Lessons Learned From Home Schooling My 7-Year Old Grand Daughter With ADHD
My grand daughter seems to have ADHD just like her dad when he was her age. THe classic signs are there. Diana finds it hard to sit still and focus on one thing for any length of time.
She has not been diagnosed yet and I hope that will be done when she returns home to Utah at the end on February.
When our son was 4 he was diagnosed with ADHD. It was a challenge for his school to make special arrangements for him to learn effectively. Finally, he was assigned an adult aide who sat with him in class to help him stay focused and organized.
After he entered High School he stopped having an aide.
My Home Schooling Approach
I have found that Diana thrives from being home schooled. I can help her stay focused and break up the teaching into smaller chunks. She learns fast, but needs repetition to keep remembering. This picture depicts our home school setup.
She was way behind her class at the time we started homeschooling. I feel confident that she will be ahead when she returns. The problem will be how can she maintain that progress?
I gave her a Math test a couple of days ago and thought her progress was pretty good. It was a mixture of addition and subtraction sums. I walked away when she did this test. I was delighted that she got 90% right. She then corrected the mistakes successfully.
You may notice there is one sum she got wrong that I marked it right. Perhaps becase of my ADD ha!
She is now learning her multiplication tables. Her 2nd grade class in Utah hasn't started this yet.
Potential Solutions
I got these from Google:
Are ADHD kids considered special needs?
Regardless of how well he or she performs in school, a student who has trouble concentrating, reading, thinking, organizing or prioritizing projects, among other important tasks, because of ADHD may have a disability and be protected under Section 504.
What educational setting is the most beneficial for students with ADHD?
Kids with ADHD are more likely to thrive in structured environment because they often struggle with memory and focus.
Attention Deficit
One can have attention deficit without being hyperactive. I feel that is my condition. All my life I have found it hard to maintain focus for long periods of time. Hence, I have to break up my learning into shorter chunks of time filling the gaps doing other things.
When someone is also hyperactive, this can be more difficult. In a child this manifests itself as a kid who cannot sit still when learning.
There are ways to overcome this. Use technology! When Diana is using her tablet, she can sit still for hours on end. Using learning materials set up as games does indeed work.
How Do You Build A Business Having Attention Deficit?
I wonder how many Wealthy Affiliate members suffer from ADHD or ADD? And how do they cope?
Webinars are a great way for individuals with ADHD and ADD to learn. Especially if they are recorded and one can stop and start as many times as necessary to absorb the materials. The WA setup works perfectly in this area since all the webinars are recorded.
After attending the live webinars I watch the recording later. Stopping and starting with repeating segments is what I have to do in order to absorb the materials satisfactorily.
If you have ADD or ADHD, please share your experience in the discussion area below.
Cheers!
Edwin
Recent Comments
46
Hi, Edwin
I was a very hyperactive child and not interested in school very much. However, I was never a behavioral problem and got good grades.
My pediatrician told my parents he thought I was bored with the curriculum. My parents put me in private school when I started second grade.
They tested me and advanced me to the third grade. I still wasn’t very interested but continued to do well.
I believe that if I had access to the Internet back in the 1950s that my educational experience would have improved exponentially.
I still get bored pretty quickly with everything but music.
Who knows, I probably have some type of atypical attention disorder, or perhaps it’s just the way my mind works. ???
I think home schooling is a great option, especially these days with all the peer cruelty and potential physical dangers. Very sad stuff.
Frank 😎🎸
Hello Frank,
Thanks for sharing your childhood educational situation. I would not want to be a student in school these days. However, I experienced bullying from two sources. Twin boys who were younger than me. And one student who was older. But none from my class group. Go figure. I didn't tell anyone but never let these guys get the better of me.
I asked Diana about bullying, She hasn't been bullied yet.
Cheers.
Edwin
Hi, Edwin
Yes, bullying in school and online has become quite a problem for children. I had a very happy childhood, which helped define who I became as a person.
These days, I believe that childhood remote learning has a lot of merit, but it's important to pair that with adequate positive peer socialization.
Very challenging times for children and everyone else!
Frank 😎🎸
Edwin,
Thanks for sharing this post.
Home school is an excellent way to teach your granddaughter. You can also check online for other resources for ADHD. Public libraries are another great source.
When I lived in Redlands, my neighbor's child had ADHD and they were attending classes at the local community college to learn all they could.
Each child has their own individual needs.
This is an amazing opportunity to become an expert.
Rachele
Hi Rachele,
I love the way you think. Making opportunities out of real-life situations. Thanks for commenting.
Edwin
Edwin,
With your massive intelligence I can see a Masterclass down the pike on your educational agenda.
Rachele
This is an uplifting post Edwin! not because of the challenges you have mentioned, but of the heart you have for your family and helping them in their lives and education. I appreciate your sharing, as a teacher with 24 years experience, this hits home and encourages me to continue to help and support each individual child, working with their strengths and weaknesses to improve their lives
Hi Dale,
You hit on a sensitive point. There is no one size fits all in educating children. When teachers have large classes it is almost impossible to tailor the lessons to meet all their needs. Hence one on one, or really small classes works the best. I’m enjoying home schooling.
Cheers.
Edwin
so true Edwin, this was one of the many stresses I felt as a teacher (and still do) as I simply felt that I was unable to provide exactly what each individual child needed to thrive. We are only human, and although the result may not always be what we wanted, we can only do the very best we can! all the best to you my friend
Seems you had a challenge that you overcame successfully. Somehow, I'd expect that of you. You have also issued some valuable suggestions that can help us out if we have ADHD problems.
Glad the homeschooling experience was successful for you both. So glad you were able to help your granddaughter.
Hi Fran,
It’s ongoing until the end of February. Diana is a hard kid to manage because she is very strong willed. But she cannot get the better of her grandma and grandpa and knows it. We are better equipped to lay out a structured life for her since we’re retired. It all works out great!
Thanks for your supportive comments.
Edwin
It's really great that you are able to help her with homeschooling. We had a friend with a son who was two years behind in reading. The school wanted to put him into a special education program. The parents instead began homeschooling. Within months not only had he made up those two years, he'd actually moved up another year or two!
She's only 7. Give her a chance before she gets treated differently! Otherwise she'll feel strange and defective her whole life.
Keep being a wonderful grandfather!
Thanks for sharing your friends story Jeannine. I’ve noticed how confident Diana has got as she realizes she’s not dumb after all. In fact, she’s very smart and homeschooling proves it to her.
Cheers!
Edwin
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My son also was thought to have ADHD in his middle school years, but after testing — it was discovered that he was just bored and immature. His boredom and his immaturity led to him not controlling his boredom very well and hence disrupted the class at times. After this diagnosis, his teacher worked with him, giving him “special” extra projects that keep him busy and along with us enrolling him in martial arts — he grew out of it and is now a successful adult.
Thank you for sharing!
-Mike
That is exactly what I was thinking. It's so much easier to think a child has ADHD and needs medication than to keep them challenged.
I would guess she's just smart and bored and young. Please, please wait before giving her a label that will affect her whole life.
Yep! I had to battle the school to get the testing done — I wound-up paying for it because his pediatrician also knew he was not ADHD.
-Mike
Best money you ever spent!
It certainly was!
-Mike