Busy work that isn't just busy work?

[Kaleidoscope]

My dd is 11 but academically more like a 6 year old. I need activities to keep her busy during school time. I will be doing more direct teaching with her after our regular school hours when I can truly sit down with her one on one. But from 8am till 2 pm when I'm doing school with the other 4 children I need dd to be kept busy. It has to be constructive and somewhat educational. It has to be something she can't fail at... she's already feeling horrible about herself and the anxiety and stress is causing major issues.

 

My current thoughts are typing (she enjoys it), practicing TKD, listening to books on tape, ipad games, basic math drills (addition/subtraction).

 

I was thinking if I could come up with some quality copy work that might be beneficial.

 

Any other ideas?

 

Oh she's' actually an excellent reader (she doesn't remember or understand what she reads but reads well) so I'm going to let my 8 year olds read aloud to her each day for extra practice. She loves that.

 

And just to clarify, she's not alone all day. She is in the room with us, but she can't/won't do what the other kids do and it's just one big disaster.

[Ghee]

Could she do puzzles, Lego, or playdough quietly while they work? I found some really nice 12 piece Melissa and Doug puzzles for my son. I had started with 24 piece puzzles, but that's too abstract for him and he gets overwhelmed and upset.

 

Or what if she colored a picture from what you are studying? We do that. He will color a picture that corresponds to the lesson and then I have a handwriting sheet that corresponds to it. The handwriting sheets I make myself. I take tablet paper and use a highlighter to write words I want him to trace. Then he writes them on his own on the next line. Then he stamps them, using a set of Melissa and Doug letter stamps, on the next line.

Edited September 12, 2012 by Ghee

[eoffg1]

You wrote that she can't/wont do what the other kids are doing.

But perhaps you could appoint your DD as your Teaching Assistant?

As this would provide a different motivation for doing what the other kids are doing.

[Ottakee]

Could she handle the 1st grade ACE paces for science and social studies? My daughter with special needs really liked those. The Rod and Staff preschool books have some nice activities--cut and paste, coloring, bit of handwriting, etc.

 

Puzzles would be good if she likes those.

 

Sculpey Clay is a lot of fun and won't harden but you can do a lot more with it than playdough.

 

Educational videos--nature, animals, science, history, etc. watched on the ipad with headphones.

[Kaleidoscope]

She wo t do puzzles or play with clay or Legos. She had no creativity or imagination and never plays.

 

I have tried letting her help my younger children as an assistant but she's a mean child so that doesn't work out too well.

 

I'll check the ace and rid and staff and see if it looks like something she would do. The behavioral part of the equation has her refusing to do most things so I'm hesitant to spend money on things she will not even try to do right.

 

Videos are a good idea. Handwriting practice is another good idea.

 

She doesn't color either unfortunately.

 

She's become such a huge disruption for the rest of the kids I'm just about ready to put her in school. I just dread the drama that will bring.

[Ottakee]

She's become such a huge disruption for the rest of the kids I'm just about ready to put her in school. I just dread the drama that will bring.

 

Depending on your school and the teachers, it could be a good option for her and the rest of the family. It would give her some structured time and you and the rest of the kids a break to work on their school work.

 

Our district is blessed with very good special education services and almost all of the kids I see just LOVE school. They even love the school bus ride as the driver and aide make it fun.

 

I am certainy not saying that you can't homeschool her but it could be that school would be beneficial to the entire family. Since she isn't getting much for academics during your school day you could just continue to supplement the academics in the afternoon/evening if needed.

[Guest hsmomforlife]

I recently attended a HS conference where there were a number of presenters who spoke on topics of kids with special needs. One of the especially helpful presenters talked about finding 'independent work' for the child with special needs to work on and how important is was to spend some time getting them to 'independence'...for everyone's sanity.

My dd is almost 10 and has Down syndrome. I was completely frustrated with the fact that anything educational for her required 100% attention from me.

Then I helped her learn to do a few things 'to independence': Get clothes out of the dryer and fold them (usually towels, kitchen laundry, socks & underwear, nothing too complicated!), empty the dishwasher, and empty the waste paper baskets. I usually ask her to do these things as a HUGE favor to me and she is usually eager to help.

I also found some of Dinah Zikes Foldables and have created some composition notebooks with the math facts etc in them and I can have her do a math 'review' on her own.

My dd also LOVES watercolor paints, so I can suggest those for her as well.

