Curriculum ideas for spirited child

[Sctigermom]

My daughter is 4 and in preschool, but the plan is to homeschool her next year. We already homeschool our oldest (6 yr old son). He is calm, focused, easy to teach. Our daughter is the opposite. She is very spirited. We (me, hubby, her ped) think she has ADHD and are working with positive reinforcements to see if that helps before looking at having her tested. She is also a very immature 4 yr old. She still acts like a toddler a lot and we are hoping that in a year she will gain some maturity. She turns 5 in January. Please give me some ideas on how to teach her and what curriculum(s) may work best with her please.

[Arcadia]

Have you read Raising your spirited child? The book help me understand myself and my kids.

 

I did not use a curriculum for them for Kindergarten. We just did a lot of story book reading and math with paper and pencil. Science was fun experiments in the kitchen.

 

A friend has a boy who teachers thought might be ADHD since preschool at 3. He is spirited and gets bored easily and has been evaluated after he turn seven. The first evaluation was inconclusive but leaning towards not ADHD, the second evaluation was that he was not ADHD but is immature compare to age group peers.

[Marie131]

Have you read Raising your spirited child? The book help me understand myself and my kids.

 

 

That is a fabulous book!

 

My spirited child thrives on RS Math. He doesn't seem to mind a Charlotte Mason approach to the rest of our hs, but Math is his favorite!

[Hunter]

My daughter is 4 and in preschool, but the plan is to homeschool her next year. We already homeschool our oldest (6 yr old son). He is calm, focused, easy to teach. Our daughter is the opposite. She is very spirited. We (me, hubby, her ped) think she has ADHD and are working with positive reinforcements to see if that helps before looking at having her tested. She is also a very immature 4 yr old. She still acts like a toddler a lot and we are hoping that in a year she will gain some maturity. She turns 5 in January. Please give me some ideas on how to teach her and what curriculum(s) may work best with her please.

 

You might want to read, How to Tutor. It can be a little teacher intensive, but not bad at all. The lessons are very quick and direct. I use this book with learning disabled adults.

 

You probably won't want to start cursive right away as suggested, but if you do, use the Spalding Writing Road to Reading 6th edition hand, instead of the slanted hand shown in HTT.

 

More and more often I am making my own homemade worksheets for my students. Everything needs to be explicit and the sentences need to be short and simple. If I find a book I like in general, I translate the sentences into shorter ones. I had to remediate my handwriting first to be comfortable doing this. The Spalding handwriting instructions are so good it only took me a few hours to totally remediate my handwriting for both manuscript and cursive.

 

I'm finding How to Write a Low-Cost/No-Cost Curriculum helpful.

 

The trend right now is very wide curricula. I have to review things so often I need to be careful to pick curricula with a narrow scope, so I have time to do that. And write it myself when nothing is even close to narrow enough.

 

I'd suggest Magic School Bus if that will hold her attention. But that is even too much for some ADD individuals. Sometimes you have to be right in their face with only one fact at a time.

"Look me in the eye!"

"Listen as I say this!"

"Repeat after me!"

"Copy this sentence!"

 

Everything needs to be chopped into tiny pieces and delivered one at a time. When chopped up, the big picture can get lost, so charts and mini-posters become important.

 

My best advice is not to spend too much time looking for prepared curriculum to fit her. It's quicker to write your own.

[blondeviolin]

You might want to read, How to Tutor. It can be a little teacher intensive, but not bad at all. The lessons are very quick and direct. I use this book with learning disabled adults.

 

You probably won't want to start cursive right away as suggested, but if you do, use the Spalding Writing Road to Reading 6th edition hand, instead of the slanted hand shown in HTT.

 

More and more often I am making my own homemade worksheets for my students. Everything needs to be explicit and the sentences need to be short and simple. If I find a book I like in general, I translate the sentences into shorter ones. I had to remediate my handwriting first to be comfortable doing this. The Spalding handwriting instructions are so good it only took me a few hours to totally remediate my handwriting for both manuscript and cursive.

 

I'm finding How to Write a Low-Cost/No-Cost Curriculum helpful.

