WWE Not Working-Please Help

[Guest lahmeh]

OK so I just recently started WWE 1 with my 8 yo girl and 7 yo boy. My dd loves it and begs for it. My ds on the other hand can't stand it and doesn't understand why he always has to answer in complete sentences. I always make sure I read the passages with enthusiasm and speak clearly. My son can almost never answer the questions. He just says "I have no idea". When he does know the answer he tells me but feels embarrassed when he doesn't. He tries so hard but we are on week 14 and it's just not working for him. I wonder if I should wait a bit longer with him like I did with my dd (who is 14 months older). I usually have to tell him more than once to do something. I don't have to fight with him he just didn't hear me the first time. My dh used to think he was ignoring us but I know that's not the case. So I believe it's safe to say he's not an auditory learner. I don't know a whole lot about the different learning types but is there a writing program for this type of child? Aren't they pretty much all taught this way? He loves ETC. He loves workbooks, mazes and I Spy sort of things. He's a very smart boy. He can tell you the name of every dinosaur that ever lived, what they ate, looked like and what "period" they lived in. He just can't tell me about the paragraph I just read him. I don't know if that means anything as far as suggestions. Does anyone have any advice? TIA!

Edited May 29, 2010 by lahmeh

[Country Mouse]

Can he read the passage to himself?

I might try that if he is a confident reader. Or maybe read a little to him (a sentence or two), then ask a question, read a little more, ask another question, etc. and then slowly work toward being able to listen to the whole passage then answer the questions.

[siloam]

OK so I just recently started WWE 1 with my 8 yo girl and 7 yo boy. My dd loves it and begs for it. My ds on the other hand can't stand it and doesn't understand why he always has to answer in complete sentences. I always make sure I read the passages with enthusiasm and speak clearly. My son can almost never answer the questions. He just says "I have no idea". When he does know the answer he tells me but feels embarrassed when he doesn't. He tries so hard but we are on week 14 and it's just not working for him. I wonder if I should wait a bit longer with him like I did with my dd (who is 14 months older). I usually have to tell him more than once to do something. I don't have to fight with him he just didn't hear me the first time. My dh used to think he was ignoring us but I know that's not the case. So I believe it's safe to say he's not an auditory learner. I don't know a whole lot about the different learning types but is there a writing program for this type of child? Aren't they pretty much all taught this way? He loves ETC. He loves workbooks, mazes and I Spy sort of things. He's a very smart boy. He can tell you the name of every dinosaur that ever lived, what they ate, looked like and what "period" they lived in. He just can't tell me about the paragraph I just read him. I don't know if that means anything as far as suggestions. Does anyone have any advice? TIA!

 

I would really stick with it if I were in your shoes. He needs to learn to answer if full sentences so that when he writes he writes in full sentences.

 

It isn't a girl/boy thing either. My oldest dd's strongest area is comprehension, can speed read a book and still not miss much (unlike her mother :glare: ), but my 2nd dd is more like me. WWE was very hard for her at first and I didn't even start it till she was in 3rd grade. When they get something wrong what I do is re-read that section of the story, just a sentence or two that gives them the information they need. It took about half the book, but she did learn to pay attention, and now she can answer the questions well.

 

Another possibility is that he is a visual learner and not an auditory learner, in which case having him read the passages (if able) might help.

 

Heather

 

[kalanamak]

I would really stick with it if I were in your shoes. He needs to learn to answer if full sentences so that when he writes he writes in full sentences.

 

 

:iagree: I started WWE when kiddo was reading solidly (age 7). Has he got the reading down? I don't know that one causes the other, but I used reading as a marker for "readiness" for WWE1.

 

Do you do SOTW activities book? The question format is similar, and my son learned on that, so WWE was only a trauma for a few weeks.

[M&M]

OK so I just recently started WWE 1 with my 8 yo girl and 7 yo boy. My dd loves it and begs for it. My ds on the other hand can't stand it and doesn't understand why he always has to answer in complete sentences. I always make sure I read the passages with enthusiasm and speak clearly. My son can almost never answer the questions. He just says "I have no idea". When he does know the answer he tells me but feels embarrassed when he doesn't. He tries so hard but we are on week 14 and it's just not working for him. I wonder if I should wait a bit longer with him like I did with my dd (who is 14 months older). I usually have to tell him more than once to do something. I don't have to fight with him he just didn't hear me the first time. My dh used to think he was ignoring us but I know that's not the case. So I believe it's safe to say he's not an auditory learner. I don't know a whole lot about the different learning types but is there a writing program for this type of child? Aren't they pretty much all taught this way? He loves ETC. He loves workbooks, mazes and I Spy sort of things. He's a very smart boy. He can tell you the name of every dinosaur that ever lived, what they ate, looked like and what "period" they lived in. He just can't tell me about the paragraph I just read him. I don't know if that means anything as far as suggestions. Does anyone have any advice? TIA!

