If a person could become a genius from just persevering, my 13yo son would be a genius. Watching him struggle, but never give up warms my heart. I remind him often that God has blessed him with the gift of realizing at an early age the reward of hard work and perseverance!
To some, what I have him doing for schoolwork might seem a bit easy, but it's a perfect challenge for him. This is my son that we highly suspect has dyslexia and also auditory processing issues and we know for a fact that he has ADD. On top of these learning differences, he's got a VERY independent spirit. He likes to do *everything* on his own.
For someone who has such learning differences, he's really a go-getter (with a bit of whining thrown it for good measure;). Here's what my whining, go-getter;) has been doing so far this year.
Bible: One Year Bible for Kids: daily reading and oral narrations
Math: Developmental Math level 11 (almost complete...moving into level 12 after level 11)
Literature: Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green (HE chose this very challenging book and did very well! He could only handle reading about 5 pages a day, but comprehended it *and* enjoyed it!) and Follow My Leader by James B. Garfield (Might be one of his favorite books so far in his reading career:).
Megawords: Completed level 2. Now about 1/4 of the way through level 3.
History: Story of the World book 2. Will finish book 2 shortly after Christmas, then begin book 3. I think I'll have him do the map work again for book 3.
Science: A few different library books, but currently is reading CLP Nature Reader book 4.
Cursive: Cursive Connections book A
Writing: Written narrations, copywork and dication. One written narration each week from literature, history and science. Thursday is set aside for copywork. Usually I choose from the literature book he's reading or a bible passage he's read recently. We read and study the copywork together that day before he copies it. On Friday, we read and study the copywork again, then I dictate it to him.
In order for him to focus during school time, he needs an enormous amount of daily phsysical activity. Between every subject, he goes outside to shoot hoops, even when it's cold and drizzling rain! Having him do one chore between most subjects, like making his bed, feeding and watering the cats, starting a load of laundry, folding his clothes or towels, etc...is enough activity to help him be able to focus when he sits down to school work again.
Having some vigorous and lenghty exercise is essential to his focusing ability. At the start of the school year, he ran cross country with the Augustine Classical School team and now he's playing basketball with them also. Cross country and basketball both require almost daily (about 4x per week) team practice for 1.5 hours.
All of this exercise is just as essential to his success in school and life in general as are the 3Rs.
Volunteering with the lower elementary Awana children at church has helped him become a better student at home. Having the opportunity to be a responsible and helpful person has always been important to him, although he's not always had the maturity to understand what he should do to be responsible and helpful. Assisting a couple of Awana students who are trying to learn and review their verses each week, has brought to him the realization that he does have the ability to be respsonsible and helpful. This attitude has carried over into his responsibilities at home with chores and school work.
The first half of this school year has been his greatest so far. As he's maturing, being responsible and hard working has been steadily increasing this year, while the whining has been steadily decreasing. Praise the Lord!!!!
Greta:)
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