 

The trend right now is very wide curricula. I have to review things so often I need to be careful to pick curricula with a narrow scope, so I have time to do that. And write it myself when nothing is even close to narrow enough.

 

I'd suggest Magic School Bus if that will hold her attention. But that is even too much for some ADD individuals. Sometimes you have to be right in their face with only one fact at a time.

"Look me in the eye!"

"Listen as I say this!"

"Repeat after me!"

"Copy this sentence!"

 

Everything needs to be chopped into tiny pieces and delivered one at a time. When chopped up, the big picture can get lost, so charts and mini-posters become important.

 

My best advice is not to spend too much time looking for prepared curriculum to fit her. It's quicker to write your own.

My nearly-five-year-old is also very, VERY spirited. I've learned not to negotiate with him. Lately, I've set the limit and then laid out a reward. (Read everyday with a happy attitude. When his chart is full, he gets a book-it coupon.). But, he's really on capable of doing a small amount of "work" at this age. The rest has to be games or something. We chose to set the focus on reading. At this point, anything else he does is self-directed. That works well for him, and us.

 

What he's liked/would like:

Math: RightStart or Miquon

Science: he loves science and RSO has a lot of hands-on activities

History: he doesn't care for stories, has a hard time sitting through the section we read, but he tries because he likes the rest (map work, coloring, projects)

Music: honestly, the best thing has been an few apps from Melody Street tht introduces them to orchestra instruments

Art: crafts

 

My strongest piece of advice would be to pick your battles. Get really good at requiring one (very short) subject. When she can deal with doing that regularly, lengthen the time until you're at your target time. Keep things easy, light, and fun. And if she's not ready, remember that six months makes a big difference at this age and try again later.

[sewingmama]

Everything needs to be chopped into tiny pieces and delivered one at a time. When chopped up, the big picture can get lost, so charts and mini-posters become important.

 

My best advice is not to spend too much time looking for prepared curriculum to fit her. It's quicker to write your own.

 

:iagree:

 

My DD has SPD and is highly spirited. We have struggled a lot this year to find something that fits. We recently started using the Charlotte Mason method and it has worked wonders.

 

Lessons no more then 10 minutes long - break everything down into tiny pieces - let them play outdoors for many hours and rotate each lesson between something that moves them and something that needs sitting down :D

 

We use a timer and my DD knows when it goes off we are done. Her focus is so much better -we are getting more done in the ten minutes then she was getting done in the 3 hours where she would just sit there and refuse to do anything because she was overwhelmed with the one page of work I had given her. :001_huh:

 

The music and art appreciation really work to calm my DD down as well. I think its a fabulous method for ADD learners.

[Sctigermom]

Have you read Raising your spirited child? The book help me understand myself and my kids.

 

I did not use a curriculum for them for Kindergarten. We just did a lot of story book reading and math with paper and pencil. Science was fun experiments in the kitchen.

 

A friend has a boy who teachers thought might be ADHD since preschool at 3. He is spirited and gets bored easily and has been evaluated after he turn seven. The first evaluation was inconclusive but leaning towards not ADHD, the second evaluation was that he was not ADHD but is immature compare to age group peers.

 

Yep, I've read it (and about 30 other books similar....can you tell i've been desperate?!?). This is her 1st yr of preschool and her teachers haven't said anything, but we have been having a lot of problems since she was 2.5. We are scheduled to start seeing a behavioral therapist soon.

[Sctigermom]

:iagree:

 

My DD has SPD and is highly spirited. We have struggled a lot this year to find something that fits. We recently started using the Charlotte Mason method and it has worked wonders.

 

Lessons no more then 10 minutes long - break everything down into tiny pieces - let them play outdoors for many hours and rotate each lesson between something that moves them and something that needs sitting down :D

 

We use a timer and my DD knows when it goes off we are done. Her focus is so much better -we are getting more done in the ten minutes then she was getting done in the 3 hours where she would just sit there and refuse to do anything because she was overwhelmed with the one page of work I had given her. :001_huh:

 

The music and art appreciation really work to calm my DD down as well. I think its a fabulous method for ADD learners.

 

I am using classical with my oldest and it works well for him, but I don't think it will work for her. I am very interested in learning more about CM.

