Looking for any info on helping an Elementary student having difficulty with numbers and writing.?
599458
Have you resquseted an evaluation and IEP from the school in writing?  Below is a webpage full of websites and a website I reccommend.  You need to get the free book offerred by Protection and Advocacy entitled "Special Education, Rights and Responsibilities"  This book will show you how to navagate the school district with ease.  \n\nIt appears that you do not understand the system. The school seems as if it has given you mis information.  Has your son been evaluated?  He is entitled (by federal and state law) to be evaluated and by law if he needs help the school HAS TO EVALUATE HIM FOR FREE.  \n\nThe school is mandated by federal law to pay for the child to attend special education for free.  The parents do not have to pay at all.  However, just because he needs help, he does not need to go to a special school, (by law) the school district has to place in the school closest to his home.  \n\nMost public school have special education classes.  Don't give your blanket of trust to the school just because they are the school.  Many school district have been sued BIG TIME because because they failed giving a child the lawful evaluation, placement and services that the law MANDATES.  Do not back down from the school, they are know to bully parents and students alike.  If you need more information on this matter contact me.  \n\nI am an advocate for children with special needs and I specialize in special education.  The child is suffering because the school district is not providing the services mandated by law that the child needs.  They have to provide this to the child FOR FREE, but they don't tell you that.  \n\nYou need to read this book.  I know for sure that California's version includes all of the state and federal laws for California, however the difference is that the California's version has California's state laws, but the federal laws remain teh same.  It is written in plain and simple terms and will address all of your questions, that is how it's designed.  Good Luck!
840931
The best way to get help for your son is to get someone who can truly give him individualized attention with the assignments he is specifically struggling with. The problem with these learning centers (and yes - I took my son to one when he was in 6th grade) is that they just give your son more work instead of specifically going over HIS work to help him understand what he needs to do to understand the actual work he is getting at school.\n\nCall your local college or university -- many college students are extremely happy to help tutor kids, and are appreciative of the extra income.
552833
are you focused on schoolwork too? if not, then try to get his attention by asking him questions about the lesson or try to get help(even is sometimes ou don't really have to) with your math problems..it might work..good luck!
255389
The school may provide a program, that is the best bet.  You can check with the school board, or can raise the issue at parent and teacher conferences.  If that fails, you can try algebra made easy books.  I hope this is helpful, and your son comes to understand it, just keep with it, it will sink in.
172199
I had this problem with my daughter too. She is now 8 and in 2nd grade. In 1st grade, she did not want to write. She is a total perfectionist and can't handle words being misspelled and not knowing the topic inside and out. Now I sit down and do a pre-writing with her. If the topic was butterflies for example, we would first write all the words we new we might need on a piece of paper. I would help her sound them out but in the end gave her the correct spelling since she is more comfortable this way. \nThen we start doing an outline of main points(but not full sentences.) Then she is supposed to be able to take the word wall we made and the outline and write her paper. I walked her through the first few and slowly made her come up with sentences on her own. It is a lot of extra work on your part, it is much easier to say "Go do your journal." It is well worth it to give them the organization and confidence to do it on there own. In January she had her state writing assessment. I found out she wrote 3 pages and scored high. I was so pleased and now find her enjoying writing. We still have topics that are hard for her and I help her with the outline and word wall on those days. Talk to her teacher first about how much you can help her though. Good Luck.
245428
I agree with the poster who said make sure you have things written down.  You didin't explain how old your child is or what type of problem you are having, so this might not even apply.\n\nMy daughter had a problem when she was in seventh grade.  She never did learn cursive writing (still hasn't learned it and she now has an undergraduate degree with a double major and is working on a masters).  In 7th grade her teacher held her work up in class one day to show all the examples of what NOT to do in a writing assignment.  Then he went on and told the next class about it as well when someone came back into class and said that my daughter was crying in the washroom - he explained to them why she was probably crying. He also made a sarcastic comment to her as she was leaving that day and she made a nasty comment back to him then.  She was in tears when she got home and very upset.\n\nMy response to her was that she needed to write a letter to the principal and explain what happened and why she was upset.  I told her she needed to give the teacher a copy of the letter because you can't make a complaint about someone in writing without giving them  a copy.  Her letter was two pages long.  The end result was that the teacher had to apologize to my daughter.  \n\nSo my advice is be diplomatic and follow sensible channels.  Be calm.  Put things in writing if they are not resolved with the usual contacts.  If your child is old enough (by fourth grade they can usually state their case quite well) make sure the child is involved in stating the case and the problem.  If there is a meeting my preference would be to have the child there and let him explain what is wrong.\n\nIf necessary get the principal involved.  Hopefully you won't have to take it beyond the principal.  Most principals want a peaceful school and like ot get issues resolved.\n\nI hope this helps.
