It seems that someone flipped a switch and summer ended just like that. It's been a cool week with a lot of rain. This morning I stayed in bed completely relaxed, listening to the sound of the rain. It's one of those thing I love to do, snuggling up and just existing in a comfortable, dreamy state. The rain was just icing on the cake.
Thursday and Friday were rough school days for Thomas. He just could not focus on math. He cried. It's always math that brings out this ability to shut his brain down. As he's maturing, I notice he's much more aware of his shortcoming, and it really bothers him.
He uttered the evil words: I'm stupid.
I hit the roof. You are NOT stupid. I actually got mad at him for saying such a thing. After I calmed down, we talked and talked. He cried. I cried. Then he got to work. It took him over two hours both Thursday and Friday to complete his work.
My heart ached for him. I made him persevere and get it done, while trying to boost his confidence at the same time. A difficult task.
Later I Googled focusing topics. I came up with something we are going to try. The Gifted Development Center in Denver has a great website with lots of helps and tidbits for kids. We found a technique called Hocus, Pocus, Hyperfocus. We're going to try it. The only thing was that Thomas didn't like the name of it, he thought it was babyish. So we're just going to call it Hyperfocus.
We are going to discuss this issue with the neurologist when we next visit.
Otherwise, it was a good week. Busy, but good.
3 comments:
It was 97 degrees here today. (how do I put that in really huge letters?) 97 degrees!!!! and HUMID. Cannot stand it.
And rain? What is THAT?
Glad you had a relaxing morning, you deserved it.
The Boychick also has difficulties with math. It started in third grade and continues. Part of the problem is that he has processing difficulties that impair his short term memory--which is auditory in nature. Most instructional strategies for math rely heavily on short-term memory.
This sounds just like Chad with writing. Math he does with rarely a grumble, but ask him to write a paragraph and he's dissolving into tears. He KNOWS he's going to spell something wrong, and he KNOWS he'll miss punctuation, and he just KNOWS he'll end up having to write the whole thing over. So if he's going to screw it up anyway, he doesn't want to do it at all.
And Frankie, thanks for that link to the Gifted Development Center. I know someone that REALLY needs a resource like that, and your link has come at the perfect time. I'll pass it on to her.
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