ADHD Learning Archives

ADHD Handwriting Help for Kids

November 30, 2017 by Selena Robinson 10 Comments

Do your kids with ADHD struggle with penmanship? You’re not alone. Many, many kids need ADHD handwriting help from an early age. And, once again, it all goes back to the unique struggles of the ADHD brain.

Executive function is what helps us organize our thoughts and carry them out. Because that is sporadic in kids with ADHD, they may have trouble understanding the process of handwriting, including how to hold the pencil, how to form the letters, and how to copy what they see in a book or on a chalkboard.

Tigger has struggled with her handwriting for the past couple of years. On occasion, it would look perfect – identical to the models in her handwriting book. At other times, though, it was barely legible. For the longest time, I did not understand why handwriting seemed to be so difficult for her until I started reading about all the ways ADHD affects children.

Now that I have a better understanding of how ADHD works, I’ve adjusted my teaching style to offer her more help with handwriting. Here are a few tips I’ve been using.

How to Offer ADHD Handwriting Help for Kids

This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.

1. Adjust your expectations.

We’ve mentioned this a few times in the past, but when it comes to developing handwriting skills, we have to adjust our expectations of our kids. They may not develop the fine motor skills to write well at the same time or age as their peers, which means their handwriting skills may develop slowly.

If that’s the case, having them write pages and pages of copywork is not going to help them develop these skills any faster. It will, however, make them hate handwriting.

Let your kids write to the best of their ability and then have them do a small amount of daily copywork. After a few weeks, you’ll see their handwriting improve. It may not look like the D’Nealian model, but it will improve…in time.

2. Don’t rush to teach cursive.

There’s a minor debate going on in public school right now about the value of teaching cursive writing in the modern age. Personally, I love cursive and I teach it to my kids. But, I don’t insist that they use it at a certain age.

Cursive is generally harder to master than print handwriting. So if your child with ADHD is already struggling with handwriting, don’t insist that he master cursive simply because he is at the grade level when cursive is taught in school.

We introduced cursive to Tigger in third grade, but I noticed that her print was getting sloppier by the day. So, I stopped teaching cursive and we went back to print. Now she’s learning cursive again, but without letting her print penmanship slide.

3. Let kids use alternate methods for composition.

Some kids who dislike handwriting or have sloppy handwriting are actually excellent storytellers. Don’t insist on them writing their work by hand. Let them use other methods to compose their stories, papers, and responses. Try teaching them to type. In fact, learning to type can actually build fine motor skills that will improve handwriting in the long run.

You might even want to let your kids dictate their stories or draw pictures to express their thoughts. Let them know that there are several ways to tell a story. That way, the frustration of trying to master penmanship won’t poison their love for writing.

Do your kids with ADHD struggle with handwriting? How do you help them develop good penmanship? Let us know in the comments!

This post is part of the 31 Days of ADHD Homeschooling series! See plenty of ways to make homeschooling kids with ADHD easier!

Get even more tips and suggestions for parenting kids with ADHD by following my ADHD Tips board on Pinterest!

You can get plenty of tips for homeschooling and parenting kids with ADHD when you sign up for our email newsletter!

Don’t miss these other great posts!

ADHD Sleep Tips for Kids That Actually Work!

November 2, 2017 by Selena Robinson 32 Comments

Getting enough sleep is a major problem for kids and adults with ADHD. I’ve been a light sleeper for years, but I had no idea it was related to ADHD until I started researching symptoms.

Personally, I CANNOT go to sleep without reading first. If I try to just lie down, my mind will race with a thousand “I need to” and “I really should” thoughts, and eventually I’ll jump up and start doing stuff. Not good if I expect to be a relatively happy mom the next day.

Our kids tend to be light sleepers too. Tigger and Roo take a very long time to fall asleep, and poor Pooh has struggled with night terrors ever since he was an infant. The irony is: The less sleep kids with ADHD get, the worse their symptoms are. So we’ve had quite a few rough homeschooling days due to lack of sleep.

I’ve been reading lots of information about establishing good sleep habits, and today I’m sharing three ADHD sleep tips for kids (and adults)!

If this post is helpful, be sure to read my list of the best ADHD homeschooling tips around!

Image: Deyan Georgiev / Dollar Photo Club

ADHD Sleep Tips for Kids

1. Provide plenty of physical activity during the day.

For years, my husband has done manual work. On days that he works, he rests well at night because he’s so exhausted from the day. On weekends, though, he tends to stay up late into the night.

Turns out that’s related to ADHD! When kids and adults with ADHD exert themselves during the day, they sleep more soundly at night. Make time for your kids to get up and move vigorously during the school day and they should rest better.

2. End screen time a few hours before bed.

It’s no secret that kids tend to get excited after watching television, but that is true to an even greater degree in kids with ADHD. And it’s not just TV. Any kind of screen time, including computers, tablets, and smartphones, can be overstimulating and make it harder for kids to go to sleep at night. Of course, as I write this, it is 11:38 p.m., so this is a “Do as I say, not as I do” moment. 😉

We’ll be talking more about screen time limits later in the series, but it is critical that we minimize (and even eliminate) screen time when possible to avoid sleep problems and loss of focus. That’s where adding in physical fitness can help, because it gives kids an outlet for their energy instead of adding more stimuli.

3. Establish a bedtime routine and stick to it.

We’ve used a set bedtime in our family for years. But that’s not all that’s involved in establishing a bedtime routine. You know how doctors encourage you to create a routine of bathing, reading, and singing to help babies learn to sleep at night? We should keep that going with our kids long after babyhood.

We covered the importance of routines for ADHD yesterday, and those same points apply to the bedtime routine. That means that consistency is critical. Once you establish your bedtime routine, stick with it every night. Over time, your kids’ bodies will learn that nighttime is for winding down and resting.

Note: I’ve been hearing good things about melatonin. My daughter’s pediatrician actually recommended it to us during her last visit. But I’ve been hesitant to try it, because I’ve heard that it gives some kids nightmares. So if any of you have any thoughts or experiences with melatonin, please tell me about them! (Disclosure: I am not a medical professional. Please consult a doctor before deciding how to treat ADHD in your family.)

Have you struggled with helping your kids with ADHD go to sleep? Do you have any ADHD sleep tips for kids that work in your family? Tell us about them in the comments!

Need more help parenting and teaching kids with ADHD? Read these posts for ideas!

For more help parenting kids with ADHD, follow my ADHD Tips board on Pinterest!

Don’t miss these other great posts!

10 of The Best ADHD Homeschooling Tips Around

November 8, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

We’ve been writing about homeschooling with ADHD for a while. Which makes sense because we’re homeschooling kids with ADHD in our own family. 🙂

If you picture ADHD as a condition that involves constant motion, you’d be right…and wrong. Some kids are physically hyperactive, while others are mentally hyperactive, and still others are both and/or emotionally intense. ADHD looks different in different kids.

And that means that homeschooling a child with ADHD calls for some serious adaptation on the part of the homeschooling parent. Over the years, we’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t, so I’ve rounded up 10 of the best ADHD homeschooling tips around. Read through these and try them with your kids!

Image c/o: Yaruta / depositphotos

10 of the Best ADHD Homeschooling Tips

1. Read as much about ADHD and ADD as possible to find out how this disorder can affect children. Then be willing to incorporate as many learning strategies as you can. Here’s a list of my must-read books for ADHD homeschooling parents.

2. Stop trying to create the “ideal” homeschooling life. You know that mental picture of the parent smilingly teaching several children at the kitchen table? Yeah, forget that. Here’s why.

