years of high school Bible: Sounds like it is under control. 1/2-1 credit. Just have him track the time he spends and base the credit on how long it takes. Mind Benders fall under logic. I would either give him enough to do 1/2 credit of logic or drop it. He can do them in free time if he wants, but I wouldn't give credit for them.We will do Algebra 2 next year with Saxon. Physical Science will be started in about 4 weeks, and we will move to Biology probably mid year. DS enjoys Rod and Staff, and it is something he really thrives in so I don't want to cut it out completely. I am considering using the workbook to cut down on time spent, but he still will be doing the IEW, which I feel he needs, and the Literature which he enjoys. I think we can definitely scale back on Geography. The program doesn't seem to be adding much to his learning, and the time could be spent elsewhere. I like the idea of doing a lighter load of subjects over the year to make a complete credit. I am considering dropping to 2 problems a day for Mind Benders. DS will still get the mental exercise the puzzles take, but the time requirement shouldn't be too significant.
Also, thank you so much for sharing your sons's schedule.
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{gently} First of all, yes, I think you are expecting too much from him - he is only 12 years old. I don't think it is healthy to need to work twelve hours a day on school work. I also would reconsider having your son begin high school next year. He is only 12 and would be considered a 7th grader if he were in a traditional school setting. Give him another year to work on his organizational skills, etc. before he starts high school.
Although he is 13 now, I agree the amount of time we are schooling is becoming or rather has become excessive. DH and I have discussed holding him back a year, and that still might be something we consider, but I'm not sure many of his problems will improve. He still needs daily reminders to shower, brush his hair, brush his teeth, etc.
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Thank you all for your excellent responses.
:grouphug: Is it possible your insecurity about his future is resulting in you trying to push him too much academically? I do think you are expecting too much. And is he only 12 as your sig line says?DS is actually 13 now, and will be 14 at the start of our freshman year. (I really need to change my signature line) I'm sure there is a part of me that pushes DS out of fear, but there is also a part of me that sees how bright he is and wants to make sure he is living up to his potential.
Also, with a child with learning differences, what are you doing to accommodate his needs? Are you allowing him to write on a computer? For concentrating, how long do you expect him to stay on task? I've read that after about 50 minutes, a person needs to take a break. And 50 minutes might be too much for a child with ADHD and ASD. Certainly, I would expect that a child with ASD might have problems with questions regarding what people are thinking/feeling or their motives. He might always have problems with that, and it's okay IMO.His struggles do not revolve understanding except where noted, which as you pointed out he may never get. I totally understand that and we just take time to discuss the passages and look at words that might describe what the emotion might be. I have had to make concessions for DS mainly in the form of doing some things oral and allowing him to use text to speech for writing longer reports. I map out subjects in 1 hour intervals, which includes time to gather supplies and get water/use restroom whenever needed.
Are you doing Rod and Staff writing assignments and IEW?We have been doing double writing because it is probably our weakest area. He is getting stronger, so I could possibly cut down a little here.
His favorite subjects have always been literature and history. He has also taken a real interest in his Life Science this year. He isn't sure what he wants to be when he grows up, but he does want to go to university.
Back to your question: How do you fit it all in? IMO I don't think you can fit everything in you are doing and it's too much to even try to do. I would: Figure out his areas of interest and focus more there and cover some subjects in a more basic way--unequal rigor. Remember the importance of focusing on skills and worry less about content. For an 8th grader or even 9th grader, I would be aiming for an hour on each core subject--math, science, foreign language, English and history. Then, I'd have a few light electives like physical education and something else that's fun that he's interested in.This is where I think I might be struggling. I am terrified of cutting the wrong thing out. I am trying to cover everything and think I might be burying my son in subjects trying to fill small holes.
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I am currently freaking out because our 8th grade work is taking from 9:30A-9:30P +++ I am trying to figure out plans for 9th grade and can't figure out how to fit everything in a day. (We will be continuing to the next level with everything next year)
We are currently using the following:
Saxon Algebra 1 This take my son about 1 1/2 hours with an A average. Done Daily
BJU DL Life Science This takes him about 1 1/2 hours with an A average. Done Daily
Rod and Staff This takes about 1 hour 15 with the occasional exercise taking longer, also A average. Done MWF
History using TOG This takes about 1 1/2-2 hours, occasionally even LONGER depending on the Accountability and Thinking Questions. I do not grade this, but if I had to place a letter grade it would be an A/B. Done Daily
Geography using TOG Takes about 1 1/2- 2 hours TOTAL. Again, this is not graded but probably a B average. Completed between 2 days
IEW Writing using SICC-B Takes him no less than 1 hour a day with significant hand holding. He is a B/C student here.
Literature using TOG Takes him about 1 hour 15-1 1/2 hours a day He has an A/B average.
Bible using TOG This varies greatly depending on the week/year. It can take anywhere from 30 minutes total to an hour a day+.
Mind Benders We do this 2 hours a week. He is moving along at a steady pace here.
Vocabulary from Classical Roots This takes 15 minutes a day. He makes a solid A here.
We've had to cut out:
Art
Music
Latin
Foreign language (French)
I want to add in the above plus
TOG Government and Philosophy
Extracurricular Activities
My son is very intelligent, but SLOW. He has ADHD and an ASD along with some issues with his fine motor skills. Obviously, the act of writing is slowed down. But he also struggles with organization; he loses his pencils, papers, books multiple times a day. He needs frequent reminders to stop talking and concentrate on the subject at hand. He has trouble if questions ask about what people are thinking/feeling or their motives. I am terrified at this pace he won't make it through university.
So I'm wondering, how can I get this all to work. Am I expecting too much from him? Can someone share what a day with their 9th grader looks like broken down into hours?
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I will shamefully admit I made this recipe for the first time a week or two ago and enjoyed it. I won't be a regular on the menu, but I will probably make it again sometime in my life. I know there is something I make that requires tomato soup, but I can't figure out what it is flipping through my regular recipe list. I generally cook from scratch, but I see nothing wrong throwing in the occasional convenience meal.
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken - prepared as directed
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed, drained
HEAT oven to 400ºF.
PREPARE stuffing as directed on package.
MIX remaining ingredients in 13x9-inch baking dish; top with stuffing.
BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is done. Enjoy now or cover and refrigerate. To reheat, microwave each serving on HIGH 2 min. or until heated through.
Need to vent and ask advice.
in High School and Self-Education Board
Posted
I've tried being more hands off, but maybe it still isn't enough. He will be taking IEW online starting in Jan. so we will see if that helps. If it works I will try to add more online classes. Unfortunately there are no coops or community colleges anywhere near so online is really all we have. I think there is probably a variety or issues going on right now that it's going to take some trial and error to fix.