http://www.designastudy.com/blog Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 15 Mar 2007 16:00:53 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Four- and five-year-olds may be able to count to ten before having a sense of a number being connected to a specific quantity. Here’s a simple, hands-on activity to help them associate a numeral with a quantity: Begin with numbers 1 through 5. Write a numeral on ... http://www.designastudy.com/blog/?p=44 I've often suggested to families homeschooling a child with ADHD that they block in short exercise breaks prior to any 20-30 minute lesson requiring concentration. In addition, I've recommended teaching or enrolling him in physical education classes—swimming, skating, sports, etc.—where he is taught specific movements in order to develop ... http://www.designastudy.com/blog/?p=43 Because of the negative side-effects of drugs, I'm always looking for alternatives to any and every condition. The June 2006 issue of Prevention magazine mentioned studies using neurotherapy on kids and adults to increase attention and focus. Using biofeedback, the patient learns how to increase or decrease specific ... http://www.designastudy.com/blog/?p=42 Drugs are recommended to help children with ADHD, but many families are hoping for alternatives with fewer side effects. Caffeine is a much milder drug than those prescribed, yet some doctors advise against using caffeine with any children. However, since others suggest that it works better than no ... http://www.designastudy.com/blog/?p=41 I recently heard about an organization that offers a simple way for homeschoolers to raise funds for their own family. Flood Ministries shares the gospel through Christian music. Its latest praise and worship CD, Sanctuary, sells for $15. Homeschoolers selling the CD will ... http://www.designastudy.com/blog/?p=40 Some kids skip small words when reading. Others have difficulty remembering words they can't picture—words like "the" or "of." In either case, color can help. Before having the child read, write down a troublesome word and color over it with a highlighter. Point to it, say ... http://www.designastudy.com/blog/?p=39 Frequently, kids guess wildly at a word in a story instead of using their phonic skills to decode it. When they seem unable to sound out the word at your prompting, try reproducing it with letter cubes or tiles. Now there is no clutter—no words next to, ... http://www.designastudy.com/blog/?p=38 Give your kids this simple 5-finger rule when they choose books to read on their own. Open the book to any page and begin reading at the top of the page. If you can't read a word or don't know its meaning, put down one finger. If you put down ... http://www.designastudy.com/blog/?p=37 I tutor kids who attend public or private schools and find themselves drowning in classes which require lots of reading. They don't have difficulty sounding out words—so what's the problem? Typically, the vocabulary and concepts are unfamiliar. This is often the case with social studies and science ... http://www.designastudy.com/blog/?p=36 Teaching reading can be a challenge for both teacher and student. Phonics can feel tedious and progress may be slow. Keep kids motivated and increase their vocabulary and comprehension skills by reading out loud to them from books you believe they will enjoy. Also let them choose ... http://www.designastudy.com/blog/?p=35