3. Spend some time watching your child to find out which type of ADHD he or she has. Learning how the disorder affects them personally can give you valuable insights into how to teach them. Brush up on the different types of ADHD for more.

4. Create a daily routine for your child that is ADHD-friendly. Bear in mind: This will NOT be a timed schedule, but a daily framework he or she can come to expect. Learn more about how to develop an ADHD daily routine that works for you.

5. Help your child set realistic learning goals that are tailored to his or her abilities. Then encourage them to meet those goals. Read more about how to help kids with ADHD meet their learning goals.

6. Consider making lifestyle changes to help your kids with ADHD sleep better at night. It’s a fact that kids learn better when they’re well rested. (Don’t we all?) Find out how to help your child with ADHD improve his or her sleep habits.

7. Adapt your teaching methods to suit your child’s attention span. While we want to help our kids learn to concentrate, they simply won’t if we teach them in the traditional manner. Here are a few ways to change up your teaching methods for kids with ADHD.

8. Use hands-on math activities. Math is often a headache for kids who have ADHD and/or attention issues. Executive functioning problems can make it difficult for children to follow a math problem through to the end and execute the required steps to solve it. Get some ideas from this list of math activities for ADHD students!

9. Limit the use of screens in your child’s day. Kids with ADHD who have a lot of screen time each day often struggle with attention span more than those who don’t, which can make homeschooling tougher. Take a look at how you can set screen time limits for your kids with ADHD.

10. Use a flexible homeschooling schedule and always, always, always be willing to change it. Try this list of 15 homeschool ADHD schedule ideas!

Want more ADHD homeschooling tips? Don’t miss these posts!

And for more support, grab a copy of my ebook “Homeschooling with ADHD”!

Follow my ADHD Tips board on Pinterest for more ideas!

15 Homeschool ADHD Schedule Ideas

September 26, 2016 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

Homeschool planning season is typically an exciting time of year for parents. We get to get out our planners, write up lesson plans, and schedule our days to make sure we cover all of the objectives for the year.

But if you’re homeschooling children with ADHD, it’s not that simple. I still feel the excitement of the new school year, but it’s tempered a bit by the knowledge that, no matter how I plan our day, my kids are simply not going to get everything done. (Which is one reason why I’m not using a homeschool planner this year.)

Over the years, I’ve tried so many different homeschooling schedules I’ve lost track of them all. None of them worked. Not one. So I’ve learned a few ways to tweak our school day so that my kids can keep up, stay interested, and enjoy what they learn. Here are 15 different homeschool ADHD schedule ideas that have worked for us and may work for you too!

Image c/o: photousvp77 / depositphotos

15 Homeschool ADHD Schedule Ideas

1. Alternate sit down subjects with moving subjects.

2. Incorporate brain breaks every 20 minutes.

3. Use video liberally – teach for 10 minutes, then show a short video about the concept.

4. Add games into each subject: flashcards, drawing, balance games, call-and-response games, etc.

5. Do the subject your child hates first.

6. Or do the subject your child hates last.

7. Separate your kids for complex subjects and rotate them.

8. Have school in different areas of the house during the day.

9. Use the car for roadschooling.

10.Have a school lesson outdoors.

11. Ask your child which subject they’d like to do first.

12. Alternate weeks for certain subjects.

13. Drop an elective your child hates.

14. Use the library for a different subject each week.

15. Observe your child’s maximum attention span and time lessons to match it.

The Ultimate Guide to Brain Breaks eBook

What’s Working for Us This Year:

I’ve used all of these at one time or another. This year, we’ve been using a combination of Numbers 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, and 12.

Alternate sit down subjects with moving subjects. – I usually begin the day with reading. We sit down with books and listen to someone reading to us. Then we get up and do a project or a craft – anything that lets them move.
Use video liberally. – I rebelled against using video in my schooling for a long time. I think I’m just old-fashioned. But it makes such a big difference in helping the kids retain what they learn. I try to introduce the topic and give them questions to look for the answers to in the video, then we discuss it.
Do the subject your child hates last. – My oldest daughter hates math. I tried doing it first with her, but that didn’t work. She’d delay so much that we’d never get to the other subjects. Now we do it last and that seems to work better.
Separate your kids for complex subjects and rotate them. – When it’s time for my oldest to do math, she needs complete concentration. So I send my younger ones off to play in their rooms. In the morning, when they’re doing math, she’s in her room working on writing.
Use the car for roadschooling. – I have just recently discovered the wonder of audiobooks and they are a lifesaver. If I have to leave the house for a while, I have the kids bring their books and they listen as we ride. Then we discuss what they’ve read.
Alternate weeks for certain subjects. – I no longer try to cover every single subject every single week. I typically do history one week, geography the next, and the science the week after that. While I make sure the three R’s are done regularly, I take a break on the others. It’s less overwhelming for the kids and for me.

How have you adjusted your homeschooling schedule for your kids with ADHD? Do you have any tried and true homeschool ADHD schedule ideas to share? Let me know in the comments!

Get more ideas for homeschooling kids with ADHD!

And learn even more in our ebook: Homeschooling with ADHD!

Follow my ADHD Tips board on Pinterest for more tips and suggestions!

This post is part of the 8th Annual Back to Homeschool Blog Hop from iHomeschool Network! Click on over to read more homeschool posts from my fellow bloggers!

Using Bouncy Bands for Kids with ADHD

August 24, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Can we talk about wiggle worms for a minute? As I’ve mentioned extensively on the blog, we’re homeschooling multiple children with ADHD, which means that wiggly kids are an everyday occurrence around here.

Using a simple fidget is a proven way to help kids with ADHD improve attention span and executive functioning. And, since attention span is important for successful homeschooling, fidgets are pretty much a necessity in our family.

But, a lot of fidgets are rather…distracting. They go around the finger or the hand and are designed to be moved with the other hand. Which means that my other kids are staring at my fidgety kid fidgeting with his or her fidget. Not ideal. 🙂

So I was thrilled to try Bouncy Bands! These inconspicuous fidgets are awesome for keeping kids attentive without attracting too much attention. Read on to learn more about this great product!

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

What are Bouncy Bands?

Bouncy Bands are simple resistance band fidgets for kids’ feet. They’re designed to go around the legs of a desk or chair, so that kids can rest their feet on them and move them whenever they feel like it.

Here’s a look at the chair model.

And the desk model – which is particularly good for older kids who might have longer legs.

When you buy a set of Bouncy Bands, you can expect to receive a box like this.

Inside are the band, the support pipes (which come in blue or black), and a simple instruction sheet.

Assembly couldn’t be easier. Just wrap the band’s left and right holes around the tops of the support pipes. Done!

However, here is the issue we faced: The band’s pipes wouldn’t fit around our dining room table legs. And the dining room is where we homeschool.

So I bought a simple stackable school chair. But then I discovered that the support pipes STILL wouldn’t fit around the legs. (The legs of this chair are kind of oblong-shaped.)

Eureka! I just removed the support pipes and the band fit just fine.

BTW, if you want to get a chair that these pipes are sure to work with, try this model. If you want to try the desk version, this school desk should do the trick.

Using Bouncy Bands for Kids with ADHD

Our seven-year-old is, by far, the most active of our kids. He’s basically in constant motion. So he was the best tester in our family for Bouncy Bands.

I had him sit in a chair and read a book while using the band as a fidget. Guess what?

It worked!

I thought he would bounce his legs like a maniac and get even more worked up. But he didn’t. He just bounced them occasionally – very gently – and kept his eyes on his book. I was thoroughly impressed.

Want to see Bouncy Bands in action? Check out my video review from my YouTube channel!

To learn more about Bouncy Bands, visit the product website for details about assembly and to read more reviews! Plus, keep up with Bouncy Bands on Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook for more!

