Homeschool on the Run!

This evening I went to listen to a talk by Carol Barnier, the author of The Big What Now of Learning Styles  and a long time homeschooling mother with highly distractible children.  I went with my good friend, a primary Montessori teacher and we were hoping to get some good tips.

Carol had some great advice, most of which would work well with my son, not to say he is ADHD, but her advice makes learning fun period, and I am all for that!  She has a lot of tips for children diagnosed with ADHD on her site.

These are the things I don’t want to forget from her talk:

• Do not shy away from things that develop the heart in your children such as caring for an older family member or a sibling with disabilities.
• Anything that a child needs to memorize, memorize it in song form, a ditty!
• Bring the father into teaching a young boy.  Boys respond to men!
• Many children must move to learn.  Have them do two things at once such as math and lego!
• Don’t force a child to write. A child can learn a lot more orally if writing is holding him up.  Writing can come later.
• Music with a strong 4 beat with headphones removes distractions and allows the brain to process better.
• Cardboard cubicles can work to shield out distractions.
• Chewing gum can help processing a lot.
• Be the lesson!  Meaning act out or experience Ms Frizzle style (Magic School Bus) lessons, for example  make a heart out of cardboard boxes and what ever you can find and have the children be the blood etc circulating through the heart.
• Teach everything as a game or incorporating motion.

There was so much more.

I am going to buy her book.  Also check out her website Sizzlebop for more information.

April 28th, 2009 | Category: Family | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL