When the Going
Gets Rough
FOR BOTH
Is It My Fault?
My child is bright but there are some things he just doesn’t get. One day she can do it, yet the next day she can’t.
I’m so frustrated, and I feel so bad when it shows. Would this child be better off at school?
Your style of teaching may not be improving the
situation but it is not the cause.
Let’s begin with God’s Truth
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares
the Lord,“plans to prosper you and not to harm
you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then
you will call upon me and come and pray to me ,
and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find
me when you seek me with your whole heart. I
will be found by you,” declares the Lord.
Meditate on His Promises...
Pray them into the life of your child
His plans for both you, the teaching parent, & your child are good.
They are to prosper you and not to harm you. They are to give you a hope & a future.
God’s # 1 priority is to build the character of His Son within both you and your child.
He does not leave or forsake us
Ask God, who called you to this task, to make a way...
Psalm 86: 1-13
Hear, O Lord and answer me for in this place of teaching _______, I am needy.
Guard my life; my spirit-my soul(mind, will, emotions)-my body for I am devoted to You and to Your purposes in the life of ________. You are my God- my Creator-my Savior-my Deliverer-Savior-my Teacher... Save me for I am your
servant who trusts in You. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call on You all day long (especially while teaching
_______.)
Bring joy (in my teaching) to Your servant; as to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul-my mind,will, & emotions. How grateful I am that You are kind and forgiving! (May I be like You towards ________.)
Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble let me remember to call to You, for You will answer me. You are faithful!
Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord. No deeds-thoughts or attitudes can compare with
Yours!
May my desire be to worship You and have Your
name exalted through teaching _______. For you are great and do marvelous deeds. You alone are God! Teach me, I want to know, your way to teach
________, O Lord, and help me to purpose to walk in your Truth; give me an undivided, focused heart, so that I will respect and fear Your Name. This is the beginning of acquiring Your wisdom, Lord.
I will praise You, O Lord, for You have fearfully and wonderfully made me able to teach and _________ able to learn, for great is your love towards us!
What’s the problem??
Every child is unique.
Here are some generalizations:
Some children mature at a slower rate
Injuries before or after birth, & those born prematurely may have some difficulties
Difficulties may be inherited.
Technology, allergies, and toxins found in food, drugs & the environment may play a part in the way the brain is “wired”.
In a child with average/above average intelligence
there can be an inability to learn normally in one or
more of these five areas:
Spoken language
Written language
Arithmetic
Reasoning
Memory
Evidences of learning difficulties can be
evidenced in both academic and
nonacademic areas of performance.
Every child is different in both the deficit
area and its severity
The Brain & the Learning Process
Created with billions of neurons
Cell body-controls cell & its activity Axon-carries signal away
Dendrites-signal receivers
Synapses-gaps between axons of one cell and dendrites of another Released chemicals-spread across the synapse
Synapse
Difficulty can be evidenced in either/or both
academic and behavioral performance
Disorganized thinking Slowness
Difficulty with problem solving
Difficulty with time concepts/sequencing Poor peer relationships
Reversals in writing and reading
Inappropriate behavior for the situation Excessive variation in moods
Very distractible
Difficulty in making decisions, asking questions, making a plan of action
Failure to see consequences
Elaboration-info is processed (sorted) &used
Input-receive &
perceive stimuli correctly Output-solution is
expressed to the problem or task
Cognitive
Function
:
Students with learning disabilities may
have difficulty in one or more of the three
areas of cognition.
▪
There is an imbalance in their own ability levels, they
can be very gifted in one area and struggling in another.
▪
They are often very frustrated, which may cause them
to be angry.
▪
They will often expend excessive energy to succeed and
then grow weary and want to give up.
“Dys” means lack of function:
Dyslexia
- difficulty with reading
Dyscalculia
-trouble with understanding math
What does it feel like to have a learning disability?
Excellent PBS videos:
How Difficult Can This Be?
(The F.A.T. City Workshop)
Last One Picked, First One Picked On
These can be found online.
Check your library they may have them,
if not suggest they get both!
