Time seems to be a scarce commodity in our household these days. Our boy’s homeschooling continues on, of course, but now that the outdoor yard/garden work season has arrived, things are really hoppin’ and poppin’.  

Brian has finished repairing our front yard where a (drunk?) driver took out the fire hydrant and a small tree in February. We were jolted by a loud ‘thud’ that shook the ground around 1:30 a.m. that evening (morning, actually), and just caught a glimpse of the SUV as it sped away, leaving behind its mess.

Fortunately, the main did not break, so there was no ‘cool’ geyser of water spurting upward, but it knocked the hydrant clean off its base, toppled the tree, and left tire ruts. We promptly summoned the Township police, but of course by then the perpetrator was long gone.

We were surprised that the hydrant broke off so easily, but the officer explained that they are designed to do so for safety reasons. Yeah, good thing for our hapless driver, or it could have totaled his (or her, who knows?) ride, and resulted in a trip to the hospital instead of a quick getaway. So just remember, the next time you’re thinking of taking out a hydrant with your vehicle, they do break away .

Wish we had some pics for you, but the ones we took the night it happened didn’t turn out. Too dark, we guess, for our cheapie camera, even with a flash.

The hydrant has since been restored by the Township, the branches and stump cleared away by Brian, and the area is now planted with (2-year-old) grass seed. Hopefully with the now-daily watering, and some TLC and prayers, it will soon look like a yard again.

Now let’s switch gears and zoom ahead (staying clear of fire hydrants) with our homeschooling topic today: ADD/ADHD. 

ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a growing problem.

Children with these conditions usually have a hard time keeping their minds on any one thing. They may get bored with a task after only a few minutes.

If they’re doing something they really enjoy, they have no trouble paying attention. But focusing deliberate, conscious attention to organizing and completing a task or learning something new is difficult.

Some, but not all ADD/ADHD children, are also hyperactive and impulsive.

Now, you have to be careful, because even ‘normal’ children can have some or all of these same behaviors, but at a lower level.  So it’s not always easy to reach a clear conclusion.

Home schooling families are certainly not immune to this problem.

In fact, many people choose to home school for the very reason that the schools have not done a good job of teaching their ADD/ADHD children.
 
Today we’d like to share with you some tips on how to teach an easily distracted child. Again, this is a child that has difficulty concentrating for even short periods of time.

Maybe this is beginning to sound like your child… So here’s some things to consider:
 
1. Do not expect these children to sit for long periods of time. Have shorter, more frequent lessons rather than fewer, longer lessons. Give them (and yourself) breaks.
 
2. Incorporate motor skills into learning. For example, teach phonics by placing the letter cards on the floor and have your child move the letters around to make different words. This will keep him from getting antsy while sitting since they will have to get up to move the cards.
 
3. Give them something to do with their hands. Play Dough® is always good. Have them make a model of the lesson. Example: The three ships of Columbus (you do remember them, don’t you???), a wigwam, or George Washington’s horse.
 
4. Don’t do the same thing every day. Be creative. If you use Playdough® today, paint tomorrow.
 
5. If you are doing math, remember everything doesn’t need to be written down. Have her do her problems orally some days.
 
6. Put fewer problems on the page. Too many problems on one page seems overwhelming to these children.
 
7. Use things like Learning Wrap-ups® and games. These give them something to do with their hands while learning.
 
8. Don’t assume that if they are on the floor with their feet in the air that they are not listening.
 
9. Use visual and auditory blinders. Put up some cardboard blinders between the child and the distractions. If a quiet place does not exist in your house you may find that having them listen to music with earphones might actually help them to concentrate.
 
10. Keep in mind that most ADD/ADHD children do not learn well in the classroom setting. Take advantage of the fact that home schooling allows you to do things differently.
 
Remember God gave you this child. You can handle it, with His help. God doesn’t give you anything you can’t handle.
 
There is an old saying, “What you are is God’s gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.” Help your child to take what what God has given her and turn it into a beautiful gift for Him.
 
For some encouraging articles on teaching children with ADD/ADHD please visit:
>>> http://christianadhd.com/articles.php