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Feb 2008
Don't rely on outdated intelligence tests
February 26, 2008 12:00 PM Filed in: Elementary
School |
Diagnoses
My
first-grade son has difficulty finishing school
assignments in the required time. He seems to know
the answers, but just doesn’t finish in the same time
as other children. His teacher allows him to bring
some work home to finish, but his test grades are low
because he isn’t able to get through them. Because
his semester grades were low, his teacher suggested
we have him tested – now my husband and I are in
shock from the results. Our son was given the
Weschler (Intelligence Scales for Children, or WISC)
test and diagnosed with an extremely low IQ – we were
told he was a “slow learner.” But this is not the
child we know. Our son has always been able to figure
out things that amaze us – he does things with his
toys that are creative and extraordinary. What do we
do? Read
more...
A closer look at hyperactivity, attention problems
February 19, 2008 12:00 PM Filed in: Diagnoses
My
6-year-old son is medicated for Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). While this helps
somewhat at school, the battle begins once he gets
home. His teacher says homework should take 15 -30
minutes. Many nights, after two hours of struggling
to finish the assignment, I write a note saying we
did as much as we could. His teacher suggests that we
hold him back for “maturity.” Making the situation
worse, he often argues and fights with his younger
brother. This past holiday, we bought a second video
game system to stop the fights, but they find other
reasons to harass one another. Adding to the
problems, my 4-year-old’s pre-school suggests that I
have him tested for ADHD. What is going on? I refuse
to have my 4 year old taking pills. Please help –
before I am the one that needs
medication.Read
more...
Unparalyze the writing mind
February 12, 2008 03:07 PM Filed in: Skill Sets
My
daughter is having a terrible time writing papers in
her ninth grade class. The teacher gives clear
instructions and provides a schedule detailing when
each step is due. The process is broken down into
manageable parts – the outline, note cards, first
draft, second draft, and bibliography – but in spite
of this, my daughter says she doesn’t know how to
begin.
At a young age, my daughter loved writing her own prose and poetry and reading her work to others. Now she is paralyzed. Out of desperation, I completely wrote one paper for her. She received a 66 on that assignment, and since then, she has lost all confidence in me. I admit that I am insulted – as a lawyer I write all the time for my job. Now we are both angry. What should I do?Read more...
At a young age, my daughter loved writing her own prose and poetry and reading her work to others. Now she is paralyzed. Out of desperation, I completely wrote one paper for her. She received a 66 on that assignment, and since then, she has lost all confidence in me. I admit that I am insulted – as a lawyer I write all the time for my job. Now we are both angry. What should I do?Read more...
Sleepy in school
February 05, 2008 12:00 PM Filed in: High School
My
son calls himself a “night owl” to justify going out
during the week or waiting until late at night to
begin his schoolwork. This battle began in ninth
grade, once he was able to drive. Is this true – are
there people who can only work at night and do just
as well with less sleep? My son barely gets three or
four hours of sleep a night. His grades have slipped
but he always has an excuse, saying that his teacher
is unfair or doesn’t like him. After a while, these
same excuses wear thin. What should I
do?Read
more...