Need more tips for homeschooling kids with ADHD? Follow my ADHD Tips board on Pinterest!

Don’t miss my Homeschooling with ADHD ebook! It’s packed with tips and suggestions to make this special homeschooling journey a success!

Why We Love Using CTC Math for ADHD Kids

August 12, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

My youngest son is a bit of a challenge when it comes to teaching math. He has ADHD, so he’s super active and his attention span is extremely short. He likes math in general, but when it’s time to do some actual work, he tends to whine, tune out, and get frustrated.

So I was excited to try out the CTC Math Membership to see if the program would be a good fit for him. Guess what? HE loves it! And I love any math program that will get him to love math. 😉 See why we love using CTC Math for ADHD kids in our family!

Plus, there’s an incredible giveaway available! Five winners will get a one-year membership to CTC Math absolutely FREE! Read on to learn how to enter!

Disclosure: I received access to this program in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

How CTC Math Works

Here’s a look at how the CTC Math membership works:

As parents, you can sign in and decide which lessons in each grade you want your child to cover. Roo is entering second grade this year, so we started him off there.

Each lesson has a short video that demonstrates the concept in question.

Then there are ten exercises for the child to complete.

One of the things I really like about this program is that the exercises follow the exact same structure as the problems shown in the video. So, there are no “tricky” questions.

Every time your child completes a question, he or she gets a check mark or a red X showing if their answer was correct.

As they work through the lessons, they can see their grade for each concept. This is really helpful, because you can see at a glance which topics they may need more help with before test time.

And, if you look at the top, you’ll see that you can choose the length of your child’s tests. That’s a super option, because some kids don’t need a lot of questions (or don’t have the attention span to complete a lot of questions). That way you can customize the test length for each child and each lesson.

Just in time for the new school year, CTC Math is offering a huge discount – just for homeschoolers! Right now, we can get 60 PERCENT off the regular price, which means you can grab a one-year family CTC Math membership for just $118.80!

Want to test the program out before you buy? Sign up for a totally free trial!

Why I Love Using CTC Math for ADHD Kids

So, what makes CTC Math so awesome for kids who have ADHD?

As you can see, my boy is really into that video lesson. Know why?

It was only a little over a minute long! While some videos are closer to three minutes, they’re all very short, which is perfect for kids with attention issues.

See the “For Your Reference” heading at the bottom? If you download the “Lesson Summary” PDF, you can see a list of what will be covered in the video, along with the answers.

Just like this! So you can prepare ahead of time and come up with additional problems for your child to practice that use this same concept. I also like that, because there are some concepts that I already know may be a bit confusing. This way, I’m prepared to work them through along with him.

Roo did a great job at using the computer to answer the questions. Since the questions aren’t timed, he didn’t feel any pressure to finish them before he was ready. That’s another reason why CTC Math is great for kids with ADHD. It reduces anxiety.

At the top, the program keeps track of how your child is doing on the questions he or she has been answering so far. When Roo saw that he was on track to get them all right, he stopped in the middle of one of his problems and said, “I better slow down. I want to get a 100.”

I had to pick my mouth up off the floor. I don’t recall him ever saying he needed to slow down for anything ever in his life before. The scorekeeping is a great motivator.

So, since he wanted to slow down, we paused on the questions and worked out a couple of the “Writing the Numeral” problems together.

I wrote numerals and number words on the blackboard.

He wrote them down as either numerals or number words on his paper. When we practiced a couple, he seemed to feel more confident and we returned to the questions.

You can take a break on the questions anytime and resume when you’re ready. (Another win for CTC Math!)

That break for more practice worked! He got his 100. 🙂

And, he’s actually been asking to do this program each day since. It’s definitely a keeper!

To learn more about CTC Math, follow the company on social media!

And….drumroll….here’s your chance to enter the CTC Math giveaway! Five winners will receive a FREE 12-month membership! To enter, use the Giveaway Tools widget below!

Entry -Form

P.S. Don’t forget to stop by and check out the amazing 60% off CTC Math homechool deal – available right now! And while you’re shopping, sign up for a free trial to see if a CTC Math membership will work for your kids! SPOILER: It will. 🙂

Need more ideas for homeschooling your child with ADHD? Follow my ADHD Homeschooling Tips board for our tried-and-true suggestions!

Integrated Listening Systems Music Therapy for ADHD

June 7, 2016 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Three of our kids are living with ADHD and, needless to say, it makes life interesting! But it also makes our days rather challenging, especially because we are dealing with sensory processing issues with two of them as well.

Back in April, we received the iLs Total Home Focus program to try out for several weeks. And now we’re ready to share our results with you all!

If you’ve ever considered music therapy for ADHD, learn about how our experience with Integrated Listening Systems worked out!

Disclosure: I received access to this product in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

What is Music Therapy for ADHD?

To get the full details about music therapy for ADHD and how it works, visit the Integrated Listening Systems website for information. iLs has been used at some of the top clinics in the world that provide treatment for learning problems and the company also offers in-home therapy programs, including the Total Home Focus program. Since we’re trying to avoid medication (for now), the program, which uses movement and activity, was a wonderful option for us.

The Total Home Focus Program comes with everything you see above. For more about what each item is, see our initial post about getting started with iLS. But to summarize: It’s a therapy program that includes classical and ambient music for kids (and adults) to listen to as they relax or do guided motor skills exercises.

The real secret sauce is the bone conduction headphones that let you actually feel the music in your body. It’s a great immersive experience and it helps to focus attention on the music, rather than being distracted by everything else (which often happens to people with ADHD).

Since Pooh has had long-standing sleep issues related to ADHD, iLs graciously allowed us to try out the Dreampad as well. It’s a special pillow that uses bone conduction to relax and ease you into sleep while playing ambient music.

Once I hook it up, he’s usually out like a light. This is the same boy that typically awakens with enormous bags under his eyes in the morning. He asks to use the Dreampad every night.

How Music Therapy Helped Our Family

Many families have been helped by using the iLs Total Home Focus Program. Here’s our experience:

Week 1: I focused on starting Roo with the program first. He’s our six-year-old and his ADHD is the most severe. He has extreme trouble sitting still for any length of time. He has serious mood swings and he can be a big sensory seeker, crashing and bumping into things on purpose.

I learned that he hating simply sitting still and listening to music, so I tried to give him a simple and quiet activity to do while he listened: drawing.

Week 2: Roo still wasn’t a huge fan of the program. When I’d tell him to get the headset, he’d give me the “Aw, Mom!” routine. During week 2, I changed up his activity, letting him play with Unifix cubes instead of drawing. He seemed to do better with those.

Week 3: During Week 3, I introduced Pooh to the program. His temperament is very different from Roo. He’s content to sit quietly and read while listening. Interestingly, he said that his playlist made him feel sad, so I changed up the tracks a bit.

Week 4: Our home coach recommended that we hold off on the exercises until the kids were more accustomed to the program, so we started with them gradually in week 4. I gave Roo the balance board to practice Balance Board Sitting – an exercise from the Early Developmental Program. He actually liked it! Plus, it kept him still for 5 minutes straight!

Week 5: Tigger, who’s 11, doesn’t really care for doing an activity as she listens to the music. She’d rather just lie back on her bed and listen quietly. Since she has struggled with coordination issues for some time, I’m really anxious for her to start with the exercises, but our home coach told me not to push the exercises with the kids, so I’m not. I think she’ll want to try them on her own in time.

Week 6: In Week 6, I found that the kids have got to be separated when one is doing therapy. Otherwise, they start to talk and chatter over the music and the whole point of the therapy is lost. Since all three are using the program, they take turns going to their rooms or to the dining room table ALONE to listen and work. Live and learn.

