Heathermomster
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Posts posted by Heathermomster
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kbutton, my DS is dysgraphic and uses a smartpen in class. His writing SLD is language and motor based, and he cannot take a ton of readable notes. DS has learned that he must pre-read assignments before any lecture and then review them Cornell Style. After class, he types his notes into a Cornell template that we designed using a table in MacOS Pages. During that time, son examines the information, summarizes, and writes down any questions in the Cues area. Son can pick up his smartpen at any time and point to the lecture notes and rehear the lecture. He can also download the pencast to his laptop and go to any portion of the lecture that went too quickly and relistens for clarification. Either way, he can add the additional study information that was previously missed. ETA: At the university, son’s profs provide all lectures slides as a file download, and he can meet with fellow students to compare notes, ensuring he didn’t miss any lecture info.
We used the following video to learn the Cornell Notetaking system:
The trick with the system is to preread info before the lecture and then immediately review and summarize the info after. The smartpen fills in the gap where not enough info was jotted down. BTW, some people mindmap, draw timelines, and pictures in the Notes area.
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I love Apples & Pears, Singapore Math, Lial's Introductory Algebra 8th ed, and https://www.teacherfilebox.com.
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On 9/30/2018 at 5:40 PM, lewelma said:
If there are no workbook exercises with answers, and no practice tests with model answers, then you have to make it yourself. This is based kind of on the Cornell notes system. For whatever you are learning in the class, you need to write a question that can be answered with what you are learning. Then you need to practice actually writing the answer in paragraph form. If you are writing questions based on notes, then in your written answer, you need to produce from memory in writing 95% of the points that the professor made. As you write your answer, you are practicing logical and ordered thinking. If you are writing your questions from material you have read, when you write up your answer, you don't need to write the paragraph word for word, but you do need to write your answer with proper scientific phrasing. Usually these phrases are in clusters of 5 to 10 words. If you are using a text or exerpts, then you have these phrases, and you should try to get a feel for how scientists write by studying the language they use. Kids often understand a concept, but then cannot actually write it down because they don't have a feel for the standard form used by scientists (this is what They Say I Say attacks for humanities). So in the paragraphs describing a concept, does the author state a theoretical idea and then use an example to explain it? Are ideas interwoven with example? How do they conclude? Does the author explain a concept with 5 linkages between ideas, rather than just 2? Does the author refer to graphs and if so how? etc. Learning to write paragraph answers in science, is no different than learning to write answers for Literary analysis in English class. You need structure, content, support for your ideas, insight, and conclusions. My best student in Biology with essay tests, was a student who got a top mark on the National English exam.
When writing your questions, you need to included the six levels of Blooms Taxonomy - knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation. If your readings include a graph, you need to ask a question like "how does this graph provide support for the point xxx in the text?" or for synthesis you can ask questions like "using xxx example, explain xxx concept." This kind of question writing is very high end. So if you have a high school student, you would have to help at first. But there is simply no way to effectively study for an essay test without writing practice essays that answer questions.
Thank-you for this. I forwarded this response to my DS at uni this morning.
Cornell Notetaking seems to be helpful for DS. Just wanted to mention that.
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When DS was in middle school, I stood with him as he cleaned the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher to ensure he was meeting my standard. I backed off, and he's performed that task alone for years.
EF is a painful subject for me. My DS is 2e with multiple SLDs, compromised processing speed, and average working memory, and he currently attends a tiny liberal arts university 60 miles away on a partial academic scholarship. I don't know how DS will perform and midterms are in 2 weeks. He's earning all A's and B's thus far, but the work expectations are increasing. He qualifies for full academic accommodations. Anyhoo...Tenth grade was the year that we reached a breaking point and discovered a fantastic CBT for EF issues. The CBT help was essential to me because I needed to understand precisely how to scaffold my son at home.
My son has loads of currency which means he likes driving, sports, and hanging with friends. The CBT immediately linked his currency to task completion and called the method Achievement Motivation. We picked a couple of non-negotiable tasks that had to be completed at least 4-5 times per week. We planned the steps to complete the task plus any possible back up contingencies and supports. If DS completed his tasks, he received his reward which was prepping to get his drivers license, keeping his phone, hanging with friends, and playing football. One of the tasks DS had to complete was daily mindfulness meditation for 5 minutes. I wrote a contract with each task identified, and we signed it. Each day, DS wrote his assignments down on a coil bound notebook with little boxes. As he completed each task, he checked off the box. For meditation, he set a timer on his phone. When the timer went off, he stopped everything to meditate. Another task was 20 minutes of BHQ. BrainHQ is tedious and moderately challenging. I could go online and verify that he had completed BHQ for 20 minutes. Near the end of the week, I would look and gently remind him to finish his tasks. If he did not complete BHQ, we could sit down and figure out how to sort the situation. LIke, he couldn't go hiking or fishing with friends on a Saturday morning until he completed BHQ. DS realized that fact so would awaken early and get BHQ done. I believe DS missed two football practices for not completing tasks. During his senior year of high school, he turned in all of his school work and never took a penalty for incomplete homework.
