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Minute to Minute
Readers Helping Readers |
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| Greetings! |
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In conclusion to our Month of Special Needs Minute to Minute E-Newsletters, TOS Magazine would like to thank all the homeschool moms who took the time to write in with questions and answers. Without you, Minute to Minute would not be possible, and because of you, homeschool moms with special needs children have been tremendously encouraged.
In this final issue, we take a moment to focus on homeschooling children with Down Syndrome or ADHD. If you have not had the opportunity, we highly recommend you take a look at the special needs articles in the Resource Room, and order a copy of TOS Summer '08 Edition, which focuses on special needs. Now is a great time to subscribe though! With our new Fall Special, you can get two years of the magazine, the current Summer Edition, 6 great gifts worth over $120, AND a Homeschooling with Heart tote bag if you're in the first 1000 subscribers. It's a great deal at only $39 and I know that there are still plenty of the tote bags left.
We have enjoyed accompanying you on this special needs journey. Join us next issue as we meet a soon-to-be homeschool mom who needs the advice of our veteran Minute to Minute Readers.
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| Dear Amy,
I am right with you. My oldest son has severe ADHD as well as sensory integration disorder, and several other labels. Every year I battle with what kind of curriculum to buy, and most years I change in the middle. This year, however, I found what seems to be very good for him. It is called Heart of Dakota (HOD). I stumbled onto it by "mistake," and am finding it the perfect mix for my child.
Let me explain what sets it apart from other things I have used. First, it is completely laid out for me. Having a child that takes a lot of time, as does my son, it is nice to have little planning time. The author writes her plans in blocks. Each block takes no more than 15 minutes. That means that the ADHD child is keeping their mind occupied, reducing the amount of struggle to keep them on task. The blocks can easily be broken up through out the day, though I know that most of the time my son wants to have a schedule, there is some flexibility there.
Next, HOD is not a traditional "textbook" approach. The author uses the Charlotte Mason approach, but she does it in a way that is not overwhelming. My son loves for me to read to him, though he may be moving around, standing on his head, and so on while I read. The author has picked great books, and then she gives you the questions to ask the student. This is great for my son.
HOD also has hands-on activities, but they are not over the top, and they are always educational. My son loves to do hands on stuff, but often times it is too much for him. Everything I have read about homeschooling your ADHD kid is to get him up and moving. Play active games, etc. My son, however, actually gets out of control if we do that too much. For example, if we play a game where he must jump up and down while spelling a word, he will jump up and down and spell maybe half of the word, then he is bouncing off the walls, and I have lost him. Many games that seem to be so good for ADHD just make him go haywire. That is one reason I love HOD: lots of simple "projects" that do not cause him to go over the top. He gets to put his hands on what he is learning without being over stimulated.
My son has a difficult time writing, and I am able to do all the work in HOD, and limit his writing. For us, that is awesome. He does obviously have to do some writing, but I can control the amount.
I don't know if HOD would help you, but it has helped us. We still struggle some days, but it is much more geared to his learning style, and much easier to incorporate in our family. In fact, I love it so much, I am planning on using it with all three of my boys. It is worth checking out. The website is www.heartofdakota.com. Hope that you find the exact thing that your family needs.
Martha from NC
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Dear Amy and Lyn,
I have 6 children, 2 of whom have been helped by a group called International Christian Association of Neurodevelopmentalists www.icando.org. They have therapists throughout the United States and Canada that can help write a program to address any issue your child is struggling with. We spent a lot of time and money at specialists that only gave us labels - ADHD, dyslexia, temporal processing disorder, speech delays, fine motor skill issues, etc. This is the only organization that we found to address all our child's issues with an inclusive plan that we could implement at home. They are not concerned with labels and will help you unlock your child's God-given learning potential.
May God guide you in your journey,
Carmen
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| Dear Amy and Lyn,
I homeschool our 5 year old who is autistic, as well as our 15 year old who is ADHD. I have found the best way for them to learn is by doing things as non-traditional as possible.
For teaching our 5 year old ABC's, 123's, colors, and shapes, we play with Leap Frog toys and watch their movies. I buy little workbooks from our local Dollar Tree and give them to my son to do whatever in. They have ABC tracing and number counting in some of the Disney characters so my son likes them. These are his "fun books" and there is not any pressure from me to get anything in them done.
We made an ABC line that is hanging in our living room above all our family pictures. Everyday I would print a new letter, we would color it and add it to our line. I took an old kids Bible that was falling apart and cut out pictures for a story line. As my son and I went through our Bible, we would focus on characters like Abraham and put the events of his life in order. Nothing too formal or over planned.
For kids who have trouble sitting still during a more formal class setting, give them a big exercise ball to sit on as a chair: the ones women use to do sit-ups and such. Kids with ADHD have a hard time focusing on their studies or listening to mom as she teaches. This "new" chair allows the child to bounces a little, giving an outlet for his spasms. It really works. It really helps with their fidgeting. Relieves a lot of stress on both them and mom. Hope these ideas helped.
- Cerese
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| From The Experienced. . . . |
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My youngest son has special needs and a short attention span. I came across a book called, "How to Get Your Child off the Refrigerator and on to Learning," that was a big help. The author uses index cards to make games, flash cards, and more that keep your child focused a little longer. The activities are engaging, they make learning fun, and can be used for every subject you want to cover. This was a big hit with all of my children, not just my son! - Tia |
| Homeschooling Resource |
 E-Book: A Parent to Parent Chat on ADHD will help you figure out the questions you need to ask if you suspect you have a child with Attention Deficit Disorder. Knowing the right questions to ask is the 1st step in gaining control.
Written by Theresa Lode, the mother of a now 12 year old with ADHD, this E-Book will be a friendly cup of coffee with another mom who will share her experiences. |
| Homeschooling Resource |
 E-Book: Homeschooling--The Journey Is The Reward by Pamela Berthume is a very unique and realistic view of homeschooling and family life. Join Pamela, a homeschooling mom since 1993 with four children, as she shares tips on homeschooling. Included in this book is a very extensive chapter, "Homeschooling with Health Issues" which covers how to homeschool with Celiac Disease, Asperger's, Spinal Cord Injury, Scoliosis, ADHD, and more. A must read for parents with special needs children.
To see print print version click here.
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Thank you for taking part in our month of special needs and sharing your curricula ideas, helpful resources, and encouraging personal experiences with Amy and Lyn. If you have a question you would like to ask the Minute to Minute Readers, please email us. Emailing or otherwise responding to this email constitutes permission for The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC to publish, post, reprint and distribute part or all of your response in the Minute to Minute E-Newsletter, the print, digital and online versions of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, on Company websites and in other Company publications.
Sincerely,
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Elisabeth Marlowe, Minute to Minute Editor
The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine |
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TOS Items of Interest
Sep. 8, 2008