Week 7: Roo was ready to try some of the other exercises in his program, so we added a few that used the enclosed beanbags.

What happens when you hand a sensory seeker a beanbag? He immediately squeezes it to his face, proclaiming how much he loves how it feels. 🙂

One of the exercises we tried this week was called “Drop, Catch, and Under Leg”. It works on coordination, especially with crossing the midline. Roo is ambidextrous, so he’ll just switch hands when he has to cross his midsection. This exercise helped him work on using both hands on both sides. He liked it because it reminded him of dribbling a basketball.

We also tried the “Dog Walk”. Roo crawled from one end of the room to the other while attempting to keep a beanbag on his back. We added difficulty by having him close his eyes, based on the exercise suggestions. When he did that, he instantly started crawling crooked. We will definitely keep practicing this exercise for a while.

Week 8: This week is week 8 and Roo has adjusted well to using the program regularly. He even asks if he can do his music therapy in the morning! I cannot tell you how much that helps me, because he wakes up first and he often becomes restless and noisy, which disturbs his siblings. Now, he gets up quietly, asks for his headphones, and goes to the table to listen and do a quiet activity. It’s a big change.

Why We Loved the iLS Total Home Focus Program:

It’s customizable. You can adapt the program to what is best for your child. After we filled out our initial assessment, our home coach suggested a program for each child to follow based on his or her needs. Then I adjusted as I saw fit. Roo couldn’t handle more than 30 minutes per session. Tigger, though, could do a full hour at a time.
There is plenty of support. Our personal home coach Sharon was wonderfully helpful. She was very attentive to us, checking via phone and email regularly. And she welcomed all of my questions and concerns, listening to our situation and offering helpful suggestions.
It’s not a magic cure. iLs never advertises itself as a magic cure for ADHD and SPD, and it’s not. Instead, the program is designed to be used continuously over several weeks, gradually helping clients improve focus, attention span, and self-control. I like that it’s part of an overall lifestyle change – one that we’ve really benefited from making.

Be sure to contact Integrated Listening Systems to learn about how the iLs Total Home Focus program can help your family! And learn more about music therapy for ADHD by following Integrated Listening Systems on social media:

The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling ADHD Students

April 25, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

We’re parenting three children who have ADHD/ADD in our family. (The jury’s still out on the toddler, so far.) To add to our unique situation, both my husband and I also have ADD. Fun!

Naturally, we have to make use of a LOT of creative tips and ideas for homeschooling ADHD students. We’ve shared lots of posts on this topic over the years and I’ve gotten some great suggestions from other websites as well.

So – without further ado – here is the Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling ADHD Students! I hope that these resources are just as helpful to you as they’ve been to us!

Image c/o: Rawpixel via depositphotos

The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling ADHD Students

How to Deal with a Homeschooling Dawdler

Homeschooling with ADD and ADHD

Managing Expectations for ADHD Students

How We Homeschooled My Kiddo with ADHD

Adapting as a Teacher to ADHD Kids

When Traditional School Fails: Homeschooling May Be a Better Option

Preparing Kids with ADHD to Learn

Homeschooling Kids with ADHD

Making Lifestyle Changes to Homeschool Kids with ADHD

Why Special Needs Kids Thrive in a Homeschool Environment

How to Consider Other Kids When ADHD Homeschooling

How to Work with ADHD in Your Homeschool

Homeschooling as a Mom with ADHD

Small Muscle Handwriting Practice for Kids with ADHD

Our ADHD-Friendly Homeschool Room

How We Did Spelling In Our ADHD Homeschool

3 Tips for Raising Boys with ADHD

Pages: 1 2 3 4

Managing ADHD Math Problems with Mr. D. Math

April 21, 2016 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

It’s no secret that lots of kids struggle with math. And kids with ADHD who tend to have attention issues may have a harder time than most.

In our family, Tigger (our oldest daughter) has been a lifelong math-hater. She just loses all interest and tries to get through it, instead of trying to grasp the concepts. But, as I’ve tried to tell her, we don’t get to just “opt out” of things we don’t like in life. Thanks to homeschooling, though, we do get to try different ways to understand them and improve.

So I was excited to try the Pre-Algebra program from Mr. D. Math! I’d heard such great things about the program and my daughter was happy about having someone to walk her through pre-algebra and get her ready for middle school math.

See how using Mr. D. Math is helping us to manage common ADHD math problems!

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

Managing ADHD Math Problems with Mr. D Math

Let me just start by saying that I completely sympathize with Tigger. If I could have gotten through life without math, I would happily have done so. But as I got older, I found that I’m actually good at math…when I try. And the same is true of Tigger. It’s just taking some time for her to realize that.

I mean, look at that face. That is a beautiful young woman who should never feel inadequate about doing anything, including algebra. (Sorry, I had a Mama moment.)

Common ADHD Math Problems

What are some of the common ADHD math problems kids deal with? Well, since kids (and adults) with ADHD often have issues with executive function, they may have trouble with the following areas:

organizing their thoughts into a process
executing that process
persisting when they’ve made mistakes

Pretty much everything you need to do in order to grasp a math concept, right? You need to learn the steps, perform them IN ORDER, and take the time to check for errors. So, for kids with ADHD, a math lesson can be a recipe for disaster.

This is not to say that all kids with ADHD struggle with math. My youngest boy, who is the most hyper of all of my kids, actually does better with math than language arts. But a child who has ADHD and struggles with math lessons may find that even the simplest concept is almost impossible to learn.

How Mr. D. Math Works

Which is why I found Mr. D. Math to be such a great program for my daughter with ADHD! Here’s a look at how the Mr. D. Math Pre-Algebra program works:

The lessons are organized very clearly by topic and chapter. As your child works through each lesson, it appears with a checkmark.

Every section begins with a video lesson. In the lessons, Mr. D. himself introduces a concept, demonstrates how it works, and asks a few questions.

Here’s a look at one of the video demonstrations. This one was on Order of Operations.

After the lesson is complete, students take an online quiz on what they learned.

Afterwards, they submit their grades.

At the end of each chapter, students take a test. And, as you can see, the solutions to the chapter tests are provided. Those are great for checking work and finding areas that need to be strengthened.

How Mr. D. Math is Helping My ADHD Daughter with Pre-Algebra

The Mr. D. Math Pre-Algebra program is a super introduction to algebraic concepts. What I loved about the program was that it begins with a nice introduction to exactly how math works. So your child doesn’t need previous experience with pre-algebra to begin it. As long as he or she can add, subtract, multiply, and divide, they’re good to go!

Right from the beginning, Mr. D. won Tigger over. As he explained, math is a language. It has its own symbols that have a unique meaning. And you have to understand the language to understand what each expression says. Since Tigger is a bookworm and interested in writing, that analogy made perfect sense to her.

His initial comparison was to compare learning math to talking to a dog. The dog only understands select words that have meaning to him, so the rest of your sentence would be “blah blah blah”. And that’s how math is! Block out the parts that have no meaning and focus on what matters. Brilliant!

What I also liked was that Mr. D. paused during the lesson to ask a few questions.

Knowing Tigger’s tendency to let her mind drift away, I asked her to write her answers down. And lo and behold! Neatly written notes! That’s how I knew she was paying attention and actually interested in the material.

After introducing a new way to look at math, Mr. D. reviews basic arithmetic operations with students (addition, subtraction, etc.). But, as the chapter progresses, he moves on to new concepts: order of operations, simplifying expressions, and so on.