[zookeeperof3]

My 6 yr old has ADHD (Dr says one of his top 4 most severe patients ever).

 

The main things I've learned it to keep him engaged. We have a school cabinet with toys that are only for use during school time. I started out with My Father's World preschool package and added things from there. Puzzles, maze books,coloring books,chalkboard etc. Also, keeping a consistent routine is very important for spirited children. And I allow my child to choose his story time book every day. This way it's what he wants to read and it gives him a little control over his day. I've had to set up a few rules like a school would do.Ex. You can't just leave the school room, even to go potty without asking Mommy first. Otherwise, you lose them and they don't come back! It was a steep learning curve for me but things are going very well now.

 

Good Luck! If you have any specific questions I'm happy to answer them.

Kim

 

ETA We use CM style schooling. It's great for ADD kids. The classical music is very soothing and calming. Art is great for gross motor skills and fun.Nature study helps them to slow down and notice the world around them. Ambleside online is a great place to start.

Edited September 30, 2012 by zookeeperof3
ETA CM style

[Hunter]

I have found some CM methods to be too "pretty" to use. I tend to call our copywork "slatework" to differentiate it from the typical CM style copywork people are used to seeing. Things are more stripped down.

 

For example I'll use a sentence from a writing handbook, instead of a sentence from a piece of literature, as a model sentence for the student to copy and then create their own sentence from.

 

I do glean from vintage methods, but very little from CM. Her stuff just isn't stripped down enough for me. Think Athena shooting arrows through the bullseye, rather than walks in the woods with a lady in a long flowered skirt. I think my students would have buried CM in a hole in the woods. :lol:

[Oakblossoms]

I am going to say this as a mom with more experience. I have two special needs kids. My suggestion is to accept your daughter and let go of the labels. She is 4 years old. This is not going to dictate the rest of her learning experiences. It is not going to be typical. It is not because of her. It is because homeschool never looks typical. Homeschool is an opportunity to build a different relationship for your children. The education is just the bonus.

 

My oldest is getting close to 16 years old. I wish I would have listened to the people who told me it would be ok. He has Aspergers. He is turning into an amazing young man. We focused on a lot of his "issues" and he was "behind" for years. But, he is catching up. It has let me see that my younger child with ADHD and possibly SPD, is going to be ok. Give them a lot of love and a lot of grace.

 

They can always do more math in University. You cannot go back and try to rebuild their foundations for life. I would get her into gymnastics or go to the Y on a regular basis. Make hiking, beach combing, whatever your environment allows, a very regular part of your homeschool. Your entire family will benefit from the movement. Movement is important for our brains to connect. Kids who have a lot of energy or possible diagnosis are in need of more movement to make those connections.

[Sctigermom]

I am going to say this as a mom with more experience. I have two special needs kids. My suggestion is to accept your daughter and let go of the labels. She is 4 years old. This is not going to dictate the rest of her learning experiences. It is not going to be typical. It is not because of her. It is because homeschool never looks typical. Homeschool is an opportunity to build a different relationship for your children. The education is just the bonus.

 

My oldest is getting close to 16 years old. I wish I would have listened to the people who told me it would be ok. He has Aspergers. He is turning into an amazing young man. We focused on a lot of his "issues" and he was "behind" for years. But, he is catching up. It has let me see that my younger child with ADHD and possibly SPD, is going to be ok. Give them a lot of love and a lot of grace.

 

They can always do more math in University. You cannot go back and try to rebuild their foundations for life. I would get her into gymnastics or go to the Y on a regular basis. Make hiking, beach combing, whatever your environment allows, a very regular part of your homeschool. Your entire family will benefit from the movement. Movement is important for our brains to connect. Kids who have a lot of energy or possible diagnosis are in need of more movement to make those connections.

 

Thank you! Sometimes it's hard when you know that one of your kids is "different". It's not bad (ok, well some days it is bad) it's just her. I def don't want her labeled and stuck on drugs (although some days I think I may need some kind of drug:001_huh:). I just want to find out the best way to get through to her and have her focus long enough to learn something. She is in dance and loves the movement and the recitals. She looks forward to it all week long! We also do daily walks so she can get the energy out.

