My granddaughter attends a private school without special ed. resources. I supervise her homework while I baby sit. In school and at home she is cooperative, cheerful, interested in anything new to learn—except that none of us (including her frustrated teacher) can get her to complete her worksheets and written assignments. What she does do is nearly always 100% accurate and as perfect as she can make it. Since her 3rd grade work is almost all written worksheets, which are never done, she lives with a sense of failure as well as frequently hearing the displeasure of others. 1st and 2nd grade were the same. Her giftedness was acnowledged but that fact seemed to prevent anyone from even considering LD as a possibility.
Just this week we worked especially hard on spelling. I talked the teacher into letting me substitute other learning activities for the writing practice in her spellng workbook—which she never does anyway. We made up a song using opposites; spelled her words rhythmically while doing jumplng jacks; spelled, using her body to shape the letters; wrote the words on a big board using colored markers. She knew how to spell the words. But she got 100% wrong on her written test. After school, she spelled them verbally to me and did so correctly.
What can we do to encourage the school to recognize and adapt more to her needs? Is twice—exceptionality uncommon or just unrecognized?
Judy
Re: Help for gifted child with LD (dysgraphia, poor sensory int)
Thanks, Barb for your reply. Yes! Yours sound so similar—it takes her forever too, she gets super bored and complains of tired hands and fingers!!
I really appreciate your good suggestions for adapting the schoolwork to her abilities. I think I’ll share your reply with her teacher who incidently feels very concerned about Kira’s problem.
I just had an idea. Perhaps we could start a thread for our kids —they could Dictate!! I know Kira feels very alone and different. I’ll ask her tomorrow.
Thanks again
Judy
Re: Help for gifted child with LD (dysgraphia, poor sensory int)
I would like to ask you to consider the aspect of “tired/ sore/ cramped hands”?
Which I might suggest could be the underlying problem?
Where the problem could be with what’s called; Fine Motor Skills.
The task of hand-writing, is in fact a most complex physical and mental activity.
Therefore I might suggest that you consider this as the problem?
Where spending time on developing these fine motor skills might be a solution to problem?
A simple exercise, is to simply toss a small ball/ object from the left to the right hand and back.
Then to move onto ‘Juggling’ 2 and then 3 or small balls/objects.
Whilst this might seem ridiculously simple, try it yourself, and you’ll see how the fine motor skills come into action.
Afterall, we are not born with the skills for hand-writing.
geodob
Re: Help for gifted child with LD (dysgraphia, poor sensory int)
Dysgraphia is very different from fine motor problems. There are difficulties with transcribing ideas onto paper rather than just with letter formation. Dictation or using a keyboard frequently helps. Using graph paper with 1/2 inch squares also helps. You should also consider shortening her assignments, maybe even excessively shorter until she gets a sense of accomplishment. Then you can increase the amount of work as she gets used to doing it. If it’s an attentional problem, try working with a timer. Check out G. Whiz Educational Resources homework and assignment programs if that’s the problem. Unfortunately, her private school may not be providing the support she needs. I don’t know if there are good public school special ed programs, or if you can get your grandaughter services from the district at her school, but she may need resource room help. You’re an exceptional grandma…Keep up the good work.
Fern
Re: Help for gifted child with LD (dysgraphia, poor sensory int)
Hi FERN,
Whilst fine motor skills are not a factor in Dyslexic Dysgraphia.
They are in fact a major factor in Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia and Dysnemkinesis.
Also deficiencies in either or both Fine and Gross Motor Skills is a common element in Non Verbal Learning Disorders.
Tired and cramped hands is a common symptom.
GEODOB.
You grandchild sounds so much like my youngest!
You seem very involved and informed on your grandchild’s educational needs. She is very lucky to have you on her side.
You are rather stuck in a hard place. A private school doesn’t need to adjust their methods to accomidate her. Since this has been going on for several years and they have not taken the time to educate themselves, it appears they have no interest in doing so.
The only suggestion I can make is to repost this in the general teaching or parenting forums. They get much more traffic than this forum. You might also wish to post on schwablearning.org There are many parents there with similar questions.
Do you know *why* she doesn’t finish the worksheets? Bored? Her hand tires? It takes forever?
The solution will depend on the problem.
My little LD’er doesn’t finish his because it takes him forever, he gets bored, AND he gets hand camps. We solve this by cutting back on the repetive tasks (say, only 1/2 of the normal math problems), and allowing him to either dictate his answers to a scribe (usually me) or into a tape recorder. Reports can be done in alternative formats; For example, instead of writing a report on how a certain tribe of Native Americans made thier housing, he made a model.
His spelling is done in a resource room with a special education teacher. They are a different list than the normal spelling words. They are high fequancy words or words picked to reinformce a spelling rule. If you want to stay with the “normal” words, I have heard of using mutliply choice spelling tests or, of course, cutting the list back to an amount she can learn.
I hope others have more words of advice.
Barb