 

Narration is a skill, it takes time. Try to break down the process, start with fewer sentences. Answering in complete sentences is also something that takes time. Listen to SWB writing workshop on grammar stage writing, she covers a lot of these issues. I

 

See if you can help him develop the habit of attention, have him look you in the eye when you speak to him. Let him sit and listen for short periods and then have him tell back just one thing. Slowly increase the time. I used to hold my son's chin and gently have him tell back to me whatever I just told him to do.

 

We had a great Suzuki teacher that was amazing at teaching boys to pay attention. She would give him something to concentrate on when he started to fade, she would change up the activity and give him a new focus. She eventually was able to teach my 4 year old to stand still and concentrate on one thing for 20 min. It took time and patience and I really miss her, I wish she would come and teach my other children :lol:.

 

This may not apply to your son, and if I am off base, forgive me. I guess I just want to encourage not to jump ship on WWE just yet. I have a son who is 6, he also loves mazes, I Spy, and ETC. I will probably be in the same place as you next year.

 

Hope this helps!

[Guest lahmeh]

I will try to take turns reading with him, good idea! I do go back and re-read the line or two that gives the answer but I think by then he's frustrated enough to shut down because he still won't answer. :confused: We don't do SOTW. Funny M&M, I have learned to call his name and tell him to look at me before I speak to him or I'll gently put my hand on his chin to make sure he's listening. :) He does read very well so maybe I'll have him read to me sometimes. I think a lot of the problem too is that he doesn't know what a lot of the words from classic stories mean (even I have to look some up). :001_huh:Thank you all for taking the time to reply. I'll try your ideas and hope that it gets better! :001_smile:

[M&M]

You are welcome. If you feel like he is shutting down, then take a break and let him read for fun.

 

My oldest went from loving math to totally shutting down for a year because he was not ready for long division. We stopped, backed up and did fun stuff for a long time. When we went back to math, he was ready for more and excels at math now. There is a balance to find between developing skills and a child being developmentally ready for something. It is hard, but part of the joy of homeschooling is finding the right balance for each child.

 

Hope I don't sound preachy! I just want to encourage you, it is hard to know waht to do and is easy to doubt yourself.

[elegantlion]

I would really stick with it if I were in your shoes. He needs to learn to answer if full sentences so that when he writes he writes in full sentences.

 

 

 

 

:iagree: .

 

:iagree: with the above. I'm using WWE for remedial work for my ds and answering in complete sentences is one of our sticking points. He knows he should and does, but it took a few weeks. It almost became an obedience issue for my ds. Anyway, I realized that over the years we had created our own little jargon, a shortcut, and not speaking in complete sentences during discussions was one of those. That was not the only reason for his writing delays but it was one. He had never learned how to hold that complete sentence in his head and transfer it to paper.

 

If you have not already I would suggest listening to Plan for Writing Elementary grades mp3 from the PHP site. It is excellent and can you more insight into the WWE philosophy.

[Evergreen Academy]

Your son sounds so much like my ds7! I have been using WWE veeeerrrrry slowly this year, because of the very things you mentioned. My ds loves trains, I-spy books and I swear the child has a map in his head and knows all the roads in the area - is very smart, but like yours, zones out when we're doing WWE and many other auditory learning activities. I have done a few things:

- I do feel that listening is a skill and while it's not ds's strong suit, he does need to work on it. Slowly. I sometimes can tell when he zones out, and I stop and ask a question to assess where I've lost him, and then go back to that spot in the story. Sometimes I have to start over completely - it is maddening, I know! But I consider it a sort of therapy that he needs to learn to do this, though I backed off for a while.

- I try using the techniques with other books and stories that interest him, as more practice that he finds fun.

- Have his hearing checked; another ds was similar, and it turns out he did indeed have a hearing loss, and a hearing aid has helped schooltime immensly!

- For ds7, if I tell him to focus and pay attention, I can almost see the switch in his brain turn off! For him, it is more helpful to give him a piece of playdough or putty, put him on his wiggle seat (exercise disc) and tell him I'm going to read him something and will ask questions.

- I am trying to build in lots of opportunities to succeed - as other posters said, take turns reading as he does better that way, let him listen to books on tape, find materials that tap into his learning style. But I plan to not give up on WWE and I encourage you to not get discouraged. They are all sooooo different, as you know, and some take longer than others to get this skill.

Blessings,

Aimee

mom to 6 great kids ages 7-19, schooling grades 1, 3, 3 and 6

[Amy Jo]

My son was having issues keeping track of the story (listening/language comprehension ?). I am working through Visualizing and Verbalizing with him, and it is making a big difference. Ideachain is similar and more user-friendly, so you might see if any of this describes him: http://www.understandmore.com/WhyPeopleHaveProblems.htm

 

And I would stick to WWE, narrations take time. If both children are together, I would separate them to see if it helps him.