Inspiring children

[Pheonix]

My little brother, well one of them is having alot of trouble in school. My mother has asked me to help because she claims he looks up to me since I'm so much older than him (9 yrs.). He is actually a very bright child, when at home if we can get his attention he can read most things, he is great at math and often even helps my other brother with his school work, but his report card was horrible, he is now seperated from his classmates in school, has to report every morning to the principle to show his homework and even though he is in grade 4, he's reading at a grade 2 level. I know that alot of people are probably thinking that this is my mothers responsibility but the woman I call mother is actually my grandmother cuz she raised me and is now raising all my siblings ( I have 3 ) She is a wonderful woman, but is now 73 years old, my daddy being 86 and I can't blame them for not being able to handle this problem. They should be sitting back relaxing in their old age not raising all my real mothers children! My real mother takes them every sunday if she can't get out of it and his father is not even known, let alone around. "sigh"

I was wondering if anyone has had similair situations with children or has any suggestions. any help would be appreciated. I'd take him to live with me if finances allowed, but right now me, my husband and my own two children are barely getting by.
Anyways I love some help,

Brightest Blessings,
Pheonix

[Yvonne Belisle]

My oldest son is in special ed due to difficulties coping from his adhd and one of his problems is reading. The other is attention his span is very small but he is managing. We found that his reading rate when up astonishingly when we found something he really was interested in. For him it was ggosebumps. For your little brother maybe it would be Harry Potter. Now it is cook books my son wants to be a chef so he is actually reading my cookbooks and helping in the kitchen. If he has access to a computer then a computer pal can help too. A good place for him to get an acct at is http://www.juniormail.com all of my older kids have accts there. I would also recommend looking up attention defict hyperactivity disorder if he fits the profile talk to his dr about what options are available and look at the suggestions people have for coping with it. I don't have my boys on any meds and they do fine but there are some things that I deal with different because I know it's the adhd causing the problem and we just look for a way to counter the behavior.

[Pheonix]

thanks I was thinking about the reading problem in a similar way. I'm going to give those things a shot. He realy is the sweetest child.
Anyways thanks yvonne, your always so helpful :(

Don't ever go away, this forum needs you!

[Yvonne Belisle]

If you ever need me I am only an im away I am on a lot.

[Chibi-Fallon]

I went to a school where in 1st grade you were expected to know how to read and so I taught myself, but I learned it like math not phonetically. I still don't get phonetics and can't sound out words to save my life (my spelling is a disgrace to every English teacher I've ever had). I just kept trying at it and by 6th grade I was reading at a 12th grade level. Granted there were many nights in 1st and 2nd grade where I would end up crying because I just couldn't get my spelling words. But in the long run I'm glad I did it, and that my mom stuck with me. She never pulled me out of my "gifted and talented" school (as I was getting good grades in everything else). And she always believed in me. Maybe explaining the importance of school to him? Maybe he just considers it a waste of his time? If he doesn't like his school transfer him to a new one, that could help (did wonders for me).
His classes might not be challenging enough for him. I slack off in classes that are to easy for me. I don't think pills are the answer for a short attention span. Because they're only messing with your brain. Try and increase his attention naturally before putting him on pills or something. Check out his teacher. Maybe they're just not compatible.

[Yvonne Belisle]

You bring up some excellent points. I had teachers that just rubbed me the wrong way and did very poorly didn't learn a darn thing. Also remember that each adhd person if that is what he has deals with distractions differently. My coping method is to read a book while taking notes in school. I had to explain that to my college professors. I also can't spell to save my life but have an extensive vocabulary and as long as I am speaking you would think I had a PHD type education. Most ADHD sufferrers are very intelligent we just have the ability to have our minds on several things at once and so if something doesn't catch our full attention we tend to drift away in search of something that does. I find I typically do better if I have music on since it tends to block out audio distractions and there shouldn't be anything that moves in the room or I get distracted.

[Pheonix]

him and his teacher are not compatable at all. He can't stand her! I think she is perfectly nice, but maybe her teaching style just doesn't suit him. I think I'll have to take that into consideratiion. I'm going to try and get him intrested in this series of books by Piers Anthony called Xanth. I hoping that it might hold his attention.

thanks for all the advice.

Brightest Blessings,
Pheonix :)

[Yvonne Belisle]

I love that series! Did you know Piers Anthony failed high school english? If your brother likes puns that is a great series for him if not then they will just frustrate him. Do you know if he responds better to male or female teachers?

[Lavender]

Pheonix, you can also try Animorphs by KA Applegate. And Captain Underpants series - can't remember the author but I'll check with my son tonight.

[kittiepoetrygod]

Oo! I think its Dave Pilky or Pilkney. Tra la la! Hypno ring! Snap! I love those books.

The first one is called the adventures of Captain underpants.

The old fearstreet books by R.L. Stine are also pretty good.

[StormChaser]

My cousin becca was ANTI reading for years. Her mother called me in to help.

I discovered beccas problems were combination platters of emotional stress, *parents divorcing, control freak father*, constant moving *due to parents in the airforce*, lack of friends *from moving*, and dislike of authority in general *thanks control freak dad*.

When she learned reading could be an escape.. like a movie is..
she became hooked. We started reading books together, reading alloud, then switched to each reading it individually at a pace discussing it a little every couple chapters.

It helped her a lot, having someone THAT involved, and non-pressuring. Making it more fun than "work".

However; to this day how she feels inside is directly proportional to the grade on her report card.

[Pheonix]

yvonne, I don't know about the male/ female thing. So far all his teachers have been female and he's liked a couple of them or at least one, so I don't know. Next year he will have his first male teacher so... if he passes that is...

and I'm definately going to call the local library and see if they have any of those books. I used to love K. Applegate! I've never heard of the underpants series but I'll look into them. R.L Stine won't work tho, he is scared very easily. he went to go see the Harry Potter movie and was scared half to death but headless nick and the invisibility cloak. :)

Storm chaser, I don't know if it's related to any emotional trauma, I'm just so insensitive ahhh!. I wouldn't even know where to look he's had such a sweet unjaded life that i could kill my other brother for trying to ruin him sometimes! I mean has no malice towards anything, my som keeps coming home with toys that my brother got for his birthday last week, when I try to return them he says I have lots of toys, i don't need bubadee likes it so I gave it to him. (bubadee is my son's nickname). so on that one I'm lost.

i just want to thank everyone with the Xmas coming up i haven't been around as much as I used to and it almost made me cry to come on today and see so many of you taking time to help me.
Thanks alot guys, I'm going to try everything.
"hugs"
Brightest Blessings,Pheoinx

[Yvonne Belisle]

Any time you need someone there should be someone around here willing to help.