HEM’s Questions & Answers – January-February 2010
Deadline is Nov. 25th for replies to these questions, which will run in the January-February issue of Home Education Magazine. You can reply to either or both questions in the comments section below:
Teaching Grammar?
I haven’t found any way to teach grammar that keeps the interest of my ten-year-old son. An experiencing friend of ours says half the battle of good grammar is won because our son loves to read, and chances are he’s intuiting grammar rules while he reads. Still I want some course material. What has worked for you? -Wynette
Homeschooling for ADD?
We were told that our little girl, age 8, is suffering from ADD by her teacher and guidance counselor. They told us that a doctor can put her on drugs to help her concentrate. My neighbor is the teacher to her children at home and she tells me that we don’t have to use any drugs if we teach at home too. My wife and mother can take turns doing the teaching so that isn’t a problem but we want to know if it’s true that this way means our little girl won’t have ADD any more. -Charlie
About HEM’s Questions & Answers
Tags: ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder, HEM's Questions and Answers, homeschool grammar, homeschooling and ADD, learning disabilities, teaching grammar
First, don’t just accept the diagnosis of ADD from the teacher and the guidance counselor for one simple reason: they are NOT, repeat, NOT qualified to diagnose or treat ADD. Treatment for ADD can only be prescribed by a trained medical professional. I assume neither teacher nor guidance counselor fit this qualification. And if they do, you might want to be doubly concerned.
If you truly believe there’s a possibility, pursue more rigorous diagnosis before proceeding. The pharmacological option is not much different than putting your child on speed.
My kids learned the basics of grammar with Mad Libs. They just loved them! We did them several years ago when the older boys were still pretty young (they are 13 and 11 now), but they still know their adjectives from adverbs and how to use them properly.