Help with dd and perspective

[ravinlunachick]

My dd has no diagnosis, other than a generic "learning disability" from her public school days. Generally speaking, most of her difficulties are related to math, and she does very well with language arts.

 

Recently, though, she failed a few assignments because they required her to retell a story from a different POV, or to make inferences about information not given in the story. She was just wholly and completely unable to do this, and it was very frustrating for us both. For example, one assignment had her retell the fable of the mouse and the lion from the lion's point of view. I tried to help her by using a mouse puppet and having him relate to his mouse family what had happened to him. DD couldn't get past the point that the story didn't SAY he had a family. :confused: She refused to accept that I could simply imagine that detail.

 

She has a good imagination, and loves to come up with very detailed stories. If it's not her own creation, though, she only sticks to what is actually written on the page. She read a passage about a little boy who missed his sister while she was away at camp; the passage talked about how they played jokes on one another and how each responded. When a question asked her what the sister would be likely to do once she got home (supposed to choose "hide under her brother's bed and scare him"), dd was at a complete loss. She kept saying, "How can I know what she will do? She might have decided to never play tricks on him again. She might be tired! It doesn't say what happens when she gets home. HOW CAN I KNOW THAT?!?" :001_huh:

 

What do I do with this? How do I get her to move beyond the printed details and take another POV?

[Tiramisu]

My dd has no diagnosis, other than a generic "learning disability" from her public school days. Generally speaking, most of her difficulties are related to math, and she does very well with language arts.

 

Recently, though, she failed a few assignments because they required her to retell a story from a different POV, or to make inferences about information not given in the story. She was just wholly and completely unable to do this, and it was very frustrating for us both. For example, one assignment had her retell the fable of the mouse and the lion from the lion's point of view. I tried to help her by using a mouse puppet and having him relate to his mouse family what had happened to him. DD couldn't get past the point that the story didn't SAY he had a family. :confused: She refused to accept that I could simply imagine that detail.

 

She has a good imagination, and loves to come up with very detailed stories. If it's not her own creation, though, she only sticks to what is actually written on the page. She read a passage about a little boy who missed his sister while she was away at camp; the passage talked about how they played jokes on one another and how each responded. When a question asked her what the sister would be likely to do once she got home (supposed to choose "hide under her brother's bed and scare him"), dd was at a complete loss. She kept saying, "How can I know what she will do? She might have decided to never play tricks on him again. She might be tired! It doesn't say what happens when she gets home. HOW CAN I KNOW THAT?!?" :001_huh:

 

What do I do with this? How do I get her to move beyond the printed details and take another POV?

 

 

Is she failing the assignments you give her or is it something she's doing in an outside class? If you're homeschooling, do you mind me asking what writing program you are using?

 

It sounds like one we were using for a short while. For us, we hit a road block. I don't think it was POV, but something else. I decided dd was actually writing very well and this wasn't a hill worth dying on. We worked ourselves into another program and it worked out much better for her.

 

Does your dd have empathy? Normal social skills? If she doesn't, could she be somewhere on the autism spectrum? If she does, then I don't know if I'd worry about it, as long as everything else is fine in the real life, non-academic environment.

 

I had at least one that wasn't really good with inference in earlier years, but she seems to be fine now. Sometimes I've thought some curricula have inappropriate expectations when it comes to inference and abstract thinking. Both require a higher developmental level and younger kids are naturally more concrete. I would give it a little more time.

[VinNY]

My dd has no diagnosis, other than a generic "learning disability" from her public school days. Generally speaking, most of her difficulties are related to math, and she does very well with language arts.

 

Recently, though, she failed a few assignments because they required her to retell a story from a different POV, or to make inferences about information not given in the story. She was just wholly and completely unable to do this, and it was very frustrating for us both. For example, one assignment had her retell the fable of the mouse and the lion from the lion's point of view. I tried to help her by using a mouse puppet and having him relate to his mouse family what had happened to him. DD couldn't get past the point that the story didn't SAY he had a family. :confused: She refused to accept that I could simply imagine that detail.

 

She has a good imagination, and loves to come up with very detailed stories. If it's not her own creation, though, she only sticks to what is actually written on the page. She read a passage about a little boy who missed his sister while she was away at camp; the passage talked about how they played jokes on one another and how each responded. When a question asked her what the sister would be likely to do once she got home (supposed to choose "hide under her brother's bed and scare him"), dd was at a complete loss. She kept saying, "How can I know what she will do? She might have decided to never play tricks on him again. She might be tired! It doesn't say what happens when she gets home. HOW CAN I KNOW THAT?!?" :001_huh:

 

What do I do with this? How do I get her to move beyond the printed details and take another POV?