How can I know for sure if my child
has a learning disability?
A psycho-educational battery of formal and informal tests are used to determine patterns of strength and weaknesses as compared to the students intellectual
ability.
WISC III(an IQ test) + a battery of tests to measure academic achievement
Although no one wants a label, it is often in the
child’s best interest to name the difficulty that is
Two Helpful Approaches
▪
Compensation: helps the student around
the deficit areas by depending on their
strengths. It allows them to succeed with
help/accommodations, yet they still
struggle when working independently.
▪
Deficit Stimulation: works on
strengthening the specific areas of deficit.
Its long term goal is one of independence.
Homeschooling does not mean you do
not seek outside help.
But Beware... claims for effectiveness are often made without proof and may be motivated by profit
considerations.
▪
Look for research that supports the claims, look
for long term results.
▪
Programs should be sensitive to the needs of the
individual child.
▪
Beware of anything that promises a quick fix,
generally intervention will be a two to three year
intervention.
Go online for information
▪
I recommend NILD:www.nild.net
▪
Therapists work on deficit stimulation
A case for schooling your child at home...
More than any other child, this
child needs...
A mediator
A place where distractions are minimal
An emotionally nurturing environment
Different time arrangements
A Mediator
Stands between the material to be learned and the learner
▪
1. Encourages success from the beginning.
▪
2. Does not allow the learner to flounder
alone.
▪
3. Helps the student organize a system to
successfully complete the assignment.
▪
4. Allows the learner to learn in a variety of
ways.
▪
5. Helps the learner to think & develop
strategies to apply to new situations.
We will work until you are the best you can be!
The goal, however, is always
independence!!
▪ Do not “think” for the child but pull out cognition with your questions. The process is as important as the answer.
▪ Break the task into manageable chunks. ▪ Encourage the student to set some goals.
▪ Do not “baby” the student but require the work assigned. Children can learn helplessness.
▪ Balance compensation with deficit stimulation. ▪ See the strengths of your student.
Teach with a Variety of Modalities to
Make Strong Brain Connections
Research shows that we retain...
▪
90% of what we do
▪
70% of what we say
▪
50% of what we see & hear
▪
30% of what we see
▪
20% of what we hear
Spelling (& Reading)
Must be a thinking rather than a memory skill
▪
Must have an understanding of the way
the language works-PHONICS, spelling
generalizations, syllables, roots, suffixes
& prefixes
▪
Practice, small doses without
frustration & anxiety.
▪
Written expression- complete in steps.
One cognitive task at a time! Spelling
Reading
Should be something you enjoy
▪
Enjoy
reading together
▪
Model the questions, & thinking that
goes on in your head
▪
Books on tape makes the student
independent
Read as you listen!!
▪
Don’t hold the student to their
functioning reading level
Writing
It takes perseverance
▪
Use cursive, or a form of writing that
connects, so that you get the flow of the
word.
▪
Use the blackboard to practice.
▪
Practice in small doses every day.
▪
Practice using margins, & require
space between words.
▪
Balance use of the computer and
handwritten work
Arithmetic
Use manipulatives!!
▪ Show concrete models before requiring abstract reasoning
▪ Try to get the “picture” in your head!
▪ Use word problems. What are the steps? Label the answer.
▪ Tell me how you got the answer. Can you show me another way?
▪ Time, months/seasons, measurement, fractions, decimals
▪ Does it make sense??
▪ Don’t think for the child! Pull out cognition with questions.
▪ Use notebook paper with lines turned vertically
Make your curriculum serve you!
You should not be a slave to your curriculum.
▪ Use methods and teaching resources that are rich in developing good thinking and language.▪ Avoid “busy” work. Reduce work load when necessary.
▪ Use complete sentences, rather than fill-in-the-blank or one word answers.
▪ Look for “gaps” in thinking or “fuzzy thinkers.”
▪ Keep balance between written/verbal
expression. Allow the student to be creative. Models, drama,.... Draw on their strengths.
▪ Help the student make connections. It’s the way the brain works!!
▪ Limit work done on the computer.
▪ Never assume!!
