Anyway, we never did medicate her. That was actually the final straw the caused us to homeschool. I was convinced that the hyperactivity (she is not attention deficit) was an asset and not a negative. She proved me right. Her first year at home, we used Time4learning, 2nd grade curriculum. After flipping over her chair a couple of times, I just took it, and raised the desk so she could stand. She stood there and did her work while bouncing around. I remember her doing a math problem, plugging in the numbers, getting it right, and jumping up and down and screaming, Yoooo Hooo! Then she did a second. When she got that one right, she took off running... Out of the home office, through the great room, through get kitchen, into the dining room, into the foyer, and back into the home office to the computer. She then continued to do her work. She was burning off the excess energy, and very likely processing the problems she had just done.
I tell you this story not to brag but to present an idea.
I am of the opinion that keeping kids moving while learning is something parents will want to consider. This is especially true for hyperactive, ADHD, and other distractible kids. I don't have an answer yet, but the wheels are turning in my head. Energetic kids should be taught in a way that allows them to use that energy and not suppress it. This is something I want to continue discussing and working towards as I begin to develop both my art and my contribution to homeschooling.
1 comment:
I've been tutoring a teenager with attention issues, and I have found that having him do some pushups help him focus on his schoolwork again. Also, having him recite math formulas while doing jumping jacks helps him memorize them. It seems a little silly in practice, but the results are better than we'd get if he didn't go move some.
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