Remember PEMDAS? He uses that mnemonic device also! While she remembered the phrase “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally”, she had a little trouble remembering what each word in the phrase actually represented. So she wrote it on the board to help herself remember it.

I will add one note of caution that I observed with Tigger: Kids with ADHD may tend to redo the same things again and again without slowing down to pay attention to why something is incorrect. Since the Pre-Algebra program is self-paced, kids can take quizzes whenever they want.

After Tigger’s first Order of Operations lesson, she took the quiz and missed several of the questions. Naturally, she simply took it again and then again. But since she didn’t slow down to review her notes, ask me for help, or rewatch the video lesson, she kept getting a failing grade. And you can only take each quiz three times. So she had to accept a grade lower than she wanted.

But that was a lesson to her as to why it’s important to slow down, check your work, and get help when necessary. So, if your child with ADHD behaves similarly, keep an eye out when they start taking quizzes and encourage them to take a break or get help with something that seems fuzzy.

If you’re looking for a self-paced Pre-Algebra Math program for your child, Mr. D. Math is definitely worth the investment! And if you’re in a time crunch, you can get a program to get your child ready for Pre-Algebra in just 11 weeks or even six weeks!

To find out more about the program, follow Mr. D. Math on social media!

And if you’d like more ADHD math ideas, check out my list of 10 Math Activities for Kids with ADHD!

iLS Home Program for ADHD and SPD

April 11, 2016 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

As most of you probably know, we have children who are living with ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder. In fact, both my husband and I also have ADHD/ADD.

We’ve written extensively about life with ADHD here on the blog, so when I learned about Integrated Listening Systems – a natural therapy for improving attention and sensory processing skills, I was super excited to give the iLS Home Program a try!

Here’s what the program includes and how it can benefit children with various learning difficulties and special needs!

Disclosure: I received access to this program in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own. For details, see my Disclosure Policy.

What is iLS Home Program Therapy?

The iLS Total Home Focus Program is a sound and movement therapy system for individuals who are living with special needs, including ADHD/ADD, Down’s syndrome, Sensory Processing Disorder, Dyslexia, Autism, Apraxia, Dysgraphia, and Auditory Processing Disorder.

Since we have children who have both ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder, we jumped at the chance to try the program. Here’s a quick overview of how it works:

This is a look at what is included in the iLS Home Program. As you can see, it’s pretty extensive.

You receive an iPod Touch with a waist pack. Kids need to use the program two to five times per week for sessions of 20 to 50 minutes.

The special iLS headphones are part of the program’s unique benefits. These headphones feature special sensors behind the ear that make contact with the bones in the head. The goal is to provide listening therapy through the body’s various systems via bone conduction. Pretty neat!

The balance board is part of the exercise regimen, designed to improve balance and coordination.

The weighted beanbags and balls are accessories for use with the program home exercises.

Along with the program supplies, iLS provides a Playbook that demonstrates various exercises and skills you can try with your children. The Playbook also gives you a chance to note your children’s progress as you use the program.

What are the Benefits of the iLS Home Program ?

Clients who have used the iLS Home Program have reported substantial benefits for those who have attention and sensory issues. For example, some who have tried the iLS program for ADHD have noticed an increase in ability to concentrate, organize, and complete tasks. The program has also helped to decrease anxiety and promote calm, which leads to improved sleeping habits (something that has been a real issue in our family).

iLS can also help with vestibular and proprioceptive issues, which are common for children with SPD. Since the program includes exercises that are designed to improve hand/eye coordination, balance, and auditory processing, I am really looking forward to seeing how much it helps our family.

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be using the iLS Home Program with my children over the next several weeks! I’m looking forward to sharing our progress and results, especially for those of you who have children living with ADHD, autism, SPD, or other special needs.

Visit the iLs Total Home Focus Program website to learn more about how this program works for home use! And if you have any specific questions about how the program is working for us, feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to answer!

For more about life with ADHD, follow my ADHD Tips board on Pinterest!

10 Math Activities for ADHD Students

April 4, 2016 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

If you have a child with ADHD, you might find that sitting down to teach math is…a bit of a challenge.

Well, in my family, the word “challenge” isn’t quite strong enough to describe how difficult math lessons can be. Let’s try “cage match to the death”. I think that’s more accurate. 🙂

My wiggly kids resist anything that requires sustained mental effort, due to issues with executive function, so learning math concepts is their least favorite thing to do. As a result, I’ve had to take math off the page and into their hands to make some ideas really stick.

So – if your child with ADHD struggles with math, you might want to try these 10 math activities for ADHD students. They’ve worked wonderfully in our house!

Image c/o: Nadezhda1906 / depositphotos

10 Math Activities for ADHD Students

Use LEGO blocks to construct 3D Bar Graphs.
Make Math Factor Snowflakes and hang them in your window.
Show kids how to cut and paste simple repeating math patterns.
Have children work out tens and ones with Unifix cubes.
Practice math facts while doing a simple exercise or having a Brain Break.
Teach math concepts in a foreign language, such as how to count in Spanish or Sign Language.
Use math lapbooks to help kids visualize math concepts and memorize basic facts.
Combine math with reading by using math storybooks such as Life of Fred.
Drill kids on basic math lessons, including fractions, polygons, and telling time using flashcards.
Create math art, such as coloring grids on graphing paper.

Be sure to check out my ebook “Homeschooling with ADHD” for more help to teach your ADHD child at home!

Want even more fun math ideas? Try these book suggestions!

And be sure to follow my Math Mania board on Pinterest!

Homeschooling with ADHD eBook

November 30, 2015 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

We’ve been writing about homeschooling with ADHD here at Look! We’re Learning! for quite a while, but I (in typical ADD fashion) have been procrastinating with this eBook.

I’ve wanted to write it for months, but it seemed overwhelming and just..impossible. I did mention I have ADD, right?

But here it (finally) is! This eBook “Homeschooling with ADHD” is the resource you’ve been looking for! If you’re teaching kids with ADHD at home or if you’re even considering it, this ebook is for you!

And *for a limited time*, I’m giving it away FREE!

Homeschooling with ADHD eBook

This eBook is divided into six chapters beginning with a discussion of what ADHD is and ending with detailed suggestions for how you can continue homeschooling, even when ADHD-related problems arise.

What if you’re a parent with ADHD? You can still homeschool your kids with ADHD! (Trust me, I’m doing it.) There’s a special section in the book just for you – with tips and tricks to make homeschooling something you love, not simply something you endure.

And, because I really want you all to benefit from these tips, I’m giving the ebook away for FREE for 48 hours! It’s normally priced at $5.99, but you can get it for nothing until December 2!

If you decide to download the ebook, please share your thoughts about it with me at selena@lookwerelearning.com. Grab your free eBook from our store using the link or image below!

Homeschooling with ADHD eBook – Look! We’re Learning! Store

Math Bafflers Review: Introducing Logic to Kids with ADHD

July 8, 2015 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

One of the challenging things about homeschooling a child with ADHD is helping him or her learn to think critically. Kids who have classic ADD tend to avoid any kind of sustained mental effort, especially when the topic is challenging.

And that’s my Tigger. She’s linguistically smart, but she’s not a natural at math. When there’s a concept that’s hard for her to grasp, she tends to tune out or get frustrated. But we can’t just skip those parts, right?

Recently I got a chance to try the workbook Math Bafflers from Prufrock Press and I found it to be a great way to teach logic to kids with ADHD! Here’s our Math Bafflers review.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

Math Bafflers Review

Just to give you a little background:

I’m pretty sympathetic to Tigger on the whole “avoiding sustained mental effort” thing, because…

I’m the exact same way.

