TOTALLY shocked...now what??

[finlee@home]

I know that I am new here.....but you can pull out my other posts to read a little background. But, basically, I'm pulling my current 6th and 8th graders out of ps at the end of this year (next week). I will be hs'ing them next year.

 

I have had some real concerns about my DS14. His grades are average, at best. He doesn't like school. He has minor discipline infractions, mostly to get attention. After his last report card (for which he was grounded again), and listening to him repeatively say that he "just dont understand", "it's too hard", yada, yada, yada, I got to thinking that maybe I was too tough on him. Maybe he doesn't understand. So, I had him tested. I really felt like he probably had an information processing problem. I KNOW he has poor reading comphrension. Results: No, he does not qualify for special education services.......He's GIFTED!! :confused: He's bored in class, he is disengaged if it doesn't interest him, and quite frankly, he just isn't intereted. He is a kenestic learner (which I already knew) who "just doesn't like pencil and paper work. Unfortunately the schools aren't set up to meet the needs of kids like him. He needs to be moving and engaged in every class, including english and literature" (paraphrase from psychologist).

 

Well, at least I know what I'm dealing with. I have most of the 9th grade curriculum picked out already. And I KNEW that it had to be things that would engage him. For example....we will be doing Abeka World Geography coupled with Mapping the World with Art (he loves to draw!). My question is this: What "tricks" do those of you with kenestic learner use to get them interested in the pencil/paper subjects like literature and math? Any and all comments are appreciated as I sort all this out! :001_huh:

[TippyCanoe]

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[TechWife]

My question is this: What "tricks" do those of you with kenestic learner use to get them interested in the pencil/paper subjects like literature and math? Any and all comments are appreciated as I sort all this out! :001_huh:

 

Here are some alternatives to "book reports" that you can use with literature:

Beyond the Boring - links to alternative ideas

Studying Character in Drama - written for classroom, so you will just need to adapt it to one person or the size of your family, whichever you prefer.

Web English Teacher - book report alternatives, other info. about literature for all grades

 

Math supplements:

Patty Paper Geometry

Designing Playgrounds

A Blueprint for Geometry

Fantasy Baseball and Mathematics - part of a fantasy sports series; teacher guides & student workbooks available

Geometry: The Beauty of Numbers - art

Muggins Math Games - he may be past these, but some might be good for review

Equate: The Equation Thinking Game - also has expansion packs

Algebra Antics: MindWares Best Number Problems

The Standard Deviants

Trigonometry Bingo Game

 

Math Courses:

The Art of Problem Solving

[Rosie Q]

Having your son create a project for your district History Day competition next year is a great way to incorporate writing, and doing a science fair project is a great way to get in some math (and science, obviously). His artistic skills would definitely be an asset in both of these, and he could pick the topics from what interests him. Even if his entries don't win, he'll still learn a lot and have a great sense of accomplishment.

 

Links for History Day and Intel Science & Engineering Fair. Both sites have links to search for the fairs near you.

[redsquirrel]

You need to bring him into this conversation. At this age, gifted or not, you need buy in. He needs to take some ownership of what he is learning. He needs to have a voice and a vote. He needs to be aware of what his options are and how interesting learning can be. You have expectations etc, etc, I don't mean to suggest you just leave it up to him. But, he does need a stake in this. If he is as disengaged as you say (and I don't doubt he is) then he cannot remain a passive receiver.

 

If he doesn't feel like this is HIS education, then all the planning and wonderful curriculum isn't going to change a thing.

 

And be warned, just because he has this input doesn't mean there won't be battles. There will still be days (weeks, months) when he balks at any work, because for some teens that is what they do. But, by removing the passivity, he is learning something from his own balking.

 

This also takes some of the pressure of of you. You are not DOING education TO him. You are working WITH him. That makes a big difference.

[G5052]

You need to bring him into this conversation. At this age, gifted or not, you need buy in. He needs to take some ownership of what he is learning. He needs to have a voice and a vote. He needs to be aware of what his options are and how interesting learning can be. You have expectations etc, etc, I don't mean to suggest you just leave it up to him. But, he does need a stake in this. If he is as disengaged as you say (and I don't doubt he is) then he cannot remain a passive receiver.

