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    Originally Posted by master of none
    EXCEPT: She has not improved in her tolerance for easy work. She can work for 6 hours straight on work that is advanced 3-5 years ahead of her age level, but give her something easier, and she is very likely to be stopped in her tracks, avoid it, tune out, and then melt down when her lack of attention results in wrong answers. ADHD?



    So, now onto goals for next year:
    We are hoping she can go to 6th grade and be happy. She is highly social and that’s her reason for going to school, but she is torn about whether academics or social are more important to her. (Nice improvement because it was ME wondering that last year- now she is the one owning the problem)

    Any of you with older kids or experience as a GT yourself have any insight into this? Are we crazy to even try this? Does the fact that easy stuff overwhelms her point to ADHD? Any strategies for dealing with that problem? Any comments, thoughts, personal stories appreciated.

    Do you have a homeschool group near you? That way she can have the social experience and still own her own education.
    It is so inspiring to hear how well homeschooling has worked out for her.

    As to this: " Does the fact that easy stuff overwhelms her point to ADHD?"
    No! Focusing on boring stuff is boring. Human beings aren't meant to sit around doing tedious repetitive work for long stretches...If they have to do it, they only do it because there is a really good reason (like, you'll starve if you don't plant the crops or make dinner.)
    I'm actually avoiding doing some extremely boring repetitive stuff for my business right now. All those years of schooling didn't make it easier for me to suck it up and just do it. But I am going to do it, because I have some exciting goals I want to accomplish and they require this early bit of mind-numbingly boring work. The key here is that I am self-motivated to accomplish a long-term goal. I am passionate about what I'm doing and willing to suffer through the easy / boring bits.

    (But don't ask me to learn Calculus for fun right now. My DH is upstairs dying of boredom, too, doing problems on MyMathLab. It isn't that it is hard, it is that the problems take forever and if you make one tiny mistake or format the answer incorrectly, the program makes you redo the entire problem all over again using new numbers. It is horrific. But he is sticking to it, because he really wants to be a software engineer.)

    I don't think you can impose boring work on a child and think that will teach patience and how to deal with boring work. You let them follow what they are passionate about, and I guarantee you they'll engage in the boring / tedious / easy bits to get to where they want to be.

    Ok. Back to work for me. wink

    Last edited by islandofapples; 02/03/12 09:41 AM.
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    Val Offline
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    Originally Posted by islandofapples
    As to this: " Does the fact that easy stuff overwhelms her point to ADHD?"
    No! Focusing on boring stuff is boring. Human beings aren't meant to sit around doing tedious repetitive work for long stretches...If they have to do it, they only do it because there is a really good reason (like, you'll starve if you don't plant the crops or make dinner.)

    I don't think you can impose boring work on a child and think that will teach patience and how to deal with boring work.

    I couldn't agree more! I think that you teach resentment by forcing children (or adults) to do boring work that has no absolutely no point.


    Originally Posted by islandofapples
    My DH is upstairs dying of boredom, too, doing problems on MyMathLab. It isn't that it is hard, it is that the problems take forever and if you make one tiny mistake or format the answer incorrectly, the program makes you redo the entire problem all over again using new numbers. It is horrific. But he is sticking to it, because he really wants to be a software engineer.)

    He doesn't have to suffer! I re-taught myself calculus last year. I bought Calculus for Dummies plus the workbook and a good textbook and a solutions manual + The Calculus Lifesaver. The Dummies guide is great for teaching the basic stuff, the textbook provided harder problems and solutions, and the Calculus Lifesaver provided LOTS of detailed information. This way, you can write the problems on paper and not have to start all over again because you forgot a bracket or whatever.

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    Originally Posted by Val
    Originally Posted by islandofapples
    As to this: " Does the fact that easy stuff overwhelms her point to ADHD?"
    No! Focusing on boring stuff is boring. Human beings aren't meant to sit around doing tedious repetitive work for long stretches...If they have to do it, they only do it because there is a really good reason (like, you'll starve if you don't plant the crops or make dinner.)

    I don't think you can impose boring work on a child and think that will teach patience and how to deal with boring work.

    I couldn't agree more! I think that you teach resentment by forcing children (or adults) to do boring work that has no absolutely no point.


    Originally Posted by islandofapples
    My DH is upstairs dying of boredom, too, doing problems on MyMathLab. It isn't that it is hard, it is that the problems take forever and if you make one tiny mistake or format the answer incorrectly, the program makes you redo the entire problem all over again using new numbers. It is horrific. But he is sticking to it, because he really wants to be a software engineer.)

    He doesn't have to suffer! I re-taught myself calculus last year. I bought Calculus for Dummies plus the workbook and a good textbook and a solutions manual + The Calculus Lifesaver. The Dummies guide is great for teaching the basic stuff, the textbook provided harder problems and solutions, and the Calculus Lifesaver provided LOTS of detailed information. This way, you can write the problems on paper and not have to start all over again because you forgot a bracket or whatever.

    Your calculus experience sounds less dreadful, but DH is completing his degree that he started when we were living in another state, so most of his classes are online now. The classes online require MyMathLab. He takes one extra class in person at a local school a semester so we can get his GI bill money. He isn't working right now, either, which is good since I have to work on my business (which I am clearly not doing since I am still on here!!! ;D)

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    Last edited by lmp; 03/28/12 08:47 AM.
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    Originally Posted by master of none
    That's good to hear. I hear so much on this board that ADHD is about not being able to focus on uninteresting things. Plus, dd has a bit of extra energy and some impulsivity. Never had a focus problem in school, but often at home (reading books instead of cleaning, showering, etc)

    Who wouldn't want to read a book instead of showering and cleaning? :-)

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    MON,
    I don't have anything to offer though very intested as I look at a potential grade skip for DD and how she would adjust.

    Having a kid that needs the social outlet, likes the socialization of school -- and it is much different than being in a ballet class or something -- makes the grade skip an issue. Especially as you near that puberty age.

    Good luck with the HS. I do not know how that will work, going back into a grade when she will probably accelerate more rapidly at home. But I would really like to hear. I am thinking of doing a grade skip within a girls private school. The private seems the best option for education and other reasons. Though it will cost 35K a year.

    Ren

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