Home Schooling the Active Child

I got an email this morning from our Home School Group Coordinator. A woman in our area is pulling her child out of school because the teachers want to put him in a jacket to contain his energy during class. He has been diagnosed with ADHD and they can't deal with him without tying him up.

So, in an effort to give some ideas to those that have some active children, I've dug up a few online articles that may help. I don't want to argue the validity of ADHD and ADD. Nor do I want to try to argue the necessity of medications for such issues. What I do want to do is help home school families find things that work should they find themselves in this place.

My advice: ditch the label of ADHD and ADD (especially in front of your child) even if it's a medical diagnosis, and use your active child's gifts to build them up and support them in the ways they learn best. Use that active body to gain forward momentum in learning. If you use their active body with learning instead of against it, you will find more success. Just as some children are auditory learners, active children are fiercely kinesthetic and visual learners.

Here is a wonderful article with plenty of advice for those with active learners. It involves advice about food triggers, noise levels, and attitude about your child. If you see your active child as a burden, they will become a burden. Consider their active bodies a strength, and educate yourself on how to use it to your advantage. Yes, it takes more work, but it's worth it in the end if your child learns to manage their own body to get work done.

Some other thoughts that come to my non-professional opinionated mind are:

Limit visual distractions-Most children that can't focus while sitting will focus even less when there are too many things to look at. If the house is a cluttery mess and a stressful place to be, it will be a never-ending distraction. Find that place in the house where quiet work time gets done more easily because there are few distractions. Maybe that's your bed, where you snuggle each day as you read.

Be very specific and simple with instructions-Boys especially need very specific instructions. Their brains are wired this way. This goes for active children as well. If the instructions are too complicated or have too many steps, they will lose focus. If there are more than a couple of steps to a project, try doing only one at a time or giving them a simple written list to follow and check off as they go. Cleaning a bedroom that is very messy can be complicated and overwhelming for those that have trouble focusing. Give them one specific project at a time. An example would be to start with picking up all the clothes and putting them in a big pile. Then, move on to another item that needs to be done, such as making the bed. Making piles or baskets according to where things go can help focus as well. One basket is for clothes, another is for items that belong in another room, a third basket is for items that need to be put away in that room. Giving too many directions at once will only create confusion and frustration. Laminated check lists can help with daily chores so they can see each item one by one. If your child isn't reading yet (or even if they are), use pictures drawn on the page to que them with each item. Let them check each item off as they go along. Use just two or three items and as few words as possible for each chore to keep it simple and concise.

Find the right time-Even less active children have a time of day when they focus best. Some are good morning learners, while others a better evening learners. The beauty of home school is that we can tailor our schedules to best fit our child's needs and strengths. Find that time of day that works best for them. If they are more active in the morning, choose the activities that involve movement for morning time. Use their quieter times for the sit-down time.

Let go of the timeline-Give yourself permission to let go of the idea that children must all learn to read, write, and do worksheets at the same age. Use the early years to train them to manage their physical bodies, and save the sitting for when they're older. There are many home school families that have spent the early years teaching their children trades or other physical activities and saved the learning to read and write for later years.

Better Late than Early

Use the internet-There are plenty of resources online with ideas, support groups, threads to share on, and encouragement from those that are also there. Use the internet to your advantage. Do lots of research and be creative. Let yourself make some mistakes and find what works best for your children. Don't let other people's suggestions discourage you if they don't work for you.

Use games whenever possible-that's it! Self explanitory!

Pray-God will give you guidance as you seek to work through issues. God will give you peace and patience if you only ask.

Choose a curriculum with plenty of hands on activities-There are so many choices. Find something that gives you the ability to tailor and tweak. Find some things that are very hands on and active oriented.

Cut out TV, video games, and computer games-Research shows that the more TV children watch, and the more video games they play, the shorter their attention span is. Cut this down dramatically if it's a big part of your day. Limit exposure to these items.

http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2010/jul/TVVGattention
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-07-10-tv-video-attention_N.htm
http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/07/05/tv-video-games-may-increase-attention-problems/15331.html

I'm not trained to know the psychology of ADHD or ADD, but I've done a bit of reading, and I hope that what I've found can be helpful to you on your journey to successful schooling. Please share your thoughts and opinions!! And please understand that these ideas are just that─ideas. They are simply my opinions and thoughts. If they work for you, great! If not, please feel free to share what did work for you and your family.

Parenting Your Active, ADD, ADHD or Whirlwind Child