 

If he doesn't feel like this is HIS education, then all the planning and wonderful curriculum isn't going to change a thing.

 

And be warned, just because he has this input doesn't mean there won't be battles. There will still be days (weeks, months) when he balks at any work, because for some teens that is what they do. But, by removing the passivity, he is learning something from his own balking.

 

This also takes some of the pressure of of you. You are not DOING education TO him. You are working WITH him. That makes a big difference.

 

Teenage boys are a handful. The blossoming male ego with a middle-aged mom is a recipe for problems, but I keep telling mine that I'm still the one in charge of his dinner. I have no doubt that what you related would have been my story other than homeschooling and putting him in charge of his education. Mine works very hard with minimal input from me and cranks out college-level work (I know because I'm a college professor). He likes having some outside classes, although I've heard of that backfiring if the kid isn't already motivated. Getting to where we are was a long, long process though, and there are still bumbs in the road. We still bug each other sometimes, but we get through it. ;)

 

Good luck!

[Brenda in MA]

My question is this: What "tricks" do those of you with kenestic learner use to get them interested in the pencil/paper subjects like literature and math? Any and all comments are appreciated as I sort all this out! :001_huh:

 

Hello,

 

Good for you taking charge of your kids' education! As far as literature goes, I'd suggest listening to some classic novels aloud as a family -- either you read to them or get books on CD. After you've listened to a few chapters, discuss them with your kids. See if auditory learning works well for them. Discuss the reading to see if they've comprehended and also ask them leading questions -- what do you think will happen next? How do you think the author is portraying Mr. Smith? How do you know this. Start out with a few questions at a time and start to expand as they get more comfortable.

 

If you children need to work on writing, I would highly suggest IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing). My kiddos really benefitted from the step-by-step instruction in the IEW history-themed books. We used IEW for several years around 6 - 8th grade to set a good foundation for writing. After I watched IEW's "Teaching Writing with Structure & Style" DVDs, I was able to guide their work.

 

I'm not familiar with Abeka's World Geography, but if it has a workbook, I'd say to be careful. My oldest, who is now in college, hated workbooks. He could fill out every page, but he didn't learn anything in the process. He learned history best through reading historical fiction and books that outlined history. We used Sonlight, and it was a great fit for him. If you have any interest in Sonlight, I'd probably suggest Core H or Core W for the two kids together.

 

For math, I liked the white board idea someone else had. Also, possibly break the math lesson into two parts and have him do part in the morning and the rest in the afternoon?

 

One other thing that is just an observation -- with both of my boys, I've found 9th grade to be the toughest year -- the high school workload increases iin difficulty and their adolescent maturity hasn't fully kicked in. He will probably need a lot of support from you to keep him going and engaged. I would also suggest making sure he has some outside-the-house activities -- possibly sports, scouts, etc. He will definitely need/want to get together with his friends regularly so he doesn't feel isolated.

 

I would also suggest that after that first year at home, you investigate if there are any homeschool classes he could take outside the home. My kids have been happiest in high school with a mix of subjects we do at home and subjects they take either on-line or at a local coop or tutorial center.

 

You might also see if your son could participate in extracurricular things at the ps even though he's homeschooled. I know several local hsing families whose kids play sports at the ps or belong to a club. If he has any interest in math science, and there is a robotics club, that would be a good choice.

 

Best wishes,

Brenda

[PeterPan]

We're doing geography this coming year too! You might do a board search for some of the posts by MtnTeaching on what she has been doing for geography. She had a series they used for drawing, found it at the library, and it went perfectly with the geography. I'm not really up on the Abeka geography text, but they (abeka) do have a way of turning to sawdust everything they touch. Just something to watch out for. Use it as a framework and get him doing the things HE wants to do.

 

My dd isn't workbooky either, mercy. I'm looking at doing the BJU physical science with her this coming year but only the *labs*. The lab book is set up pretty clearly, so I'm hoping it will work. After that I hope to let her do the Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry (Biology, Physics, etc.) books. They're largely DOing and were written by a man here on the boards who himself was an alternative learner.

 

As far as math, well TT is the flavor of the month in our house. No guarantees. Try some things, and if nothing clicks get a tutor. Sometimes the human factor helps.

