De-lurking- and a couple of questions....

[Natalieclare]

Hi all! I usually post on the general board, though I haven't even had much time for that lately. My 11yo son is a quirky boy who scores off the charts in hyperactivity and inattentiveness. Though I was extremely reluctant to do this, he is now medicated, which is helping tremendously with concentration and the ability to actually progress through materials.

Anyway, he is still behind in several subjects. One of his chief difficulties is writing, actual physical writing (as opposed to composing). I am thinking about getting HWOT, but I don't know where I should start him. Is there someone familiar with this program who can recommend a starting place? Or is there another program that would work even better?

Next question: does anyone have a mnemonic device for remembering site/cite/sight? He is using Sequential Spelling, with decent success, but he cannot remember the difference between these words.

Also, as a result of lurking on this board, I bought Rewards Intermediate. We are only on lesson 3, but so far my son really likes it.

Thanks for any help, friends!

[Laurie4b]

Handwriting without Tears is the favorite of occupational therapists. Have you had him evaluated by an OT? It wouldn't hurt, both for sensory processing disorder, which often co-exists with ADHD as well as for the fine motor stuff. They can give you lots of other exercises to help with the writing. As far as where to start, start at the beginning of either cursive or printing.

The biggest thing that you can do, though, if he is having that much trouble with handwriting, is to start him on keyboarding. We using Typing Instructor. Prior to that, we used Type It and I stood over him while he learned to correctly use the finger positons for each key. (No computer can tell which finger is being used.) Now we're working on Typing Instructor to build speed. Being able to keyboard helps immensely not only with handwriting, but with writing because it can be so easily edited. He can learn to use Spell check, which is a practical way to approach his spelling once he's to the point where his spelling can be interpreted by Spell Check. (Not that you'd abandon spelling, just that it's probable that he'll need that extra help.)

For cite, site, sight, I think I'd throw out the cite for right now. It's not in the typical 11 year old's usage, and it will be easier after he learns the other two. I teach homophones by putting them both in the same sentence, so the student has to think about differentiating them each time. "Did you catch sight of the new building site?" "The site where the tornado landed is quite a sight!" etc. (Or the site where you sleep is quite a sight! if applicable ) :)

[Laurie]

My soon-to-be 11yo has made wonderful progress with HWT! When we switched from another handwriting book I put her into the HWT grade 2 "Printing Power" book. I tried using the first cursive book (the red one) next, but it was too soon for her. So...we put cursive on the backburner and continued with printing practice. We tried cursive again this fall and it was a totally different experience...she was finally ready for it!

At one point, I was so afraid that she'd always have gigantic printing that wouldn't fit between the lines, but now I'm amazed with her printing. She can even fit her letters into crossword puzzle squares! And her cursive...I could really just cry I'm so happy/relieved with the progress she's making!

[Claire]

When my dd was 10, I emailed the HWT creator and was advised to start her in cursive. (She also had difficulty with handwriting.) You might also want to try Callirobics (http://www.callirobics.com). It helps those whose dysgraphia is associated with fine motor problems and/or anxiety. It won't hurt, but it might not help. My dd's dysgraphia is most likely neurological in origin. However, her handwriting has become much better in high school.

Keyboarding is always good.

Homophones are hard. In Orton-Gillingham training we were advised to have the student make a flashcard for each homophone with a picture on one side and the spelling on the other. The student is supposed to study them for a few minutes several times a day. You would start with just one homophone set, and add perhaps one a week after that. (Student would continue to review old ones as well.)

Avko has a program specifically for homophones, but I haven't used it so don't know how well it works.

[dalynnrmc]

I agree 100% with (wow, um the first) Laurie. (Not that the other Laurie didn't have a great response, too! LOL! How funny....)

Anyway. A "site" is a place - think of a city block or a building that has 4 sides, this word has 4 letters. "Sight" is something we can see - we have two eyes and this word has two extra letters.
And, fyi, we cite to tell where something comes from originally.

[SkiMom]

Something else you might try with the spelling, if you aren't already doing it, is to write the words out on a white board (or a piece of paper) in color - emphasizing the differences with different colors. My 11 year old ds is very visual and this is an important step in the spelling process for him.

My ds also used HWOT. I started using the program when he was in grade 1, and I started from the beginning. He has now completed the entire program and I feel that we were successful. While his handwriting is not beautiful it is legible for the most part, and I consider that success. Using HWOT program with the wooden blocks,the mats, and the songs were great for him. It was kinesthetic, kept him engaged, and also helped with reversal problems. Later I taught him cursive with their program as well, but he really hates cursive and still has trouble with it. He much prefers printing. I also taught him keyboarding/typing and this is his preferred method for all his writing assignments. The HWOT program is not labelled with grade levels, so you can start anwhere with any age child...without making your child feel bad that he is using a "Grade 1" book.

I hope this helps!

[EKS]

I agree about HWT.

Also, can he type? If not, the faster you can get him up to speed (and it doesn't need to be very fast to surpass his speed writing by hand) the better. My son is finally able to type his written work this year and it has been like a breath of fresh air for everyone involved!