Last semester, I took Honors Logic and I’m here to tell you that it was rough. I can do the work, but there are times when I sit down to concentrate and my head pretty much feels like it’s filled with bees. Kind of like a mental static.

So if that’s what Tigger deals with, I can vouch for the fact that it’s irritating and it interferes with your ability to concentrate.

However, logic is SUCH an important skill to learn that I was determined to find a way to teach it. And Math Bafflers was a great way to introduce it.

Math Bafflers is not a logic curriculum, but it is a logic puzzle workbook. The first thing I loved about it was that the activities are fairly short – perfect for Tigger’s short attention span!

Look at her expression. That is the face of a child who is NOT interested in this subject at all…lol.

Using Math Bafflers to Introduce Logic to Kids with ADHD

I loved the way Math Bafflers provided a gentle intro to logic for children. In the very beginning, the book acknowledges that logic is not the easiest subject to learn.

So there are a list of steps to follow to help kids (and their parents) make sense of how to solve each puzzle. I summarized the steps and wrote them on the board.

Then I had Tigger copy them down. Having her write things down seems to “ground” her in a way. Then, she’ll have something to refer back to when she can’t remember how to solve a problem.

We started with the very first Math Bafflers puzzle. Basically, it requires kids to sort through a list of criteria to determine which television program comes on when. There are clues such as: “Program ABC comes on after Program XYZ, but before Program DEF.”

I’ll be honest. Those kinds of puzzles stump me too.

Which is why I was so glad for the problem-solving steps in the beginning of the book. Finding the answer seemed overwhelming initially, but as we followed each step for each clue, we ended up narrowing down our choices fairly quickly.

Something I noticed about Tigger is that she tends to read “more into” a sentence than is actually there. For example, a clue might say “Leah does not breakfast while watching Program XYZ. She eats breakfast between 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.”

When I asked Tigger, “What does that mean about Program XYZ and when it doesn’t come on?”, she would answer, “It doesn’t come on in the morning!” But the clue didn’t say that. It simply said that it didn’t come on during her breakfast time. There were other morning times outside of the time when Leah eats breakfast.

I chalk that up to her desire to hurry up and get through a problem quickly. So helping her slow down and develop patience with her schoolwork is going to be one of our focuses this school year.

Tigger kept trying to give up, but I wouldn’t let her. And sure enough, we solved the puzzle! Whoohoo!

Now I will say – After we finished the first puzzle, we stopped with this subject for that day. I didn’t want to overwhelm her and I didn’t want her to hate learning logic. But this will definitely be part of our curriculum for the 2015-16 school year. 🙂

And that’s our Math Bafflers Review! If you’re just getting started with a study of logic in your homeschool, I highly recommend Math Bafflers! It’s perfect for kids with ADHD, kids who struggle with math, or anyone else!

5 Things That Make ADHD Homeschooling Easier

June 22, 2015 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

I’ve been sharing about my decision to return to homeschooling this fall after enrolling my kids in public school for a few months last school year. One of the major reasons why I decided to take a homeschooling break was because I was burned out. Three of our kids have ADHD, as do I, and keeping everyone on task (including me) was becoming a challenge. It was time to take a break.

But now that things have settled back down, I’m planning for how I can make this upcoming school year our best (and most relaxed one) yet. And so today, I’m sharing five things that make ADHD homeschooling easier!

By the way, this is one of those posts that contains great advice that I really need to take myself. So if I ever write about being burned out again, please remind me to come back and read this post. 🙂

5 Things that Make ADHD Homeschooling Easier

1. Math Manipulatives

Tigger is not a math fan. But when we use math manipulatives, she enjoys it much, much more. That means taking math off the textbook page and making it interactive.

We use both Unifix Cubes and Counting Bears to help our kids visualize their math problems while learning. We’ve also used a literary approach with resources such as Life of Fred and Arithmetic Village to make the problems more of a “visual” exercise for her.

2. Flash Cards

Flash cards are a huge help with covering homeschooling topics with our kids. Roo, in particular, loves them because he is partial to holding items while we cover lessons.

He’s continually fidgeting, so if he can move cards around by flipping them, matching them, or using them for memory drills, he learns critical terms and pictures much faster. (See all of our free printable flashcards available here in the store!)

3. Music

All of our kids love to dance, so we use music pretty often. We take dance breaks in between lessons and when we clean up the house, we play music to encourage them to relax.

Personally, when I have trouble focusing on a task for our homeschool, such as planning lessons or organizing my resources, I use Focus @ Will. It’s an online streaming music service that plays instrumental tracks according to the mood you select. They even have a channel for ADHD, and it works wonders for my concentration.

4. Educational Games

Another big part of making learning interesting for my kids with ADHD is to use educational games. I try to pick games that are either short on directions or short on time, which keeps my kids from getting frustrated as they learn how to play.

Stare Junior! is one of our very favorite games. It’s a game that helps kids practice observing by staring at a picture for two minutes and then trying to remember details from it. We also like BrainBox Nature, because it’s a super short game (2 minutes each round) and it’s a perfect way to break up lessons while continuing with something educational.

5. Brain Breaks

I mentioned Brain Breaks in a post I wrote over at The Homeschool Post about my favorite things about homeschooling with ADHD, but the ebook deserves another shout out here. Brain Breaks are great for helping our kids “let off steam”.

They get to choose their own activity and then complete it in a short round. Plus, there are lots of activities to choose from, so they never get bored with their choices.

For even more helpful suggestions for homeschooling with ADHD, see our series 31 Days of ADHD Homeschooling to get tips, suggestions, and ideas for your family!

This post is part of the “Things My Homeschool Couldn’t Do Without” linkup from iHomeschool Network! Click on over to read even more fabulous posts by our fellow homeschooling bloggers!

Family Time Fitness - Fitness 4 Families - Family Fitness

3 Tips for Raising Boys with ADHD

December 29, 2014 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

We have two boys in our family with ADHD. Since one has classic ADHD with hyperactivity and one has limbic ADHD (which is characterized by a distinct lack of energy), they require very different parenting styles. Complicating this issue is the fact that we also have a daughter with ADHD and both my husband and I are living with ADHD as well.

While our family life is never, ever, ever boring, it can also be extremely challenging. So I’m always searching for great advice on how to raise boys with ADHD. Naturally, I was thrilled to get a copy of the book “Raising Boys with ADHD” from Prufrock Press!

As I read the book, I appreciated several of the suggestions and I’m sharing a few of them with you all today. 🙂

*I received a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for this review. My opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.*

Image: nadezhda1906 / Dollar Photo Club

Tips for Raising Boys with ADHD

1. Make it into a game.

What is “it”, you ask? Anything. Make any and everything into a game. Since boys with ADHD are often easily bored, which can lead to misbehavior, keeping their interest is critical to getting them to cooperate. So, if you need them to pick up their rooms, challenge them to see who can get their room clean faster: you or them? You’ll get them to clean up and work together at the same time!

2. Take a problem-solving approach.

One of the biggest struggles for young boys who have ADHD is feeling defeated. As parents, we can do a lot to help them build self-esteem by refusing to overreact to their difficulties. Raising Boys with ADHD suggests viewing every challenge as a puzzle that can be solved. If what we’re doing now is not helping, then we need to find another solution. But we want to always believe that there is a solution that can help. That optimistic viewpoint can do a lot to help our sons keep trying, even when they feel like giving up.

3. Emphasize respect in the home.

All siblings tend to argue and fight, so when you add ADHD into the mix, things can become even more volatile. Rather than creating a long list of do’s and don’ts, the book recommends establishing the family rule “Treat Others with Respect”. If we help our sons learn how to respect us and their siblings, they’ll have an easier time managing their emotions and considering how their actions affect others.