[Hunter]

Movement is important for our brains to connect. Kids who have a lot of energy or possible diagnosis are in need of more movement to make those connections.

 

I have been fascinated by the things I have heard about how our brains repair themselves when walking and knitting and any movement that involves rhythm using both sides of the body.

 

Augsburg Drawing includes 2 handed chalkboard drawings.

[Oakblossoms]

I am so happy to see that went over well. I so badly wished I could go back and tell myself all of that.

[Bramble Patch Academy]

We absolutely adore Oak Meadow. While it looks light on the surface, its not at all. It gives my kids the freedom to follow "rabbit trails" and avoid seatwork/workbooks.

[Alte Veste Academy]

The main things I've learned it to keep him engaged.

 

YES! Yes, yes, YES! Because if you keep the child engaged, this becomes untrue...

 

Everything needs to be chopped into tiny pieces and delivered one at a time.

 

Listen, I do not mean keep the child engaged by entertaining her, by putting on a little dog and pony show for every subject. I mean, as much as possible, allow your daughter to follow her interests. If your child is interested in what you are studying, if you allow her to lead the way, you can have an engaged child who craves content and virtually instructs herself.

 

Where she does not instruct herself, you can tease her into interest. You can also fold skill work into content. In fact, most skill work is folded into content here. I did not do formal Kindy with any of my kids. It was very casual, anything we did. I do not think you should be thinking about seatwork for a very active five year old. If she can sit and do handwriting for 5 minutes, be super stoked by that. My kids each had laminated handwriting placemats that they could use with dry erase markers and they all learned handwriting while waiting for meals to be served. :tongue_smilie:

 

Does she sit still for stories? Does she focus well if she is interested in a book, game, project? Does she have a great imagination? Does she like to draw? There are a million and one ways of teaching everything on the planet through art. Science and history notebooks, artist/writer's workshops, Waldorf math journals (you can use these even if you don't use a Waldorf math program, by the way)... What kind of interest does she take in her brother's learning? Does she ask to "do school" too? Is she a self-starter? If she is a self-starter, do not inadvertently turn her into a Mommy starter. You will regret it.

 

When we started doing formal school (everyone starts in 1st grade at our house), I respected who they were as individuals, as learners. If my DS couldn't sit still, OK. It is what it is. He couldn't sit still. I homeschool. This is not a problem. Why bark at him about it? Why nag and cajole? Relationships are stressed, self-esteem is lowered, teacher and kid are exhausted by daily battles. So just don't start the battle. The way I speak to my kids about their challenges changes who they are.

 

"Why can't you sit still?" (You know why!)

 

"Focus!"

 

"Are you paying attention?! PAY attention!"

 

Imagine hearing this day after day, year after year. What must that do to a child's self-esteem?

 

You can just as easily say, "Wow! You have a lot of energy today! Fantastic! We're going to have a great day!" Then work with the energy. It's my only hope some days, so I may as well lead with it. :tongue_smilie:

 

We have started school days with yoga, swimming, walking the dog, playing in the sandbox, swinging and monkey bars... My kids have listened to read-alouds while standing on their heads, embroidering, coloring, playing with Thinking Putty, Legos, blocks... They have choices. For history, do they want to do this project or this project? What? Only one child wants to do the art project and two want to do the cooking project? OK. They will each do the enrichments that suit them and then learn from each other. For nature study (which I highly encourage with an energetic child!), one child makes a nature journal with watercolor pencils and another takes pictures. For science, one child is fascinated with facts, facts, facts and another simply must do experiments. OK. Again, they do what suits them as individuals and then learn from each other. But, honestly, mostly they catch the learning bug from each other. So the project that didn't look very interesting in the book suddenly looks very fun because the child pursuing his own interest is giving it the hard sell by way of animated engagement.

 

If she is artistic, let her notebook, for both content and skill subjects. Even before she can write much, she can narrate with drawings. Then you can ask about her drawings and take dictation. That is her writing. Teach her to type early. Look into curricula that isn't confining, programs that offer flexibility.

