Fun with reading and math for early grades

Cindy P.

ADHD

I have worked with a number of ADD/ADHD students, both individually and in the classroom. I have used techniques such as reward systems, self-checking systems (such as telling oneself "focus" or making a mark whenever finding oneself off-task), reducing distractions (facing a plain wall, using ear plugs, or drowning out other noise with music or white noise, etc.), praising positive behavior, or whatever we could find that would work for a particular student. I do believe in using medication for a time if it will help the student to learn how it feels to be less distracted and to develop good study habits. I don't believe in children who can't be helped; only in children for whom no one has found the right approach.

Art History

I have a BA in elementary education/psychology. I created an art history course for a teenage homeschool student in which he studied individual artists in order of the time they lived, coloring a picture of each artist's work, and writing a biography. Then he placed the artists on a timeline which included other things happening in the world at the time. I also created and taught an art appreciation course to kindergarten students several times. We studied one element of art each session (such as line, texture, etc), reading a book about it, using paint or other media to practice it, and creating a book for each child with short descriptions, examples of famous artwork, and their own work.

Bible Studies

I took several courses dealing with the Bible and Christianity in college. I have done considerable study since while working with students of all ages in Sunday School, and I currently attend (and help lead) a weekly Bible study as well as adult Sunday school classes.

Elementary (K-6th)

I have a BA in Elementary Education and have taught and tutored elementary students for over 20 years. I am also trained in Montessori methods, so I incorporate both traditional and Montessori techniques. I try to work without worksheets as much as possible and use hands-on materials. My goal is to use games and activities that appeal to a student's special interests when I can. In reading, I work with phonics as well as sight words, because I believe both are important in our complicated language. For math, I have a variety of materials to demonstrate the concepts. With some advance notice, I can create materials to use with other subjects.

Elementary Math

I have a degree in Elementary Education, but I primarily use my Montessori training for math work. I have a variety of materials to demonstrate concepts, and I can help with homework. I like to use real-life math when I can.

Phonics

I am trained in and taught the Montessori method, which strongly emphasizes phonics.

Reading

I have both a traditional and a Montessori background. I try to work without worksheets as much as possible and use games and activities that appeal to a student's special interests when I can. I have a large variety of reading games I play which include following directions, picking out words that don't rhyme, matching pictures with words or sentences, reading and writing descriptions of toys or other items, and drawing pictures to go with stories I have written. I work with phonics as well as sight words, because I believe both are important in our complicated language.

Social Studies

I hold a BA degree in elementary education/psychology. I have worked with social studies in my teacher training and in recent tutoring. I have used pictures, note-taking, and timelines to help students with this subject.

Special Needs

I have worked with quite a few special needs children in the classroom, in tutoring, and in a social skills course. I have studied the symptoms of various learning disabilities and how to work with them. I try to work with each student in the way he/she will be most successful. I also have met with teachers, advised and reassured parents, attended IEP meetings, observed classes, and taught a social skills course for special needs children. I have also worked with students on daily living skills.

Study Skills

I have worked on organization and study skills with many students. I have found that the first thing most students need to do is organize their notebooks, study space, and make their equipment (stapler, pencils, extra paper, markers, etc.) easy to find and use. We talk about the environment, the best time for them to study, and even how their sleep and eating habits effect their work. I emphasize using their school planner and/or a special homework folder. We look at the way the textbooks are organized and talk about the importance of bold type, colored boxes of information, list of objectives, etc. I even found a complete course on study skills on Pinkmonkey and worked through it with one student.