A Natural Fix for A.D.H.D.

An article written by Richard A. Freidman published in the New York Times on Sunday, November 2, 2014.  His opening statement, " The problem is not just your brain.  The problem is boredom,"  made me want to read more.  As a special education teacher I work with students who have been labeled with 'the most prevalent psychiatric illness'.

The author has a good point, "people with A.D.H.D. may not have a disease, so much as a set of behavioral traits that don't match the expectations of our contemporary culture."  The real problem may be the world they live in is not very interesting; a lack of focus and lack of attention and impulsive behavior are a way that they deal with 'our' world today.

It is interesting when a person with A.D.H.D. can maintain intense focus on something they find interesting.  You may wonder how adults grow out of this problem.  They may not but they choose to work in fields where things are constantly changing.  They might be salesmen, travel a lot, teach...

But back to students with A.D.H.D. - how can we help them learn better?  

1. small classes that use hands on learning

2. self-paced computer learning (Learning Upgrade?)

3. tasks that depend on specific skills

Teachers have to remember not to crush the 'energy, curiousity, novelty-seeking' behavior but try to have these students become an asset to the class.

Why Johnny (Still) Can't Read

This is a summary from an article published 1/11/17 in The Wall Street Journal by Michael Roth.  Many students have had trouble learning how to read.  Horace Mann started the swing by saying whole language was the way to learn to read in the 1800's. In the middle of the 1900's we were swinging the other way where phonics was the most important way to teach reading.

This book, Language at the Speed of Sight, by Mark Seidenberg claims people learn best to read well by connecting reading with speech and practicing.  We are teaching the brain the abstract symbols that produce writing and reading.  First students must learn the alphabet and this requires feedback and practice.

This book states, "the dyslexic brain has trouble recognizing commonalities among words because of a phonological impairment - a deficit in the ability to link sound to word to meaning."  He also states that overall America is "not doing a good enough job of teaching young people deep reading skills."

I like to use both whole language and phonics as an approach.  English has so many secret codes.  silent k's, tch endings, s or es or ies as endings,  (to, two, too), (there, their, they're) and many more. Using a program that can read books to students is good as long as  the student actually looks at the words while they are highlighted and being read to them.  The brain is picking up the image and the sound of words and storing it whether they want to learn or not.  As an Ed Specialist having a one hour pull out per week is not enough time to really make a difference.  A have a twice a week phonics program for older elementary and would like even more time.  When students has ADHD it is hard to concentrate in a room with 25 other students.  Sometimes students don't know as many vocabulary words as others so pictures are some important.  With the visuals, students can obtain deeper meaning.

This article ends with, "Every teacher of young children as well as those who train them should read this book."  So I guess I will buy this and read on.

https://www.amazon.com/Language-Speed-Sight-Can-t-About/dp/0465019323/ref=mt_hardcover?_encoding=UTF8&me=