Write On!

Just in the last few weeks, I've seen vast improvement in Samuel's ability to color within the lines -- he's gone from scribbling over whatever he's coloring to giving fairly even color coverage within the outline. It is a little discouraging to see the scribble alongside the picture using poor handwriting to describe the scene. However, I am seeing more of a "tripod" grasp of the pencil. Both the coloring and grasp are prerequisites for handwriting, so I am hoping we are on our way. Wooo hooo!

To Heed or Not to Heed?

I suppose the first line of defense for a youngest child is to scream like crazy; most assuredly,  I engaged in the same strategy. When you have older siblings who are bigger, stronger, and more wily, what else can you do?

Now as a mama, my question becomes: when do I intervene? Especially when that older child is a spectrum kid?

Does Samuel keep pestering his younger brother because he can (big brother), or is he pestering him because he lacks the social skills to know he's gone too far. Since the younger brother knows he can get my attention by hollering like crazy, is he sounding the alarm because he truly needs help, or is he calling in the best reinforcements to "his side"?

Bunches of parents complain when their kids don't get along, and most probably ask the same questions about intervention. But with Samuel, we have a lot more figuring to do ....

Keeping Up Keeping Up

I am really struggling to combine household work with home schooling. I more or less took fall off, letting many projects go. Now I'm in serious catch-up mode and feeling like I'm not doing as much with the schooling as I should. This is compounded by some of the occupational therapy work that needs to be integrated. Sigh.

Testing Part Two

I got a glimpse of the California Achievement Tests that Samuel will take and am much encouraged. The concepts tested seem to be well within his grasp. I've also learned that several federal laws provide for giving a special needs student "reasonable accommodation" to take the test.

Among other things, I've worried that his difficulty with fine motor skills would make it next to impossible for him to fill in those little ovals used to mark answers on standardized tests. It's reasonable to have an adult fill in the answer Samuel indicates.

We've been working on reading comprehension, and I've noticed that some days he's much more on task than others. One day, I can ask Samuel questions about what he reading (or what I'm reading to him) and he answers with ease. Other days he acts like he hasn't seen or heard a word -- but I'll later hear him talking about the story and he'll easily pick it up on another day.

While taking the tests within the given time should be OK for most subjects, it seems reasonable to delay the comprehension test if he's  "off" on that particular day. Giving extra time is a common accommodation for special needs students.

Nothing Is Adding Up

When we started home schooling, I was rather surprised to find that math was fun to teach. It was never my strongest subject in school, but as an adult, I had gone back and taught myself more algebra, geometry and some trigonometry because it just seemed ignorant not to know these subjects.

With math, you do see incremental improvements day by day, so perhaps that encouraged me while working with the older kids. But with Samuel, I feel like I'm running through mud. It's not him! He's plenty bright enough and seems to have an analytical mind and a natural sense for numbers. But I have to kick myself to sit down and do math lessons with him. I have no idea why.

Reading, Again!

While this blog is primarily about Samuel, today I'd like to focus on his main sidekick, Uriah, who has just turned four. Naturally, when we're doing school, Baby U joins in as best he can. He loves hearing books and stories and is usually on my lap as Samuel and I read.

Lately, I've noticed that Uriah is beginning to make the connection between letters and their sounds. So I've encouraged him, by pointing to simple two and three-letter words with a short vowel sound. I get him to identify the letters first, then tell me the sounds, then I help him put them together. Some words like no, on, Pa, and stop, he's seeing on his own as we read.

Of all the joys of home schooling, this is one of my favorite. To see the kids start reading has been such a thrill!

Since their Dad is dyslexic, I was concerned for my boys since it is more prevalent among males. I held my breath with an older brother, and he just plowed into reading. I was concerned there might be a link between Samuel's communications challenges and reading -- but so far, he's doing very well! And now Uriah is at the very preliminary stages, and I get to do see another child blossom with reading!

Jumping for Joy

At his last occupational therapy session, Miss Nicole introduced Samuel to jumping rope. It uses a lot of energy and requires coordination at several levels; but forget the technical aspects, Samuel is having so much fun!

I don't know why we hadn't thought of this before -- perhaps jumping rope seems more like a "girl" activity; certainly that was the case when I was young. But then, boxing movies always show boxers working out with jump ropes, so maybe it really is for guys.

For most of the last week, we've had no opportunity to get into a store that sells jump ropes. Today, we finally had the chance, and both boys selected purple jump ropes. They're off to a jumpy start!