 

This skill is called "Making Inferences". Many workbooks have these type of exercises in them. We (SLP, dd and I ) kept at this for a while. I suggest getting some workbooks (google) and help teach this skill. It is almost like the child needs to learn to unlock this abstract piece.."What could happen next?".

[TippyCanoe]

nm

[Durriyyah]

It may be worth setting it aside for a bit and coming back to it if she is getting frustrated with it. She could possibly outgrow this, but I have seen adults that just have the hardest time putting themselves in other people's shoes.

 

Maybe it would help if she understood the stories as someone else's imagination and she can build on it? Like if her and a friend were playing, both of them can build upon what they are doing (playing with dolls, building stuff, etc.) and that's what you are asking her to do. I don't know if that will help her or not. Best wishes! :)

[Carol in Cal.]

I was like that at that age. Model it, practice it, and don't grade her on it just yet. She will probably get it after a while.

 

Actually, paying attention to the details of the story and not assuming anything beyond them is a very useful skill in later English classes. So this capability is going to work out well for her. You might want to mention that to her. :001_smile:

[ravinlunachick]

We are using k12 through a state virtual school. That means I can't skip over these sorts of topics, and she does get graded on them. I could supplement, of course, but as the workload is pretty heavy, I'd rather do it in an informal way as much as possible. I like the idea of pausing movies to make inferences and predictions. She's very much into playing detective and solving mysteries (hey, maybe that's where her 'just the facts ma'am' way of thinking could come in handy!). Perhaps we could play some games that require her to draw conclusions to solve a mystery. Hmmm....

 

Outside of school work, she doesn't do great with empathy, although she seems to have a pretty good grasp of what she *ought* to do in a given situation. She often goes out of her way to be helpful or to do something nice for someone without being prompted, because she wants to make them happy. She is VERY literal-minded, and we've had to have a lot of discussions about sarcasm and jokes and such. She often doesn't get why a joke is funny. I have wondered about her being on the spectrum somewhere, but we haven't pursued testing because it doesn't seem to have any benefits at this point in time. She is sort of socially awkward at times with her peers, but I have a hard time knowing for sure if that's because she has a deficit of some sort, or whether it's because so many of her 7-8-9yo friends are so worldly and mature beyond their years. For example, she still plays with Polly Pockets with her 3yo little sister. None of the girls her age in her GS troop do so; they have moved on to crushing on boys and playing with makeup. DD still watches cartoons; her peers watch adult shows. You get the picture.

 

I will look into the links and try out the other suggestions as we work next week. Thanks for the advice! :)

[Guest]

This skill is called "Making Inferences". Many workbooks have these type of exercises in them. We (SLP, dd and I ) kept at this for a while. I suggest getting some workbooks (google) and help teach this skill. It is almost like the child needs to learn to unlock this abstract piece.."What could happen next?".

 

:iagree: I had a few concerns about this last year also. One of the things I have added this year is workbooks like VinNY and I am impressed by how things are clicking for my son this year. We are using the Spotlight on Reading workbooks by Carson-Dellosa.

[TraceyS/FL]

or whether it's because so many of her 7-8-9yo friends are so worldly and mature beyond their years. For example, she still plays with Polly Pockets with her 3yo little sister. None of the girls her age in her GS troop do so; they have moved on to crushing on boys and playing with makeup. DD still watches cartoons; her peers watch adult shows. You get the picture.

 

YIKES! I have an 8yo 2nd grader in PS and as far as I know they haven't moved onto this stuff yet! She still plays My Little Pony with her sister...

 

My 13yo Special Needs DD still plays My Little Pony, but she is about at a 9-10 cognitive. I expected the My Little Pony thing to be her downfall in public middle school as they threw her into regular classes (but then the school wanted to take her out of the high functioning class and put her in with the 50 and under IQ kids).

 

I babysit for a 9yo PS girl, that has worldly high school age sisters. Even she isn't into boys and make-up and loves to play "horse town" with my 13yo. Oddly it sounds like her mother is the one most apt to make fun of her for playing with some of her toys. Sigh.

 

 

But the workbooks sound like a good idea - and I might have to pick up some myself for DD :tongue_smilie:

[eoffg1]

Children's drama groups are used to help develop a different POV.

Where children take on and act out different roles.

So that they experience a different POV physically, as they act it out.

Though role play activities can also be done at home.

Where for example, with the passage a little boy that missed his sister?

Perhaps that could be acted out, where she took on the role of the little boy?

 

As she loves to come up with very detailed stories. Perhaps you could help her to write her own little plays?

Which are then acted out?