Do you have sons with ADHD? How do you handle the challenges of parenting them? Let us know in the comments!

Homeschooling as a Mom with ADHD

November 11, 2014 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

In case you haven’t noticed, I talk about ADHD on this blog a lot. Like here, here, and here. 🙂 Several of us in our family are living with various types of this disorder and, for me as a homeschooling mom, ADHD poses quite a few challenges.

I recently had the chance to talk in depth about what it’s like to live as a homeschooling mom with ADHD over at Tales of a Pee Dee Mama. If you’d like to hear more about those struggles and successes, head over and read my Homeschooler Spotlight post!

Homeschooling as a Mom with ADHD – Tales of a Pee Dee Mama

Psst…..It’s also time for another edition of the Laugh and Learn linky! 🙂

* We missed last week’s Linkup due to technical issues. Living in Mexico has it’s perks and problems. Tomorrow will be four weeks that I have not had Internet in the house. It was supposed to be installed in 2 to 10 business days! Starbucks has become my second home… Thanks for your patience and hopefully this won’t happen again. Tina

Welcome to our seventh week of Laugh and Learn – Homeschool and Parenting Linkup! Join us in the fun and help us spread the word! Laugh and Learn – Homeschool and Parenting Linkup will be open by 6 am every Tuesday morning. My co-hosts and I will be picking our three favorite posts and featuring them on the following weeks linkup. So be sure to link your best content and maybe we will pick you! When you link your post with us it will not be featured on only one blog, but featured on three blogs for added exposure!

Your Fabulous Hosts 😉

Tina Ernspiker

Tina lives abroad in Latin America with her husband and four children. Currently in Mexico, Tina is active in homeschool, travel, and her Bible ministry. She blogs about all of their adventures and more at Los Gringos Locos.

Find Tina at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Google +
Linkedin

Selena

Selena is a writer and a homeschooling mom to four kids, including three with ADHD/SPD. Selena and her husband, Jay, are committed to teaching their children at home and loving every minute of it! You can read about the family’s homeschooling experiences at Look! We’re Learning, written by Selena!

Find Selena at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
Google +
Instagram

Michelle Cannon

Michelle is a single mom homeschooling two daughters. Michelle currently writes at The Heart of Michelle where you’ll find articles about anything from homeschooling to special needs, opinion pieces to fandom posts.

Find Michelle at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Our Favorite Posts for the Week of November 3rd:

Written by Sara at Classically Homeschooling

Written by Natalie at Planet Smarty Pants

Written by Kyle at Aspired Living

Thanks to everyone who submitted a post. Please check out the posts above by clicking on the image, if you have a minute for some good reading. Thank you Sara, Natalie, and Kyle for your great homeschool and parenting posts!

Now, let’s see your best posts for this week so we can share them as next week’s favorites!

An InLinkz Link-up

Bodily-Kinesthetic Learning Style: 5 Tips for Helping Boys

November 7, 2014 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

I blog about boys’ learning and learning styles, both of which are fascinating. Finding out more about a boy’s learning style can be truly helpful and can make a bit difference in his learning life. If you have a bodily-kinesthetic learner use these tips to help him learn.

Teaching boys who have a bodily-kinesthetic learning style requires patience and may take a few adjustments to your homeschool routine.

The main thing to remember about bodily-kinesthetic learners is that they love to learn by doing and they need to be in motion. Boys with this learning style also like physical play such as wrestling and horse-play, they are always tapping, twitching about or swinging their foot, they may be athletic, they need to touch someone when they are talking to them, and almost every one of them has difficulty sitting still!

The great thing about this is that tailoring some of your boys’ learning toward his strengths will result in a better overall learning experience—for both of you.

Bodily-Kinesthetic Learning Style Tips:

Go Hands-On

Manipulatives are your friend. Use things like Cuisenaire Rods or LEGO Math Games and he will be more apt to dive in. Make your lessons hands-on if at all possible. Include things that he can use and manipulate. For example, if you are learning about the Eiffel Tower, make sure to provide materials so he can build a model of it.

Get Touchy Feely

If you want him to remember something put it in his hand. Let him touch it, feel it, take it apart, hold it, or re-build it. By doing this it becomes much easier for him to remember something about it.

Act It Out

Drama is big with many boys who have a bodily-kinesthetic learning style and using it is a great way for them to learn. If you need him to remember something, act it out together. Do an oral book report with a lot of action. Have him act out his answers in pantomime.

Get Loud

Yes, I really mean it. LOL I know some boys are pretty loud already but sitting quietly at a table trying to do work isn’t their style. Allow yelling out answers. Bang things around. Make it fun. If you are working on a project, choose one in which they can move, talk and get loud and you will have better luck.

Move About

Go out and about by using field trips, getting outside, seeing new places, or walking to the park. Get them out of the house and moving around. Getting out works great but sometimes you need to stay home. For those times have boys walk in place, jump, clap, smack, squish, slap, or tap while working. Any movement is going to benefit your boy.

It is true that doing things this way can take a bit longer but planning ahead can help and it is really worth the effort. Use hands-on activities, touching and feeling, acting, noise, and movement to help your boy who has a bodily-kinesthetic learning style. Give him what he needs and see his learning abilities grow.

What do you do to accommodate your bodily-kinesthetic learner? Share your tips in the comment section.

FREE Shippin on any order of $75 or more any time!

How to Write a Unit Study for ADHD Kids

October 31, 2014 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

We’ve been using unit studies in our homeschool for years. Personally, I love them. They’re flexible and adaptable, which is perfect for keeping our kids interested in the lessons. We can write them ourselves, buy them from others, or make them up as we go.

If you’re unfamiliar with the unit study approach to homeschooling, check out our previous post about what unit studies are for more details. But, generally, they’re multi-subject lessons based around a central theme. You might have a medieval history unit or a harvest unit or a bear unit, and so on.

Since we’re homeschooling kids with ADHD, we make a few changes to help our kids stay interested and excited about what we’re learning. Here are a few tips that you can use to learn how to write a unit study for kids with ADHD!

How to Write a Unit Study for ADHD Kids

Follow their interests.

With unit studies, you have the flexibility to choose any topic you (or the kids) want. If one of your children is a huge fan of construction, like Roo is now, make that your topic. You won’t have to worry about them paying attention then. 🙂

When you’ve selected your topic, find ways to include all of the important subjects within it. For example, in a construction unit, I might include math worksheets featuring a construction theme, books about construction machines, and scientific concepts that are used in construction such as simple machines. It’s a great way to help kids develop an interest in subjects they may not have liked in the past.

Include movement at every opportunity.

Physical activity is excellent for helping kids with ADHD refocus their attention for learning. Use brain breaks or short bursts of physical movement every hour to give their brains a much-needed shot of adrenalin.

If you can find a way to make movement a part of the unit study, that’s even better! Using our construction example, kids can build a tower out of blocks, paper towel tubes, or sponges. You could even have them act out the functions of each construction machine they learn about. In fact, one of Roo’s favorite things to do right now is to use his arms like a front loader, complete with sound effects. It certainly makes our P.E. lessons interesting. 🙂

Don’t stress about time.

One of the goals of homeschooling is to help our kids love learning. If they’re doing that, don’t feel like you have to drop the topic to cover a different unit within a certain amount of time. If your children are enjoying the topic, it’s perfectly fine to stick with it for days, weeks, or even months on end.

Do you use unit studies with your kids who have ADHD? Tell us about how you adjust your units for them in the comments!

This post is part of the 31 Days of ADHD Homeschooling series! Thanks for following along with us this month! See all of the posts in the series by clicking the image below!

