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Hi everyone! This morning we’re sharing our method for teaching math to our third grader with ADHD.
It’s no secret that getting active kids to settle down for school is a challenge. The wonderful thing about homeschooling is that we have the flexibility to adapt our lessons to our kids, rather than having to change our kids to fit the lessons.
When we approach math with Tigger, we’ve found that there are a few core principles that help: short classes, activity, and pictures. On the rare occasions when we’ve gotten to incorporate them all at once, she has grasped concepts much easier than when we stick with a textbook-only approach.
This school year, we’ve been using A+ TutorSoft Math as part of our third grade math for ADHD. So far, we love it! The curriculum is easy to understand and the worksheets are short, which helps Tigger stay on task for most of the lesson. If you’d interested in checking out A+ TutorSoft, you can get a 20 percent discount by making a purchase at the link below:
We also break up the monotony of a typical math lesson with the use of anchor charts, which we’ve talked about previously. I usually begin the lesson with the chart, have Tigger copy down notes from the chart, and then allow her to come to the board to work out a few problems of her own. At times, we also make use of manipulatives and lapbooks, which have the double benefit of offering her a way to use her hands while reinforcing the real-life application of the math concept we’re discussing.
No matter how effective the program is, though, she starts to lose interest after about 20 to 25 minutes. That’s when we try to incorporate a brain break to help her work out her “fidgets” and refocus her attention back on learning. We usually give her a break before she attempts to complete work based on the concept. In some cases, we may even have her hold off on completing self-work until early afternoon, just to give her more time to familiarize herself with the subject before she begins.
For a look at the many math resources we use for 3rd grade, check out our YouTube video:
This post is part of the “How I Teach” series on iHomeschoolNetwork! Click on over and visit posts from some of our fellow bloggers!
I love interactive math programs. I also use xtramath.com as a quick tool for reinforcement and mastery. It takes my son about 5 minutes each session each day to do it and it helps us break up his math lesson. That’s excellent you found an interactive math tool. I’m checking this out for next year. Thanks for passing this along.
You’re welcome! Hope you find it helpful!
My wriggly boy benefits from things to do with his hands and short sessions. If we do 2 or 3 sessions in a day that sometimes works better and manipulables are amazing. I give him ‘fiddlies’ as well (little things to occupy his hands when I want his attention). This helps unless his attention vanishes into his ‘fiddlies’ then we know to leave it! Lol. Thank you for a great post.
Yes! Having things to fiddle with helps a lot. We’ve used the squeezable stress balls in the past and they work well too.