513833
I had dreadful handwriting as a child (poor fine motor control) and later became a teacher who had passive to better-than-average handwriting (it never became great).  The first thing is, no one was able to help me with my handwriting, and nagging me about it would have made me not even bother trying.  Second, it gets a lot better naturally around middle school when teachers don't force you to write a particular way (cursive vs. printing) so long as it is neat and you develop your own "handwriting" which will be likely a mix of both.  Having said that, what I did around her age was made myself extra credit out of it.  I made up a "cursive castle" game I did by merely practicing letters on a castle I drew out.  If she's into something, maybe she wouldn't mind decorating it with isolated letters so as to practice formation.  Next, I would recommend trying something like knitting (to start...it's easier to learn than most needlecraft), latchhook, or ideally counted or stamped cross-stitch to develop fine motor control.  This helped me a lot and as my motor control improved, so did my handwriting.  In the end, remember, she has to have motivation to learn to write more neatly and since, in this day and age, computers are honestly the most viable option, she will probably be harder to self-motivate than I was.  Good luck with this.
277707
http://www.edhelper.com/\nThis website always has good stuff!
928480
It's really just going to take a lot of practice.  Make sure that you use manipulatives, too, like having her add with real things, such as blocks, cereal pieces, etc.  Also, what may work better than flash cards is a math wall.  You put the problems on a wall somewhere where she can easliy see it, so she can always refer to it when she needs to.  Dont worry - eventaully, she'll get it.
53744
My son was diagnosed with D. in the third grade. Does your school have a class designed to tutor you? My son had to have assignments and tests read to him, and he was allowed to answer verbally. He taped the classes. Some assignments were altered. Not made easier, but if it required alot of writing, he was able to use a computer. We even homeschooled for 5 years.  We found a curriculum that was alot of hands on experiences.  It is hard. Hang in there, you're an inspiration to someone watching you.
1055068
All of the answers that you have been given so far are good!!  I am an elementary teacher and one thing that I would ask is that you teach your child how to follow directions. You would be suprised how many children have a hard time listening and following simple directions.
858069
go to your local community college and ask them if they have math tutors. i'm a math tutor at my community college and tutor kids in middle school a lot. also advertise that you are looking for a math tutor as well. if that doesn't help, try any of those homework/tutor centers like Silvan Leatning Center. I help out at one in California, and they relaly help the kids. it's also in an environment where there are others just like him struggling in the same subject, so he won't feel so alone. try to stay away from instrctional videos and things like that. they dono't help that much since he is only 12 his attention span may be too low for something like that. one on one interaction is the best. good luck
76714
Lots of practise using lots of different methods. Have it written on all his stuff so he recognises it. Write it on paper with him using pens, textas, crayons, paint etc. Get magnetic letters and practise spelling it out on the fridge. Get pavement chalk and write it on the concrete. Spell it out using alphabet cookies.\nYou can dot out the letters and he/she can trace over them.\nYou could hold his hand and help him form letters and "Skywrite" them.\nJust practise doing it lots of different ways. Make it fun and make it frequent but in short sessions so you don't tire him / her out and you don't make him / her resistant to your attempts.\nYour child has to want to do it or they will not succeed.\nFinally, if it's just not happening maybe he/ she is not ready yet and just give them a little time before you start trying again.
1124124
The Saxon math books were the best that I ever used. Doing 1/2 of a book ended up being the equivalent of 2 years in public schools. They are excellent in reinforcing what has already been learned so you don't forget it a day later!\n\nThe only way I was able to learn grammar was to teach it. If you have the older kids help the younger ones, they will end up learning and remembering far more since they have to apply their knowledge.\n\nReading the right books can teach them more than any multiple choice quiz they have to study for.\n\nDo not let them get away with skipping parts of exercises that they do not want to do and you do not want to grade anyway!\n\nGive the youngest ones learning activities at the same time so they feel like they are part of it and get into the habit of school time for when it is their turn. They will absorb more than you know of what they hear you teaching the older ones. My youngest brother can already read 2nd grade material and he is in kindergarten. But this is because he was allowed to actively participate in the learning activities.\n\nDo not try to teach them when they are hungry or tired!!!\n\nPerhaps most of all, do not underestimate your children. When they are being difficult or having a hard time grasping a concept, there is usually an underlying cause that has nothing to do with the subject matter.
633893
First ask your teacher, if he/she doesn't have time then see if there's some kind of "learning center" or homework help place at your school.  Also, older students could help, or get "community service" hours by helping you out for free.  Worst comes to worst, try to place an add in your local paper, or a bulletin at school.
101232
Try...\n(1) The phone book  (Beware of tutoring companies! they are expensive!!!! I wouldn't pay more than $20 per hour!)\n(2) call the counselling office at your local college to see if they can reommend a tutor.\n(3) Look online.... go to yahoo, type in the name of your city and the word "tutor".\n(4) If you just need a few answers to questions, you might consider online tutoring or homework help through email:\nhttp://www.tutor-homework.com ($15 per hour)\nhttp://www.ineedahelpinghand.com (various tutors w/ various prices).\n(5) Depending on the level of math, you might be able to hire a high school student who is good at math to tutor your son.\n\nGood luck!
928570
yes, help her study... play a memory came, with flash cards. REALLY HELPS..and im in college. play jepoardy. don't push her over the limit tho. I find that writing things a few times helps me learn it .