My son is challenged in many areas such as seeking assistance early on when he needs it. He has also had to become comfortable contacting teachers and asking questions about assignments. I stood over DS as he typed his emails until he just started taking care of it on his own. I still nudge on occasion, but DS has been around enough to see the wisdom in some of my recommendations. With full accommodations at the university, he is in constant contact with his profs.
DS appears to be incorporating everything whitehawk mentioned at the university. DS worked with Marydee Sklar over the summer to help address his time management skills.
As far as time management, one thing that has helped DS was for him to predict how long a task would take and then actually perform and time the task. DS thought that he showered and dressed in 30 minutes. No, it was 45 minutes, and he hadn't brushed his teeth or put his shoes on. DS now happily uses timers in the bathroom to limit his showers.
I've attached a Goal Setting mindmap that we used while working with the CBT.
ETA: There is one last thing I was told to seriously consider, and that is brain maturity. Sometimes these students just need to mature, and then they are ready for secondary education. My DH entered college when he was 25 years old and is a highly successful BSEE. That was not possible when he was 18-19 yo.
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I've seen men (aged 30s) with young children remarry quickly, and the new wife was very young (aged early 20s). It's like these men want a babysitter and a wife malleable enough to think the situation is a good idea.
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Here is a blog about standardized testing at home.
http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/2011/08/standardized-testing-your-homeschooler.html
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Have you seen the ACT Aspire website?
I expect the ELA portion of most standardized testing looks at grammar, punctuation, spelling, and vocabulary. Assuming that your child has no learning differences, maybe consider selecting a solid grammar/usage/mechanics and spelling program and systematically work through them. Spelling programs usually provide a placement test.
It's hard to recommend programs to complete strangers. Is there a particular reason that you opted to remove your kids from the classroom to homeschool? Does he have a prominent learning style?
Maybe look at Warriner's Handbook and start with grade 6 materials. For spelling, maybe administer the placement tests for programs such as Megawords or Sequential Spelling. For vocabulary, he could spend 10 minutes per day at the website freerice.com. IEW sells a grammar program Fixit! that you might consider. These are just a few ideas, and I'm certain others can recommend different approaches.
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What are the grades of your children?
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AAS or Apples and Pears...
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Biblioplan MARR
Dive Biology
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23 hours ago, Pen said:
I have been thinking about the growth mindset issue more. Both as related to myself and to my son .
I was a person raised with fixed mindset ideas and communication to a destructive degree as I experienced my own life. Not just an attitude that said if one could not hit a homerun the first time one tried baseball, one was permanently hopeless at baseball, but generalized to obviously permanently hopeless at all team and ball sports, for example.
Yet, if I were included in a study/test such as the underlying study referred to in Moved On’s thread, I might have been statistically used to show *benefits* of fixed mindset because I was a straight A or close student with very high scores on SAT, GRE or equivalent type standardized testing. Grades and standardized testing is what the study was using to determine if Growth Mindset interventions were helpful. I think it very possible that if I had had more Growth Mindset instilled, my grades may well have gone down, but my happiness and irl successfulness in my own experience of that would probably have gone up. My learning itself may have gone up, even though my grades may have gone down.
It is also clear to me that Growth Mindset versus Fixed Mindset has been critical in my son’s being able to move through his dyslexia reading problems into being able to read.
Moreover, I think that problems my son is now having, for example moving toward being able to drive, are coming from a Fixed Mindset or perhaps even a Learned Helplessness attitude (for example, having failed the Learner Permit test once, he is afraid to continue to study —and to try different approaches to studying—and to try again).
And at this time in a number of areas, I don’t seem to be succeeding at helping him move out of his Fixed or Learned Helpless Mindset feelings into more Growth Mindset.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Wwyd?
5As a single mom, you are at an extreme disadvantage. Are you a member of a religious community? Does he have any positive male role models that will happily come alongside him and model mature behavior?
My son was very motivated to get a license. BTW, he failed the written test the first time. Son was able to review his mistakes and retake the written test immediately. I think there was always the expectation that DS would get his license and it was a proud moment for him. The fact that he failed the first written exam was annoying to me but laughable to others. Basically, it wasn't a big deal that he failed that test the first time around.
I feel like if your child wants a license, he will get it when he is good and ready. Stop driving him places if it is too much for you. Once he has sat awhile and decided he is bored, he will find the motivation to learn. In the meantime, stay positive and willing to teach him once he changes his mind.
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What is the long term goal? Pick a handful of career paths, examine the math/science requirements, and work your way backwards with a study plan.
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53 minutes ago, Pen said:
I don’t think they have the paid program, but my son’s English teacher is having them practice note taking from the following and other mindset related articles—I think it is probably helpful and at worst neutral:
Sklar specifically teaches planning for goal attainment.
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What's the status? How is everyone?
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I'm curious now to see what these mindset programs look like.
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14 hours ago, iamonlyone said:
Do you like the loom? Is it simple? Could I do place mats and table runners? Maybe I need to start a new thread! ?
Yes, start a new thread.