 

My best adaptation advice, especially for skillwork, what absolutely must get done? Get a whiteboard. A big one. Let your child do anything and everything on the whiteboard, while her whole body is up and moving. She can write big on the whiteboard, using her whole body, and she won't be dropping her pencil and falling out of her chair doing it. ;)

 

Also, keeping a consistent routine is very important for spirited children.

 

I agree with this also. We keep a consistent routine but are flexible and relaxed about what gets accomplished during allotted time slots. Also, understand that your child is going to be strong-willed and will find interests of her own outside of school. You can take note of those things. You can count them as school. Also, project-based learning can be great for these kids, as their hyper-focus on what interests them is put to good use. For a spirited child with energy to burn, use the curriculum of curiosity.

 

If you haven't already, read The Myth of the ADD Child and take it to heart. If you have read it, read it again. Really, truly, take it to heart. The way kids with ADD learn is not wrong. It is just different.

[Alte Veste Academy]

Yep, I've read it (and about 30 other books similar....can you tell i've been desperate?!?). This is her 1st yr of preschool and her teachers haven't said anything, but we have been having a lot of problems since she was 2.5. We are scheduled to start seeing a behavioral therapist soon.

 

Are all of the problems related to ADHD or are there other concerns?

 

Also, I have to recommend one of my favorite books of all-time, one which helped me understand my firecracker of a daughter, Strong-Willed Child or Dreamer?

[kentuckymom]

If you haven't already read it, look for the book THE EDISON TRAIT. It details how to parent and teach kids who are divergent thinkers. According to the book, all kids with ADHD are Edison Trait kids, but not all Edison Trait kids are ADHD.

 

It really helped me figure out some good strategies to use with my distractible, imaginative, borderline ADD, seven year old. He's an Edison Trait Dreamer. There are also Dynamos and Discoverers, which your daughter would probably fit better into based on your description.

[Hunter]

 

"Why can't you sit still?" (You know why!)

 

"Focus!"

 

"Are you paying attention?! PAY attention!"

 

Imagine hearing this day after day, year after year. What must that do to a child's self-esteem?

 

You can just as easily say, "Wow! You have a lot of energy today! Fantastic! We're going to have a great day!" Then work with the energy. It's my only hope some days, so I may as well lead with it. :tongue_smilie:

 

 

It is so important not to say vague things like "focus!". It's better to give one explicit instruction, like "Listen to me!" or "Look me in the eye!".

 

I do say things like, "I'm not going to finish talking until I know you are paying attention to ME." Then I sit and stare at the student until they "wake up" and look at me weird, because I'm not talking anymore.

 

Keep everything as short as possible, from sentences to subjects, and transition often.

 

Keep reviewing what has been accomplished combined with praise. "Look how many subjects we just got done! You have learned so much and have worked so hard. Pick a subject to rattle off a quick review, with one question. "Today we talked about the 7 continents again. They are North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and....?"

 

My students are older, so I need to be more subtle--most of the time, but praise the student to others and create an opening for them to share what they learned, if it's appropriate.

 

I have worked with LD students in Sunday schools and home day care for decades. I'm never been nice or soft. I've been far more strict and demanding than the other teachers that were less liked by the students. I've been able to be firm, and less student centered than some teachers, and still not make them feel torn down or frustrated. I think they sense I'm just not soft, so don't have it in me to give.

 

Students that I work with make progress. They thrive off of the feeling of making that progress. I think most humans thrive off of that, and will invest a lot of effort when they can SEE the progress they are making. The praise mixed with review can show them how much they accomplished, and they like that.

 

The short lessons can add up VERY QUICKLY. In between longer subjects I try to squeeze in a few sentences of review of certain subjects. This is where my handwritten worksheets come in so handy. Reading aloud a worksheet is doing the subject. So if you did 2 20 minute lessons and 3 2 minute read aloud lessons along with 2 bathroom/nose-blowing/handwashing trips, you still got 5 subjects done in an hour. "Wow! We got done FIVE subjects!!!!" Name them and review one of them.

