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A Hangman Spelling Nightmare

December 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment
homework nightmare

Colin is a seven year old first grader who is displaying some inattentiveness, and recently I was able to help Colin and his mom with a homework nightmare. It was spelling - an online hangman game that had to be completed and submitted via the school's homework system. (At least there was no book to bring home - right?!) Anyhow, the particular problem Colin was having was a game of hangman. There were twenty words, and students could only guess incorrectly a few times before being penalized. So Colin had a sheet of words, and every time he got one correct, he was marking them off. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Organizing, School and ADHD-Inattentive

Adding the Big C to ADHD

November 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Communication and ADHD

To succeed, a child diagnosed with ADHD-inattentive needs the best of two worlds: home and school. Good communication between parents and teachers paves the way for a winning strategy for your child. Here are seven ways to improve two-way "reception": 1. Meet early and agree on the frequency of meetings. Don't wait until a problem presents itself. Be proactive and set up an appointment early in the year or semester to give the proverbial word to the wise. Think ahead about where your child is now and where you hope he is in 6 months. What are realistic goals? How can those goals be … [Read more...]

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Back to School…and Reading Lists

September 6, 2011 By 5 Comments
reading aloud to an adhd child

Lesley and Mike have gone back to school, and each of them has a reading list that is longer than they would like. Lesley had a summer list, so she got a head start. Mike had his list this summer, too. But...well. Let's not chalk everything up to being of the male persuasion... Both Lesley and Mike are having to read classic titles that make me think of Mark Twain’s definition: “A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.” We've taken two effective approaches to slogging through these books. First on the list is reading aloud. One of Lesley's … [Read more...]

Filed Under: ADHD Strategies, Focusing, School and ADHD-Inattentive

The Truth About Consequences

April 14, 2011 By 2 Comments
truth about consequences

“Why don’t you just let him suffer the consequences?” New teachers often ask me this question, knowing that consequences often shape good and bad behavior. Unfortunately, it isn’t always that easy. Natural consequences are a part of discipline, but they aren’t appropriate in every situation, nor are they right for every child. When it comes to schoolwork, consequences are pretty tricky. The word discipline comes from the Latin word for ‘student’ or ‘learner’. Discipline should teach. It should result in a positive behavior change. Discipline may be temporarily … [Read more...]

Filed Under: School and ADHD-Inattentive

School. Yuck!

March 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
third grade math adhd

For some odd reason I remember being introduced to the word communication while studying Janet and Mark in the first grade. I was reintroduced to the word when my own child was in his first year of school. Although communication includes the principal, secretary, and even the lunch lady, the most important dialog is between parent and teacher. Early in the school year, make contact with your teacher. As I stated in last month's newsletter, "The first week of school, write the teacher a letter introducing your child, and briefly listing strengths and weaknesses. Share important information … [Read more...]

Filed Under: School and ADHD-Inattentive

ADHD and Homeschooling

March 7, 2011 By 1 Comment
adhd and homeschooling

This week we have a guest post by Shannon Stoltz, of Living Life at Home. In her article, she references a conversation the two of us had last summer on Blogspot.com. You can listen to the interview on her Living Life at Home blog, or you can read the transcript here. Shannon homeschools her four children, and she's got great insight about homeschooling, especially homeschooling kids with learning challenges. She almost (but not quite!) makes me want to go back and homeschool my boys! "You should just put them in school. It’s a lot less work for you," a well meaning friend told me years … [Read more...]

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Balancing School and Life

February 24, 2011 By 1 Comment
adhd inattentive and life

Last week, I told you about what's been going on at our house. Recent events included theatre, usual homework, high expectations, and Lesley's panic attack. One part of our solution has been to simplify Lesley's routine and not allow her to be over scheduled. This week, I'd like to fill you in on the role of Lesley's ADHD medicine. I don't want to portray ADHD medicine as a necessary evil or the root of every health problem. I also don't want to go to the other extreme and say the medicine was all we needed to fix ADHD. Neither extreme opinion is verifiable. Interestingly enough, last week … [Read more...]

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Notebook Checks and ADHD

January 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
notebook check

I'm not sure there is anything worse for our kids than the dreaded notebook check. In case you're not familiar with them, brace yourselves. They're headed your way. Many teachers, starting in Middle School but especially in High School, require kids to keep all papers associated with their class in an organized notebook. There are usually sections for warm-ups (the work kids do as they enter class), homework, tests and quizzes, classroom notes, and classwork. At an announced - or un-announced - time, the children are supposed to show their neat and orderly file of papers to the teacher. For a … [Read more...]

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Jingle Bells, Homework Tales and Projects All the Way

December 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment
adhd and the holidays

I love this time of year. The blinking lights on the front walk, the aroma of freshly baked cookies and spiced cider from the kitchen, and the sounds of our favorite Christmas music playing in the background create an exciting environment. As wonderful as they are, the holidays usher in huge distractions for children. She's trying to muddle through geometry homework while deciding what to wear as a "helping elf" for the special Christmas photos in the community. Or perhaps he's perfecting his Christmas list when you thought he was working on vocabulary words. And both your kids are trying to … [Read more...]

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Your Child’s Best Advocate is You

October 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment
adhd kids don't write down homework

As the parent of an ADHD-Inattentive child, you are the best advocate available. There are times when you have a gut feeling or a simple nagging thought in the back of your mind that something's not right. Sometimes problems are much more obvious, but it's tough to find a mutually agreeable solution. Here's one reader's situation (with names changed to protect privacy): My son has a school-recognized 504 accommodation for ADHD Inattentive Type. Brandon is extremely bright, and the psychologist said he should be getting straight A's just by sitting in class. Unfortunately, he only gets … [Read more...]

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