I like my rigid heddle loom; however, it takes up space. Mine is very basic. Maybe check out this link to get an idea of what weaving with a RHL is like.
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4 hours ago, iamonlyone said:
I have been thinking I should start a hobby. Did you knit before and have just added magic loop, or is knitting new for you? I think weaving on a lap loom looks interesting, but I would like to try it in a class before buying a lot of stuff.
I learned to knit when I turned 40 yo but placed the needles aside over the last three years or so. We were extra busy with high school and both kids participating in sports and music. I picked the needles up again because I want to make hats. DS is on a walking campus and the weather will turn cold eventually. Truthfully, I own an insane amount of yarn. Anyhoo..I've always avoided knitting in the round but finally sat down and learned.
I purchased a rigid heddle loom about 14 months ago and wove one scarf and one doll blanket.
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It has been 3 weeks since DS left, My youngest plays violin, recently started orchestra, and sings in choir, so we are away three nights per week. Yesterday, I found an excellent knitting video and learned to magic loop. I’m knitting again while DD plays her instrument.
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I confess that I don't understand the growth mindset at all.
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My DS uses the adapted tripod grasp with a normal pencil.
https://ot.eku.edu/sites/ot.eku.edu/files/files/Writing Grasps.pdf
He didn't originally care for the grasp, and then he had to provide written samples to the uni. It's the only grasp that DS can manage for any length of time. He can't spell 100% but you can read it.
OP, you may want to play around with slant boards for writing. Maybe turn a 1.5" to 3" inch 3-ring binder around and use it as a writing surface.
http://hosmerot.blogspot.com/2006/03/cool-school-tool.html
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On 9/1/2018 at 8:19 PM, Pen said:
However, usually when talking about standardized testing accommodations people are referring to testing required by the state. Here on a schedule set by state statute (in 3rd, 5th, 8th and iirc 10th and 12th grade) homeschool dc have to take an approved standardized test proctored by an approved test giver, who cannot be a relative or family friend. Unless there is a PEP or IEP to alter that.
With son’s cover, the SAT-10 test was proctored in huge rooms by approved test givers who happened to be homeschooling parents. We were dispersed so that we weren’t handling our own child’s grade level. The SAT-10 is untimed; however, the parents of SLD kiddos with proof of SLD were able to request testing in a distraction-free environment, a reader for the test where permissible, and more time than NT kids received. A proctor would bubble the exam for a child with a physical handicap. These details are managed in advance, and the parent has to request the accommodation through the cover's testing coordinator.
College Board and ACT want to see proof of disability from a certified tester that is less than 3 years old and an established history of using accommodations. The parents can call and speak with the ACT help desk. The ACT people understand that homeschooling laws vary by state and that many homeschooled students will not have IEP.
The main issue that I see with high school aged homeschoolers and ACT and SAT testing accommodations is cost. A full education eval runs about $2000 in my area, and health insurance may not cover. SAT/ACT and universities require educational testing less than 3 years old, so high school parents need to think and plan carefully about how and when they get their students tested. Qualified testers may take months or weeks to get a testing appointment and receive the student's testing results/written report.
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Calculator usage was an accommodation for us because the private school DS attended did not allow it for any student.
DS was also tested in isolation at the private school and cover because he worked considerably slower than other children. Our cover serves 115 families with many children being tested over a 3 day period.. DS was accommodated whether the test was timed or not.
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I forgot to add this.
I have read the SAT-10 to two different homeschool students requiring accommodations.
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My DS was diagnosed with reading/maths/handwriting SLDs when he was in 2nd grade. He attended a private school that accommodated as they saw fit, and the school was not legally obligated to provide IEP because they don't accept any Federal or State funding. The school accommodated the SAT-10 with extended test taking time.
When DS started homeschooling, he took SAT-10 with the cover for 7th-8th grades. I showed a copy of son's full education eval to the SAT-10 testing coordinator to demonstrate his need for accommodations, and then he was afforded extra test-taking time and a basic 4-function calculator for half the math portion of the SAT-10.
When DS took classes at the homeschool cover (7th-12th grades), he carried a laptop for typing and received extra test-taking time. When we applied for extra time on the ACT, I filled out the paperwork and demonstrated his need and regular usage of the accommodations and included up-to-date educational testing. The SAT-10 coordinator also wrote a letter stating that DS has received the extra time, testing in a distraction-free location, and the calculator accommodation. DS was approved for extra test-taking time for ACT in exactly 2 weeks. Calculators are already allowed during ACT testing, and he did not take the essay portion of the test. Early on, the College Board people irritated me, so we skipped SAT.
DS is currently enrolled at an accredited 4-year university and receiving full academic accommodations. DS was accepted with academic scholarships to all unis that he applied. He never had an IEP or academic accommodations plan.
Digital Book Tools - Learning Ally
in The Learning Challenges Board
Posted · Edited by Heathermomster
clarification
We quit LA 5 years ago; however, both the Kindle and Voice Dream apps allow the user to search, highlight text, and export the highlighted text. Bookshare books are compatible with Voice Dream, and DS used both apps in high school on an iPad.