This is my first post geared towards.... Homeschooling the Struggling Learner
A Separate Room or Not?
Those of us who have been taught in the public and private schools are used to the idea of a separate classroom. While I had always dreamed of being homeschooled (myself being an introvert and self-motivated learner), it was something my parents could not afford. I remained in classrooms from Kindergarten through 12th grade. So when I started homeschooling, I longed for a schoolroom. I wanted it to be just like the "real schools."
During the preschool years we sat at the dining room table while I used small posters and a tiny easel.
For my eldest son's kindergarten year I finally had a school room. My son sat at a card table. I started making various posters and signs as needed. The separate room was a nice reprieve away from the TV and away from the main walkway of the house. No distractions. Unfortunately, a year later, we had to move.
The next school year occurred during a transition year so I knew we couldn't really settle down too much. We chose to erect our classroom in the back of the L-shaped living room. It worked okay. We didn't have a lot of wall space for posters. We wavered between the card table and other small tables, trying to find out what worked best for the boys. (Sitting together at the card table caused them to get in each other's way, which led to too many distractions.)
Upon settling down in our new house, last year's 1st-2nd grade school year went really well. Once again, we had a separate school room. Helpful posters and maps littered the walls. We had an organized bookcase. The boys even had their own desks. NOW it looked like a classroom!
But things had to change...
After a year of living in our new location, we realized that the boys could no longer share a bedroom. The older they've gotten, the more they get in each other's way. With both boys now diagnosed with ADHD, they keep each other up at night. We were constantly having to tell them to quiet down and go to sleep. They had slept much better when they had separate rooms.
My organized school room had to go. But did I really need it? I have now come to realize what so many homeschooling mothers have had to learn. Homeschooling doesn't HAVE to be like the public and private schools! It's a hard concept to eradicate from our brains, but it is possible.
My eldest son now has his own room. Both boys slept peacefully last night, and my husband and I didn't have to go scold them at all. And though we haven't started school yet, I am confident that we can learn just as well in the dining room as we did in a "class room."
Distractions
Won't an ADHDer become too distracted in a main area? Wouldn't they work better in a secluded classroom? No. Been there. Done that. Didn't work. Having a separate classroom might seem like a nice idea. And, yes, it can be nice so that other family members can watch TV during school hours. However, I have discovered that my boys become distracted in any room. It doesn't matter where they are. Most of the time it isn't the physical activity around them that distracts them; it's their own thoughts that distract them!
The worst distraction in the school room last year happened to be the window. It looked out at the street. They would watch people walk by, people on their bikes, cars driving by, birds in the yard. It didn't matter. Any movement or sound drew them to the window. The dining room, however, looks out at the trees and at an abandoned house. So....I'm anticipating less movement from the windows for this fall.
Just because the public school has a separate classroom, doesn't mean that homeschoolers must have one. The brilliant part of teaching at home is that you can choose to be DIFFERENT!
Visuals
But what about posters and maps? Aren't those necessary for visual learners? Yes! However, I've come to learn that too many posters and maps can be less effective. If there's one thing I've been learning, it's that my boys (mainly my youngest), have trouble finding objects. Why? Because there is so much visual stimuli hitting their eyes. When you ask my youngest son, Squirmy, to bring you a Kleenex, he can do it. Why? Because the Kleenex box doesn't move. It's always in the same spot. But I have witnessed him get up from the supper table to get a drink when he already has one in front of him. He does this a lot! Some nights I'll have already gotten him a drink, some nights I'll ask him to get one for himself. So why can't he see the cup when it's already on the table? Because there is so much visual stimuli in front of him that it's hard to focus and pick out one specific item. It requires concentration....something he struggles with.
Posters and maps are the same way. If you have a bunch of them in one area, especially colorful ones, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to be extremely helpful for an ADHD student. The student might have more trouble focusing on the specific picture or information they are seeking. So what's the solution?
Read the next post to find out . . .