The thing about having a learning disability is that you have trouble being taught the way the rest of the world learns. As we’ve been on our journey with Puck (and it looks like potentially we’ll be going down a different path with Bae too), I’ve started to work on finding ways to make the information “stick”.
Part of the problem I face is that I learned the traditional way. I’m happy to watch a lecture to help me figure out a concept. I take notes very easily and am able to translate it into action. But Puck doesn’t learn best that way. His dysgraphia interferes with his ability to take good notes, and his attention waivers if he’s not kept interested. He’s more of a visual learner.
And it’s not just that—the new “common core” is not the way I was taught. So in addition to having to try to figure out how to teach Puck so he can learn, I often have to figure out “common core” concepts on my own so that I can ensure that he’s doing it “the right way.” <<cough>><<cough>>debatable<<cough>><<cough>>
[tweetthis]I often have to figure out #commoncore so that I can teach my #dysgraphic son the “right” way.[/tweetthis]
We’ve found a few different few workarounds, but the one that I’ve found works best in our home is YouTube School. Because although we all enjoy cat videos, YouTube can actually be a great way to supplement a public school education. Check out my article on UrbanMommies, “YouTube isn’t Just Cat Videos.”
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I love Youtube and use it for anything from fixing the light bulb in my car to teaching my grandchildren the alphabet. It’s amazing!
Youtube is a excellent medium to teach kids who have concentration issues, and yes, it is not limited to cat videos.
Yes – there’s nothing like a quick, easy YouTube video – especially if there are attention issues!!
How i wish i’d had such an alternative when mine were young!
I wish I’d had this available when I was in school!!