 

I assume he types, and of course that is really obvious. Back when we were in school we took typing classes. I don't even know if they do that now. Anyways, it brings this kinesthetic element and lets you weave writing into other things. You could look at the Oak Meadow syllabus for the geography. I'm thinking about getting it. It has more out of the box type projects and things to do with the geography.

 

If I were just *guessing* a little bit, I would say you might like to nudge him toward the building and doing side of geography for a guy. He might find it interesting to build famous landmarks in the places you study. My dd likes to cook, so today she was making Johnny Cakes for Rhode Island. Probably not what your boy wants, lol. There are books on just about anything once you get the idea. You just search it on amazon and follow the rabbit trails. History of architecture and connect it to your geography, that sort of thing.

 

My only advice is to remember you're not trying to cover EVERYTHING. You're trying to cover SOMETHING that will be meaningful to him and stick.

 

You can do this! I'm so glad you're on the boards! I'll be watching your posts to see how it goes and what you do! :)

[mumto2]

Take a look at Life of Fred for math. It is not a traditional course. My kids love it. Really the only math that ds12 likes.:001_smile:

[Ellie]

I'm not sure that his learning style has anything to do with his not liking pencil and paper. I'm thinking that all those years in school where he was bored because he was not being challenged academically has more to do with it than his learning style does.

 

It's very common for gifted children to do poorly academically. A friend's dd was tested when she was 8yo and found to have an I.Q. of 200--yes, 200--but she made only mediocre grades all through school, because she refused to do assignments for things she had already studied and aced...you know how much repetition there is in school.

 

At any rate, many children who are kinesthetic do well with literature and math. You're having to help your ds recover himself; that's what would be helpful to keep in mind. :-)

[AmyontheFarm]

Here are some alternatives to "book reports" that you can use with literature:

Beyond the Boring - links to alternative ideas

Studying Character in Drama - written for classroom, so you will just need to adapt it to one person or the size of your family, whichever you prefer.

Web English Teacher - book report alternatives, other info. about literature for all grades

 

 

Thanks for the suggestions!

[finlee@home]

I want to take the time to "Thank You" for each and every comment that has been made. So many of the comments are true to our situation. I have looked up many of the links posted in this thread! You all are a wealth of information. I am SSOOOOO glad that I found this site!! :001_smile: I spent most of yesterday evening, and laid awake last night just replaying our meeting, thinking of how I've probably done so many things wrong in the ways I challenged this child academically, and basically just punished myself for not seeing more of the signs :confused:. No need to cry over spilt milk! I know what I am dealing with now!! All I can do is bring my boys home and regroup, rethink how I will educate this wonderful boy (both boys are wonderful...not just DS14 ;)), and pray! I can do this.....I can do this.....I can do this!! Keep those suggestions coming.......I need them!

[TXMary2]

You can try doing literature with movies and books on cd. If he dislike the physical act of writing, maybe he could type his assignments or dictate them to you.

 

What about something interactive on the computer???

[tex-mex]

You need to bring him into this conversation. At this age, gifted or not, you need buy in. He needs to take some ownership of what he is learning. He needs to have a voice and a vote. He needs to be aware of what his options are and how interesting learning can be. You have expectations etc, etc, I don't mean to suggest you just leave it up to him. But, he does need a stake in this. If he is as disengaged as you say (and I don't doubt he is) then he cannot remain a passive receiver.

 

If he doesn't feel like this is HIS education, then all the planning and wonderful curriculum isn't going to change a thing.

 

And be warned, just because he has this input doesn't mean there won't be battles. There will still be days (weeks, months) when he balks at any work, because for some teens that is what they do. But, by removing the passivity, he is learning something from his own balking.

 

This also takes some of the pressure of of you. You are not DOING education TO him. You are working WITH him. That makes a big difference.

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

If he is bright and bored easily... then it may be challenging to get him to learn via the traditional way??

 

It almost sounds like this kid may benefit from hands-on apprenticeship. What does he want to do in life? Interests? (I think the OP said art, right?) Why not do a career aptitude test and see if any of the jobs interest him. Get him into the "plan" of what it takes to do that career. But he DOES have to buy into the plan.

 

You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.

Good luck.