Sep 18, 2005

How I help my ADHD & LD son with homework

My son has ADHD and several learning disabilities. At the beginning of this school year I tried to think of any possible way I could help him succeed in the second grade. These are just a few things that I came up with. So far they all seem to be working. I wanted to share them in case your child might benefit as well.

  1. Spelling cards: I purchased a small two ring binder that holds small index cards. Every Sunday afternoon I check his teacher's website and print the spelling words for the upcoming week. I then write each word on a separate card and place them all in the binder. We keep this with us all week and study whenever we can....while waiting at the doctor's office, while riding in the car, etc. This has really helped him on his tests at the end of the week.
  2. Textbooks: Over the summer I purchased a copy of each of the textbooks he would be using this year. I found them all at half.com. The benefits of this are two fold. If he forgets to bring home a certain book, we have one at home. Also, when he has homework he has a book and so do I to follow along.
  3. Tutor: We enlisted the aid of a private tutor. He meets with her for an hour and a half each Saturday at our local library. They have "study rooms" which we reserve a few days ahead.
  4. Websites: My sons school uses Houghton-Mifflin books and I did a simple search on the web to see what I could find pertaining to his textbooks. I was pleasantly surprised. I found an online quiz for almost every story in his reading book. I also found tons of math help as well.
  5. Teachers guide: In addition to purchasing one of each of his textbooks, I also purchased the teacher's edition of his math book. Each evening as we sat down to do him math homework I never seemed to explain things the way his teacher did. Now, I simply refer to the teacher's guide at the beginning of each week and familiarize myself with exactly how he's learning what he's learning. An added bonus....checking his homework is a snap since I have the answers!
  6. Supply closet: I have a fully stocked supply closet close to the kitchen table, which is where he does his homework. There are extra pencils, erasers, notebooks, etc. close at hand when needed. I purchased inexpensive storage bins and labeled each so he can quickly find what he needs and get back to work.

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