 

I do try to make a Waldorfy ENVIRONMENT and I do focus on the whole student, mind, body and soul, but I just can't be CM. I wear hiking books and dress in mostly black sweats, and am just too minimalistic and scarred and lower-class to do CM here. I read the books and sometimes get as far as planning, but...the fru fru never happens. Some of the preschool Waldorf stuff does get done though. A lot of bread baking gets done here, and I try to keep up with the seasons and holidays. I'm trying to squeeze in more fiber crafts, especially when reading aloud. I need to learn to teach left-handed knitting. I try to keep an art area well stocked and open to any visitors/students. I try, but...well... :tongue_smilie: life happens.

Edited October 1, 2012 by Hunter

[Alte Veste Academy]

If you haven't already read it, look for the book THE EDISON TRAIT. It details how to parent and teach kids who are divergent thinkers. According to the book, all kids with ADHD are Edison Trait kids, but not all Edison Trait kids are ADHD.

 

It really helped me figure out some good strategies to use with my distractible, imaginative, borderline ADD, seven year old. He's an Edison Trait Dreamer. There are also Dynamos and Discoverers, which your daughter would probably fit better into based on your description.

 

Yes, totally agree with this! I actually pulled this book out last night after I posted to recommend it along with the other book. It's now retitled Dreamers, Discoverers & Dynamos: How to Help the Child Who Is Bright, Bored and Having Problems in School. My son wasn't having problems in school but he would have had problems in school if I had ever sent him! :tongue_smilie:

 

Probably the most helpful thing I gleaned from the book is that I had a lot of these traits as a child. The information on dyphasic thinking (basically mental multitasking) gave me a huge light bulb moment. I have split my brain my whole life, never thinking about one thing at once unless it is spectacularly interesting to me. I can remember so many times when my teachers thought my mind had wandered, but when they asked to repeat what they had just said, I could retell for them, verbatim, at least a paragraph of their own most recent words. The idea to explicitly teach kids that this can be a gift and to train them in the use of it has helped my DS9 enormously. Instead of being made to feel like he can't pay attention, he has been made to feel that he has the gift of being able to pay attention to two things at once...at least.

[Hunter]

I try to separate things that are 2E from those that are more clearly an LD. Some things have as many benefits as struggles or just look different, rather than being an LD.

 

I think all LDs combine some 2E characteristics, but at least when it comes to my limited understanding, it has been more helpful than not to try and have different plans of action.

[Alte Veste Academy]

I try to separate things that are 2E from those that are more clearly an LD. Some things have as many benefits as struggles or just look different, rather than being an LD.

 

I think all LDs combine some 2E characteristics, but at least when it comes to my limited understanding, it has been more helpful than not to try and have different plans of action.

 

Sure. I personally feel that being ADD is not a learning disorder. (I do recognize that there are a great many LDs that are comorbid with ADD though, and I would never minimize the special challenges that come with those very real issues.) I think many times what separates an LD from a non-LD are the expectations of a child's teachers. Maybe a teacher who can't or won't adapt is the one with the the LD. ;)

[Hunter]

Sure. I personally feel that being ADD is not a learning disorder. (I do recognize that there are a great many LDs that are comorbid with ADD though, and I would never minimize the special challenges that come with those very real issues.) I think many times what separates an LD from a non-LD are the expectations of a child's teachers. Maybe a teacher who can't or won't adapt is the one with the the LD. ;)

 

I remember when a diagnosis of ADD couldn't be given alongside any other diagnosis that described the person's symptoms. I have failed to find out if that is still the case in the the books, but it is certainly not how the term is used anymore. ADD is added to all sorts of diagnosis that they were not allowed to be before.

 

If a student tells me they have ADD, it doesn't affect how I teach much. Bipolar and dyslexia do. But I'm slow to even believe those diagnosis because too often diagnosis are given just because they are easier to bill than others, or for other reasons that are unhelpful for me in choosing remediation methods.

 

I'm not saying this well, and kinda wish I didn't start. I have ideas about all this that still are not fully formed and I certainly don't have the vocabulary to express myself the way I want to.

 

It's just that there are some struggles that are more of a problem, and there are some struggles that have a beautiful silver lining, and then there are some things that are not even a struggle at all, but just unfamiliar to the person observing.