Creating an ADHD PE Curriculum for Homeschoolers

October 30, 2014 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Since kids with ADHD tend to be more active than other kids, it’s easy to think that physical education isn’t that important for them. Wrong! Depending on the child, PE can be even more important for a child with ADHD.

Because the ADHD brain has trouble organizing thoughts and carrying out instructions, kids with ADHD may be clumsier, less coordinated, and more likely to get injured than other kids. We saw this with Tigger quite a lot, especially since she also deals with sensory processing disorder. She fell, tripped, and got hurt much more often than her peers.

Since she was always active, I had assumed that she didn’t really need P.E. But in P.E., you learn so many critical concepts that are essential to being active later in life! So we decided to institute an actual P.E. program., but we made it into an ADHD PE curriculum with a few adjustments.

How to Make an ADHD PE Curriculum for Homeschool

Emphasize the basic skills first.

I went to public school until I was in seventh grade, so I had P.E. everyday as a young child. Even though it wasn’t that long ago *ahem*, I still forgot that I learned most of my basic movement skills there, not on the playground. When we took the kids to the playground last year, I couldn’t understand why they were afraid to climb the play structures. Duh! I’d never taught them how to jump down!

We started focusing on mastering the basic PE skills – jumping, skipping, standing, balancing, and running. I just took the kids to the playground last week and I almost couldn’t get them off the ladders. Even Piglet was climbing and sliding down with the rest of them. 🙂

Keep the lessons short.

Because kids with ADHD often have short attention spans, you might have to keep the structured P.E. lessons short, especially when you’re first beginning. They can get so excited about trying something that they fail to pay attention to the instructions and then they’re far more likely to get injured.

So, keep the instructions short and let them get involved as soon as you can. Watch them for signs that they’re losing focus – shifting eyes, fidgeting, etc. – and cut the lesson when you see that. They’ll also want to play and explore on their own. You may even want to let them do that first, so that they’ll be more likely to pay attention when you teach the skills.

Try teaching P.E. first.

Earlier in the series, we talked about having P.E. early in the school day to help them organize their thoughts for later lessons. Having P.E. class immediately after breakfast may actually help your kids pay closer attention to their other subjects.

One note of warning, though: If you decide to have P.E. first, don’t make it too strenuous. Otherwise, both you and the kids will be too pooped to finish the school day! (I’ve done this, by the way.)

How do you create an ADHD PE curriculum in your homeschool? Tell us about the way you teach physical education in the comments!

This post is part of the 31 Days of ADHD Homeschooling series! Stop by tomorrow for Day 31: Writing a Unit Study for Kids with ADHD!

Parenting Kids with ADHD and SPD

October 28, 2014 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

In our family, we have kids who have both ADHD and SPD. In truth, the two conditions can have some of the same symptoms: inattentiveness, hyperactivity, etc. But SPD comes with its own unique set of challenges and usually affects one or more senses more than others.

*Note: I am not a medical expert in any way. These are just my observations from my experience with my kids. If you think your child has sensory concerns, please consult a medical professional.*

For example, Tigger and Roo are excessively touchy. They touch every single thing they see (unfortunately). Roo displays vestibular symptoms such as intentionally crashing into the floor and problems crossing the midline. While they both display classic symptoms of ADHD, these particular symptoms were red flags that they had sensory issues as well.

If you’re raising kids who have both ADHD and SPD, you may wonder about how to parent while considering both conditions. Here are a few suggestions that we’ve found to be helpful.

Image: Jaimie Duplass / Dollar Photo Club

Parenting Kids with ADHD and SPD

This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.

Don’t obsess over labels.

I think that there is some value in labeling a behavior as ADHD-related or SPD-related, but if we get too focused on defining each individual characteristic, it’s easy to get confused. Honestly, some of the symptoms of SPD can look like ADHD and vice versa.

Here’s why I don’t stress about defining each individual behavior: SPD is not treated with medication. It’s treated with occupational therapy and sensory integration. Since many of the sensory activities suggested by experts are easily done at home, I just use the ones that seem to help my kids calm down. By the way, the book “The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun” has excellent suggestions for sensory activities that can be done at home.

Accommodate their sensory needs.

Since kids with SPD often can’t describe what they’re feeling, we have to be attentive to their sensory needs. Now that Tigger is older, she can explain when she gets the “jumpy” feeling in her mouth and we let her use her chewable necklace for oral input. But Roo is five and he can’t explain why he sometimes wants to dive onto the floor.

So, when I see that kind of behavior, I adapt to it by offering him heavy work, deep pressure, or vigorous physical activity. We also try to help the kids learn how to express their feelings, so that they can tell us when they need sensory input. Doing that has helped us cut down greatly on the number of tantrums that occur during our homeschool day.

Include sensory integration in your lessons.

We talked about the value of making our homeschooling lessons as multi-sensory as possible yesterday. If your kids are dealing with SPD, involving their senses in your lessons and activities actually boosts their ability to understand the material.

There are plenty of ways to include sensory play in your daily routine. For loads of sensory play ideas, check out our Sensory Play board on Pinterest!

Follow Selena – Look! We’re Learning!’s board Sensory Play on Pinterest.
Do any of your kids have both ADHD and SPD? How do you accommodate both conditions in your family? Let us know in the comments!

This post is part of the 31 Days of ADHD Homeschooling series! Stop by tomorrow for Day 29: Handwriting for Kids with ADHD!

How to Increase Attention Span in ADHD Kids

October 27, 2014 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

ADHD and poor attention span go hand in hand. In fact, inattentiveness is one of the consistent symptoms of ADHD that is evident in all people who have it. So, our kids with ADHD naturally have trouble maintaining attention, especially if they don’t like the subject at hand.

The good news is that we can help them to extend their attention spans, but – it won’t happen overnight and it won’t happen without lots of input from us. Of course, if you are a parent with ADHD (as I am), you’ll have to fight your own attention battles, and you might want to try these activities yourself so you can be consistent with them. 🙂

If you’d like to help your children learn to focus for longer periods, try these suggestions about how to increase attention span in your kids with ADHD!

How to Increase Attention Span for Kids with ADHD

Encourage them to take notes.

One of the things we’ve done with our kids is to encourage them to take notes whenever they have to listen for an extended period of time. We attend meetings at an American Sign Language congregation, which is completely silent. As you can imagine, getting them to sit down and pay attention was a challenge. 🙂

Letting them take notes helped a ton. We don’t require that they write the entire time, either. Sometimes they draw pictures of what they see, which is actually a big help in understanding ASL.

Personally, I’m a visual learner, so when I take notes I use bullet points, multi-colored pens, and arrows to draw my attention to specific items. Mixing things up like that can also make it easier to pay attention.

Stimulate their senses.

We can also help our kids to pay attention longer by involving as many of their senses as possible. If you’re teaching a lesson in your homeschool, use bright pictures, upbeat music, and movement whenever you can. These additions can make your lessons more interesting, which will help your kids maintain focus.

If you have children with sensory integration issues, these kinds of activities are even more important. We’ll talk more about sensory issues in tomorrow’s post.

Use timed focus sessions.

You can also make paying attention into a mini-challenge. Establish special “focus periods” – short, intense periods when the kids will pay attention to a topic as closely as they can. Start with a few minutes, 2 to 5, and then gradually increase them based on age level.

You might even want to add an incentive for each milestone they reach. For example, if they can pay attention to a lesson for 10 minutes and show it by remembering three key points, they get an extra 10 minutes of screen time.

Have you been able to help your kids with ADHD increase attention span? Share your secrets in the comments!

This post is part of the 31 Days of ADHD Homeschooling series! Stop by tomorrow for Day 28: When ADHD and SPD Collide!