I find that I need to have 3-4 things at the ready at all times (planned ahead of time) that I can suggest to her when she's bored and it's causing trouble!

I am learning that if the iPad has any 'game' apps on it, my dd will SAY that she's going to do her 'schoolwork' on the iPad and I find her playing trains a few minutes later.

Anyhow, I know I'm a newbie here, but I hope it helps!

[Kaleidoscope]

Depending on your school and the teachers, it could be a good option for her and the rest of the family. It would give her some structured time and you and the rest of the kids a break to work on their school work.

 

Our district is blessed with very good special education services and almost all of the kids I see just LOVE school. They even love the school bus ride as the driver and aide make it fun.

 

I am certainy not saying that you can't homeschool her but it could be that school would be beneficial to the entire family. Since she isn't getting much for academics during your school day you could just continue to supplement the academics in the afternoon/evening if needed.

 

It may turn out to be the most beneficial thing. I'm not totally against it, just not enthusiastic.

 

The problem is getting her services. She fakes it so well. If I could get more clear cut dxs for her it would make a difference. I'm working on that. At this point though she doesn't have a dx that would qualify her for anything. Even after the dxs I'm not sure I'm up for the constant fight. Plus then the other kids will start wanting to go to school. They are content right now but I really think they'd start thinking the grass is greener on the school playground if big sis is in school.

 

Once the testing we are trying to do is finished I'll take that information and decide where to go with it.

 

I recently attended a HS conference where there were a number of presenters who spoke on topics of kids with special needs. One of the especially helpful presenters talked about finding 'independent work' for the child with special needs to work on and how important is was to spend some time getting them to 'independence'...for everyone's sanity.

My dd is almost 10 and has Down syndrome. I was completely frustrated with the fact that anything educational for her required 100% attention from me.

Then I helped her learn to do a few things 'to independence': Get clothes out of the dryer and fold them (usually towels, kitchen laundry, socks & underwear, nothing too complicated!), empty the dishwasher, and empty the waste paper baskets. I usually ask her to do these things as a HUGE favor to me and she is usually eager to help.

I also found some of Dinah Zikes Foldables and have created some composition notebooks with the math facts etc in them and I can have her do a math 'review' on her own.

My dd also LOVES watercolor paints, so I can suggest those for her as well.

I find that I need to have 3-4 things at the ready at all times (planned ahead of time) that I can suggest to her when she's bored and it's causing trouble!

I am learning that if the iPad has any 'game' apps on it, my dd will SAY that she's going to do her 'schoolwork' on the iPad and I find her playing trains a few minutes later.

Anyhow, I know I'm a newbie here, but I hope it helps!

 

 

I appreciate it what you shared. I totally agree too. DD is a good house cleaner actually. It's her favorite thing to do. She does laundry, dishes, bathrooms, vacuums, mops... she can clean the house top to bottom. But that doesn't keep her busy when I'm doing school unfortunately.

 

There actually isn't anything on the ipad I'd mind her playing if she'd just not throw tantrums, act ugly, and interrupt school.

 

I like the foldables too and we use them some. You've given me an idea with that. If she and I made the foldables and planned the layout she could possibly handle writing the information on them and creating some study guides of sorts that she and her siblings could use for reviewing material. There's some potential in that.

 

I am also going to move forward with the copy work. Dh keeps pushing workbooks but the issue there is that she just gets them all wrong and then we have to erase it all and fix it. That process sets her off into a tantrum. Copy work is a no fail exercise. I mean, she can fail but only if she makes that choice. That will help us address the part of the equation that is character base vs neurologically based.

[ssavings]

What if you used did the page protector w/ dry erase marker thing for workbooks? I do with my anxious/perfectionist DS. It works for us because if he gets something wrong, it's ease to erase/fix.

[HistoryBuff]

What about simple sewing projects?

 

There are very easy patterns for kids of all ages and she would be engaged and make something she could be proud of!

 

If safety is not an issue you could get her a small sewing kit and let her try and make some Barbie doll clothes.

 

PM me if you need some easy pattern links. Or check on youtube or online (google).

 

Good luck.

[mariagarcia495]

You can give her any assignments that are mentioned above like reading, puzzles, or you can involve her in gardening,crafting etc, but always remember do not compare her with your other kid that is not at all beneficial for child growth,you can motivate her by giving their example.