Posted on 11/27/2006 7:04:44 AM PST by meandog
I don't have any experience with the sort of problem you describe. There are homeschool groups focused on children with learning problems. Even though you may not want to HS, it might be helpful to talk to some of those parents in your area if for no other reason than to see if they have any useful ideas.
On a lighter note, I was convinced my 9 year-old had a speech impediment because he was always mixing up "THs" and "Ss". In fact, I was convinced that I was going to have to learn to do the necessary therapy myself or hire someone. One day I saw a link to this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrYRY6kx550 . After I watched it, a light went on. My sons speak fluent German and the 9 year-old is kinda-sorta tone deaf (normal hearing, but he won't be singing professionally anytime soon). I had him watch the video, which he found hilarious, and he was instantly cured. I think he could actually tell that he was mixing up the sounds, but didn't care enough, or was too lazy, to fix it. The humor did the trick - the "speech therapy" was 100% effective, required 40 seconds, and was free.
I'm pretty up on treatments for my daughter. I've been to homeschool groups, special ed groups, etc and a private evaluations done by a neuropsychologist and a learning specialist.
Thank God for the internet. I get lots of supplemental worksheets and things to help her from the homeschool groups. We do a lot at home, especially in the summer.
She has brain damage, and she is very different than a lot of other kids. She has little short-term memory, but above average long-term memory. She can't hear the difference in sounds well, and she can't pronounce things clearly.
She's a lot like an adult whose had a stroke, and in fact that is where I get a lot of information about her.
She's doing okay. She's at grade level for reading/writing/spelling, but she will probably never be a great reader/writer. I think she will always struggle (and the research backs this up).
We're just lucky that she is great at math (95%).
What Public School did Jesus attend?
Nobody in my family has ever done anything the right, sensible, or easy way and I am a traditionalist at heart. Far be it from me to be a renegade and adopt a normative lifestyle. Folks back on the Ol'Sod and Reservation would disown, (or dissemble), me.
LOL!
Your daughter is fortunate to have a great family. It sounds as if, even with some brain damage, she is above average overall. That is remarkable.
Regarding the shortterm memory, have you tried teaching her memorization techniques? Does she have any trouble visualizing things? I'm planning to have my boys memorize the periodic table before long - it is quite doable with a little effort.
Save money, abolish the Dept. of Education for a start. Then reduce the number of high-priced administrators by 50% and let the States run their public schools with tested, competent teachers using non-liberal texts. Will it ever happen? The RATs are back in charge and it won't happen, more's the pity, and the drop out rates will continue to increase while our kids are learning liberal junk.
she will spend as many hours as necessary to complete the job without bellyaching
My daughter does not "bellyache". She loves teaching. I am the one stating my opinion on her situation, so direct your insults to me, please.
She actually has three degrees, a Masters in Math Ed and Bachs. in Math. and Poly. Sci. All that accomplished in 5 years, while playing BB at at Big 10 school, with much blood, sweat, and tears involved. She was an all Big 10 Academic recipient 4 years straight. She could have gone into virtually any profession, however she went into teaching to make a difference. She could be making 6 figures at any other career of her choosing.
She should not be paying $900 per year to a teachers' union
In Ohio, you have no choice, they take the $900 out whether you join the union or not.
The remainder of your post is to confusing, not sure how to respond. All I know is that so many of my daughter's students, and their parents have told her they never "got" math until they had her as a teacher. And for that I've very proud.
"Compensation" includes health/dental/retirement bennies, as well. Remember that "retirement" means 30-and-out to collect 75% of final salary--and of course, one can then double-dip by taking a contract to teach in another district.
Total Comp for teachers is generally in the upper 25% of the US scale.
She's very good at visualing things. She is a visual learner. She can remember things that she sees, and she thinks in pictures more than words.
There are lots of different things online and offline that help with increasing short term memory. She's done some. That's more of a summer activity. This summer we had to work on auditory discrimination (hearing the difference in sounds) and word finding. She's doing much better in both areas. I think next summer we'll work on short term memory.
There, you did the right thing. I once moved to a different section of the town to get one of my children in a better situation. I approached the principal, and I could see that he was not sympathetic.
YOU are your child's proponent. Teachers and administrators have many students and have to make balances that you do not have to make. Unless you stand up and demand what is right for your child, your child will not fare so well.
Good points. However, unionized manufacturing workers were up there, too. That's why we have fewer every year.
That post at #655 was not at all rambling just an example of what those who were NOT dumped into public school babysitting institutions can do with actual education.
Your daughter is not bellyaching. OK, conceded that it is her mommy that does the whining for her never suspecting that boodgeum's choice of employers is the source of her misery. If she was not whining to you, you would not be whining on her behalf here.
In gummint skewels supported by the thievery of taxation, paychecks and perks and pensions are fat in exchange for minimal production. If your daughter can do better elsewhere financially, then she should flee the useless sinking ship of public education and do better elsewhere.
The late professor Russell Kirk, a conservative who could distinguish between trash posing as education and actual education in what he termed the "permanent things" (which would include mathematics) would have derided any Big Ten school as "Humungous State University" which was not a compliment (for those intellectually hamstrung by public education).
I can respect a bachelor's degree in math but never a master's degree in "math education." The first is substance (depending upon the program). The second is useless and professionally incestuous fluff (and a waste of tuition money). What on earth is "Poly. Sci"???? Political Science (Poli Sci) or some description of many sciences (Poly. Sci????) In any event, in the former instance it relates to the ability to bamboozle gullible voters into supporting tax referenda for gummint educational "needs" like fatter perks and paychecks for the gummint misedjamakashun empire to live higher on the hog at taxpayers' expense for little production.
$900 per year for union dues was strictly your daughter's choice and she made that choice when she chose union-dominated gummint skewels as her employer. It is the price she pays for the fat in her paycheck.
Your paragraph about your daughter's academic and athletic credentials is a nice expression of parental pride. On the other hand, her bachelor's degree in math is far more impressive than winning academic competitions among Big Ten athletes or (at least for academic purposes) playing BB (basketball?) on a women's team in the Big Ten.
If she hangs around gummint education as her employer for a few years, she will be making 6 figures soon enough and too soon for taxpayers well before she becomes as jaded as the system that employs her. She has hitched her occupational wagon to a falling star.
Your last paragraph is every bit as much and then some a commentary on the quality of the other math teachers at PS 666 and then some as it is on your daughter.
If you are "confused" by #655, I rest my case.
Please understand that nothing less than the abolition of gummint skeweling will suffice to guarantee our nation's future.
my son is going into the air force as an airborn linguist
I have no idea what "gummit skewling" is, therefore, I cannot answer your post.
BTW, when my daughter is with child, hopefully soon, she will be leaving the teaching PROFESSION to be a full time Mom, until her child enters Kindergarten.
From the posts I've seen on here, her work, and other dedicated teachers will never be recognized on this site. Like I've said before, GOOD teachers are overworked, and underpaid.
I guess your solution is to JUST SHUT DOWN ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ....and let all children be home-schooled. That solution would certainly save me tax $s.
My hope is that home-schoolers spend less time posting on here, and more time educating their children.
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Yet another patronizing diatribe from the left on how it is essential that they be in charge of indoctrinating children -- and this one is written by a school janitor.
Very quickly, home schooling, and then private schooling, will be banned. The state can not stand competition. Shortly after that, the communist dream of the state raising all children (the parents just are not qualified to form young minds you know) will be put into play.
When I was in college, we covered this in history classes. Of course, I signed up for the more interesting history classes - to loud complaints from my parents along the lines of "Is this in your major? When are you going to graduate?"
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