mountains27 Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 My son sees a therapist and has been diagnosed with ADHD. He isn't currently taking any meds but we are talking about it. He does OK with me homeschooling him as far as keeping focused and getting work done in short spurts but I am starting to realize, mostly in the subject of math, that he doesn't seem to be "getting it". Since this summer we have been working on adding and subtracting numbers within ten and he still uses his fingers and acts like he doesn't understand the idea of addition or even number values. For example today I asked him what two numbers can make 8 and after he was thinking for awhile and clearly needed a clue I said OK what plus 7 would make 8? "5??" he guessed. And this is what it's like almost everyday. I am starting to worry and wonder if there is a different math we could try that would help him understand better or maybe he just needs medication to help him learn?? Right now he uses MM 1 and I also have him using c-rods, abicus, ten blocks, counting bears, basically any math manipulative you can think of! He seems to understand all these things but it just isn't sticking and I'm worried at this point. Any advice would be appreciated oh forgot to mention he is a first grader who will be 7 in March Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Most ADHD kids are going to turn out to be VSL (visual spatial), so a curriculum that uses visualization (seeing the quantities in your mind, breaking them apart and rearranging them in your mind) will help. RightStart, MUS, Ronit Bird. After I did RightStart with my dd we went over to BJU. BJU isn't as strongly that way, but it has enough conceptual I could continue what we had already done with RS. Singapore to a degree, but it's a lot of paper. For where he's at, you might like the Ronit Bird ebooks. They're only $10 each and will be easy to implement using what you already have. Sounds like he might do well to start with the Dots ebook, even if you think he'll go through it quickly. It's deceptively simple and pretty much builds an understanding and visualization of all your basic facts through really simple games and exercises. Highly, highly recommend for the low cost and ease of implementation. If he does Dots and C-Rods (both RB ebooks) he could then go into level B of RightStart without a problem. If you think you might want MUS or something else long-term, that's still fine. You could get the Dots ebook today, do it with him, order MUS or whatever you want, and just use the RB ebooks until the other stuff comes in the mail. Given his age he might get through most of the Dots ebook in a week or two. You might be really, really impressed with what you accomplish in that time. I used RS A-D with my dd and RB is like RightStart on steroids, more explicit, more fleshed out. Highly, highly recommend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountains27 Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 Just checked out that site and it seems great! Thank you for the helpful suggestion, just what I think he needs. I don't have an Apple device so unfortunately I can't get the ebooks but I printed off a lot of the games that are on the site and will play those with him. I will also look into Rightstart. He has been playing this game http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=1074695a lot recently that I got for Xmas and it seems to be helping him a lot too. I bend the rules a little so he can keep rolling until he is able to shut the box :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Ooo, we like Shut the Box too!! :D Honestly, you ought to consider getting an ipad. So much curriculum now comes in that format. The ebooks are expansions and include videos but they're the content from Ronit Bird's printed books you can buy on amazon. They're pricy and not so deliciously easy to implement as the ebooks are, but they're something you can buy and have the whole shizam. You would start with her Toolkit book. Honestly though, if you can find a deal on an ipad, ANY ipad, like beg, borrow, (ok, not steal), you'd LOVE having it for the RB ebooks, quizlet, games, memory work, audiobooks, looking things up, making keynote (powerpoint) presentations, you name it. You'd find SO many uses for it. Just enabling. :D Here, there might be more deals, but look at this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-iPad-4th-Generation-16GB-w-9-7-Retina-Display-Wi-Fi-4G-Unlocked-GSM-/361155251808?pt=US_Tablets&var=&hash=item541687ce60 $269.95 with free shipping. It's a buy it now thing and there are 10 more available. Awesome price. 16GB is a little small, so if your budget is higher you might like more storage. Well I say that and my dd's is only 16 GB and she does a ton with it. Better to get in and make do than not to have it at all. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-iPad-4th-Generation-32GB-Wi-Fi-9-7in-MD511LL-A-Black-/311238832983?pt=US_Tablets&hash=item487747b357 Here's 32GB with free shipping, 4th gen. Costs less and has double the storage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleBears Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 First, don't panic yet! He's only six after all. ADHD kids come in many varieties. It will have to be a matter of trial and error. FWIW, my ds is ADHD but undiagnosed. I know he would be if I had him evaluated. I don't see any point in doing this since it does not interfere with anything. We tried Right Start and it was a disaster. It was too many pieces, too much going on all over the place. He kept distracting himself and could not stop touching everything including the abacus. What finally worked for him was Horizons, believe it or not. This is the curic that is supposed to be bad for ADHD kids. The color the variety is supposed to be too distracting. But it was perfect for him. It required concentration for short periods with variety and color and that is what actually engaged him. MUS is also a good option for VSL kids. There are a lot of good options out there. It would be a good idea to maybe try out a few programs, especially if they can be borrowed, and see how he does. Also, some kids are not ready at 6 for MM. It may be too abstract for him. Not an intellect related issue but a maturity thing. He may do better with something more traditional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanin Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Shut the Box looks like so much fun! With older kids you could throw in the gambling element :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 FWIW, DD14 and DS10 have enjoyed shut the box here and frequently come up with their own rules and parameters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 FWIW, DD14 and DS10 have enjoyed shut the box here and frequently come up with their own rules and parameters. Like what? I'd love to hear about 'em. More variants on StB would be fun. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Like what? I'd love to hear about 'em. More variants on StB would be fun. :) I will try and remember. DS does them on the fly. Well, like the other day he was saying that we each had to subtract 2 from whatever we rolled. Then after we had played that a while, he changed it to a rule where rolling a double meant you had to multiply by 2 and subtract by 5. There was another time when he said that we could not flip more than one even number to make it to each roll. I don't recall the others off the top of my head. He changes the rules every time we play. Since math is not my best subject either, sometimes we spend half the game laughing as we try to figure out how to make his rule work. DD does this to some extent but I don't think she is as confident about shuffling things around in math, KWIM? Or maybe it just isn't as interesting to her. It has been fun letting them try out different scenarios/rules to see which ones are actually viable and which ones don't work or make things too difficult, though....even if it does challenge my poor brain a bit. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Those are awesome rule change ideas!! How fun!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountains27 Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 What about Miquon? I have looked at it a couple times but can't really figure out if it would be a good fit for my kid or totally throw him for a loop! He does OK with c-rods but we have just done the basics with them so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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