Idea needed for 7yo "thinking skills"

[shannonhughes]

Hello all,

 

I have never posted here before but thought I would give it a whirl :-)

 

My 7 1/2 year old son needs extra help with thinking. No really....! He has a lot of trouble when we read directions to actually process them. It's always, "WHAT am I supposed to do?" or "I don't understand!" even very basic things. I am helping him learn to slow down and take the time to figure it out himself, instead of always just jumping in to help him, and he is improving. But recently I wondered if there was a curriculum or workbook he could use that would help develop these skills. Any ideas?

 

I saw the "Building Thinking Skills" series, and it looks good, but there is so much of it that I think he would think was so easy. He wouldn't have a problem with, say, sequences/patterns, or finding similarities/differences. His problem is specifically following directions - processing instructions, particularly written.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thank you!!

Shannon, mom to 6

[Farrar]

Tin Man Press has a few things that are just about following directions. And many of their things, like Wakeruppers, require attention to directions.

[boscopup]

Part of it may be an age thing. I had to read directions to my oldest when he was 6 and 7. He is an excellent reader (well above grade level) and has excellent comprehension, but for some reason, directions on worksheets went in one eye and out the other. But if I read them aloud to him, he would understand. I've seen others mention it many times, so I think it is normal for the age. So if that is ALL you're seeing (what I just described), don't fret. If it's more than that, you might ask over on the SN board and see if you can get some ideas there. They're nice folks. :)

 

Now at 8, my son is reading directions on his own and following them. He's always been good with directions for things like building Legos (actually relied on them too much and I had to take them away so he'd just BUILD!), but for some reason worksheet directions just didn't click. Not sure why. Again, he had no comprehension problems with reading in general.

[serendipitous journey]

Hello all, I have never posted here before but thought I would give it a whirl :-) My 7 1/2 year old son needs extra help with thinking. No really....! He has a lot of trouble when we read directions to actually process them. It's always, "WHAT am I supposed to do?" or "I don't understand!" even very basic things. I am helping him learn to slow down and take the time to figure it out himself, instead of always just jumping in to help him, and he is improving. But recently I wondered if there was a curriculum or workbook he could use that would help develop these skills. Any ideas? I saw the "Building Thinking Skills" series, and it looks good, but there is so much of it that I think he would think was so easy. He wouldn't have a problem with, say, sequences/patterns, or finding similarities/differences. His problem is specifically following directions - processing instructions, particularly written. Any ideas? Thank you!! Shannon, mom to 6

 

May I ask how his reading comprehension is generally? Are you doing anything like Writing With Ease, or Story of the World narrations, etc. with him where he retells you what he's read? If not, starting with WWE1 might be a good idea. It can be frustrating at first, we often broke the readings into smaller chunks for the questions & narrations.

 

Tin Man Press has a few things that are just about following directions. And many of their things, like Wakeruppers, require attention to directions.

 

I have heard very good things about Tin Man Press on the boards, so would second this.

 

To teach this skill, I'd suggest making it explicit and about something he's interested in. You could get a Klutz kit on something that he likes -- gliders, LEGOs, art, whatever -- and do the projects with him, having him read the instructions a bit at a time and figuring out what they say. If he gets frustrated, it can help to let him know that frustration is normal; maybe take a breather or run around the house or something; then come back at it a bit. Be sure to just glow with enthusiasm and praise when he is able to comprehend and do the least little thing, taking care to praise his hard work and perseverance and not the thing he's accomplished.

 

He might also like to do a Snap Circuit kit. I see you have 6 children -- esp. if there are younger boys coming up, you could consider investing in some educational Duplos kits; we were fortunate that the grandparents helped pay for them as Christmas and birthday presents for a few years. They come with project cards, and this really helped Button learn to follow directions; though they are more pictorial than word-based in their instruction.

[NotSoObvious]

Writing with Ease. Seriously. It changed my dd's life. She had so much trouble actively listening to anyone or anything, but she is very bright. The first several weeks of Writing with Ease, I actually thought she might have auditory processing disorder or something. I was seriously concerned. Then I realized that in the chaos of school, she had never really learned "how" to listen- I mean really listen. Next to bringing her home, WWE was the curriculum that made the biggest difference in her schooling, I think.

[shannonhughes]

Thank you ladies SO MUCH for these helpful suggestions!!! I looked up Tin Man Press, what fun that was. It looked so fun I thought of spending my birthday money on it :-) ha ha That would be great following directions practice. I plan to order some.

 

Also, I looked up the Writing With Ease. So, serendipitous journey - I have a dumb question. You asked about reading comprehension, but WWE looks to me more like comprehending verbal things spoken? Does this translate into reading comprehension later? Sorry, just trying to put the pieces together. It does look like it would be helpful, regardless. I can see him not knowing the answer to any of the questions.... Thank you for mentioning about breaking the narrations into smaller pieces.

 

The reason I am particularly concerned for him is because neither his twin brother nor his brother 17 months older have either struggled at ALL the way he does in this area. I think he will improve in time as he grows, but I am always just looking to offer something to help them along the way!

 

Thank you again ladies!!