suggestions for hands on learning tools for children

[summerhauss]

Two of my youngest were diagnosed with ADHD and it was recommended that I find hands-on learning tools for my kiddos. So I've been on the hunt! Has anyone heard of the Tegu magnetic blocks? They were recommended and I just found a great price but want more info if anyone has used them or not. They are on sale on here - http://deals.woot.com/deals/details/a00a6715-8e73-4d7f-9f55-dc1fd3911ad8/tegu-blocks-the-toy-of-2016-with-40-magnetic-blocks-and-perfect-for-all-ages#3 Otherwise, I'd love other suggestions.

 

Thank you all.

[Aurelia]

I've never used magnetic blocks, but we used a lot of the Right Start things for math. (Some of them, like popsicle sticks are cheaper to buy from a craft store, but they give some good ideas.) Unifix cubes and cuisinaire rods are good, too. I never found anything similar for English or history, but using lots of science kits worked well for DD, and when we did SOTW, I tried to make sure we did more activities than extra reading and map work, to hold her attention. While listening to reading, it worked well to give her "fidgets" like a koosh ball or legos, or have her roll on the floor or bounce on one of those big exercise balls. Lots of artwork (drawing, painting, sculpture, cutting and pasting) is a good way to work on fine motor skills. 

[FO4UR]

Check Target for Magnatiles.   I found a set 50% off.  

 

 

[HomeAgain]

Target carries Tegu now, too.

 

I can't recommend hands on stuff, because I'm not sure what you are looking for.  I do build my kid's 'work' around the question: "How can we make this a whole-child exercise?"  sometimes combining two senses, sometimes four...but the more I get him moving the better.  We use a lot of Timberdoodle recommendations, a lot of active games, a lot of Montessori-style stuff.  If you're looking for sites to check, my recs would be Timberdoodle, Lakeshore Learning, and Alison's Montissori to find at least inspiration in bringing lessons to life.

[eternallytired]

Like PP, I find that I view it as more my approach to education than the use of any specific products.  My oldest was diagnosed with ADHD, and my middle child is just very active.  I do read-alouds during snack time so their hands are occupied; we keep small toys nearby on the table (cars, PlayDoh, paper & pencils) so they have something to do if they finish eating before I finish reading.  History consists of read-alouds and anything hands-on I can come up with to reinforce the content.  Science is entirely experiment-driven--things to watch and test and then discuss.  If we're discussing, the kids are often jumping on our mini-trampolines or turning somersaults while we do so.  Those trampolines also come in handy during math, since they often need to get energy out while pondering or after succeeding at figuring something out.

 

My curriculum choices reflect my kids' needs.  We used RightStart math because of its interactive, hands-on, game-based nature.  (Though I moved my oldest on after C and my middle halfway through C.)  We use All About Spelling because I can be right there keeping ODS on task (though we will switch to How To Teach Spelling because he really doesn't need the tiles, just the parent-driven nature to help him maintain attention).  We're using MCT's language arts because it's story-based and not workbook-heavy.  (We often do this post-snack, and the kids literally roll all around the living room as I read.)  I avoid workbooks for ODS because even if he enjoys the work, it takes him an eternity to do.  Thus, the only bookwork he has is for math.

 

As for learning toys, we love our Snap Circuits, magnet sets, Legos, stomp rocket, science experiment kits, and geography puzzles.  I'm planning on getting some Knex education sets for Christmas, since I think those would be great to combine learning with play.  I can't comment on Tegu; I've heard a lot about them but never actually seen them.

[Lori D.]

You may also wish to post this on the special needs board for more specific helps and experiences. :)

 

Here are some past threads with lots of ideas that may help get you started with specific curriculum ideas:

- Homeschooling an ADHD child

- Curriculum for an ADHD child

- Need homeschool curriculum for ADHD and other spectrum disorders

 

For seat work, worksheets, writing, math, and other work requiring concentration, allowing movement or fidgets can be very helpful for these children, as it helps them focus. Things like:

 

to allow movement which helps some students focus:

- sit on a spinny seat, FitBall, air cushion wiggle cushion, or other sitting device that allows movement

- sit on a yoga ball and work at a desk or coffee table (allows wiggles, shifting

- stand at the kitchen table or a counter to work (allows jigging, foot tapping, shifting, and whole body movements)

- see Therapy Shoppe for sitting/movement ideas

 

to allow touch sensory which helps some students focus:

- touch fidgets (piece of silk or fur, knobbly plastic, squish balls, etc. allows for rubbing of textures by hand or fingers which allows for specific touch sensory input that helps some students focus

- see Therapy Shoppe for touch sensory fidget ideas

 

to allow mouthing/chewing types of sensory input which helps some students focus:

- chewing and having safe items with interesting feel in the mouth allows for specific touch sensory input that helps some students focus

- see Therapy Shoppe for chewy fidget ideas

 

For read-alouds, allow doing of quiet things while listening, IF that helps students focus (for some, it distracts). Things like:

- work with clay, Thinking Putty, or Silly Putty

- color an educational page that goes along with the subject you're reading about

- twiddle/bend pipe cleaners

- using fidgets: koosh balls, bendies and stretchies, magnets (unless they get loud with clicking/clacking)

- sitting on a yoga ball

 

Some ADHD students connect strongly with visual learning techniques:

- educational videos

- use of color

- use of pictures with goofy story makes it stick in long-term memory

 

Math manipulatives that work well for discovery learning and help students visualize concepts:

- pattern blocks

- geoboards and rubber bands

- Cuisenaire rods

- multilink cubes

 

Some additional general helps:

- remove all dyes and sugars from your child's diet

- do an elimination diet to see if a food (often wheat, corn, or dairy) is causing issues that manifest as ADHD

- stop all screen time (TV, computer, i-pad, phone, e-reader, etc.) at least 2 hours before bedtime, to give the brain cells time to calm down (the subliminal screen re-draws and the light of the screens triggers brain cell activity that takes time to slow down and stop firing)

- if your child struggles to sleep, consider melatonin

- a half cup of coffee (the caffeine) can help ADHD students concentrate

- consider meds -- if you have a strongly-affected student, meds can help balance the brain chemistry to make it possible for them to be able to focus

- Dianne Craft's website for info on nutritional supplements, and some "therapy" techniques for increasing brain hemisphere connections, but also for those visual techniques that go to long-term memory

- for elementary-aged student, Barbara Meister Vitale's book Unicorns Are Real has some great ways of teaching students dealing with ADHD and other issues

- for middle-school aged students, check out the techniques in Jeffrey Freed's book, Right-Brain Children in a Left-Brain World

 

 

[displace]

Legos: math, spelling, literature, free play, technology