In last week’s article, I wrote about Cori, a heart-broken mother who is watching her bright son, Will, struggle with reading. She is out of options and feeling very hopeless.
Today, I am going to share some general recommendations that will help Will “catch up” and read on grade-level within the next 12-18 months. The following information may sound a little overwhelming at first, but I will pull it all together in a simple and manageable plan at the end.
Last weekend, I was visiting a ski area in northern Michigan for a few days and met Cori. She was working the front desk and checked me in as I arrived. We were chatting as the paperwork was processing and Cori asked what I do for a living. I told her about my work with study skills as I casually turned to grab something behind me. She replied with great interest and, while my back was momentarily turned, she explained, “My son is illiterate.”
“My Son Is Illiterate.”
I stopped dead in my tracks. In her four words, I could sense all of the worry and anxiety from which I am just emerging. I shared some of my stories in this newsletter last spring, explaining that my son was diagnosed with dyslexia, ADHD, and anxiety. From the point we determined we needed help, it took over a year to get the proper resources aligned.
Have you ever seen a dog chase its tail? The dog keeps going round and round, presumably thinking that, any moment now, he will actually catch that tail behind him. He expends a lot of energy, but has nothing to show for it.
People with ADHD often describe a similar sensation of spinning around in circles. This how students feel with nearly every task related to school: organizing and managing papers, assignments, time and due dates, reading textbooks, taking notes, studying for tests and even, taking tests.
For the last 14 months, we at SOAR® Learning have been working diligently on a new project. This project represents a big step in my dream of becoming a very serious advocate for study skills!
It represents countless hours of dedication and energy from the people on our crew who share my passion for study skills and the horizons they can open for students.
A few years ago, a friend of mine was working as a grad-assistant to Bonnie Cramond, a professor at the University of Georgia. They surveyed hundreds of teachers, asking half of the teachers to list words that described “creative” students. The other half were asked to list words that described students with ADHD.
The two lists of characteristics overlapped by 95%!
There is nothing like the holidays to take a break and evaluate your life. Any time we step away from our routines, we begin to see things more objectively. With this perspective, it is natural to desire change. No wonder we make resolutions!
But, Do Resolutions Actually Work?
We’ve done a few “special article” series before, but nothing has lit up the blog comments like the topic of ADHD. I’ve enjoyed the questions and feedback. There are excellent questions coming through and I hope to expand on most of them in future articles. Keep them coming!
One of the comments came from Rita, who wrote the following:
Our first home as young newlyweds was a small bungalow built in 1942. We purchased the house in the month of August, many months before we discovered the drafty windows. As the Michigan winter rushed in, it literally rushed right through our house. Day after day. Month after month. Winter after winter.
It took a few years, but we finally saved enough money to buy new windows… five-thousand dollars! The windows were installed one summer and we looked forward to FINALLY being warm as winter approached.
Welcome to everyone who joined The ADHD Circuit® in the last week! If you are just joining this series, you will probably want to start with the first article, available here.
I would also like to send a special call-out to my cousins! I am the youngest of 32 “first” cousins; Minta, a cousin by marriage, says that we all have the same eyes. Apparently, the genetics do not stop there because many of us -and our children- have ADHD. There was a lot of buzz about ADHD (and my party lights) over Thanksgiving weekend. My mom encouraged them to join The ADHD Circuit®. Having my cousins subscribe will certainly keep me honest. They’ll likely keep me humble, too!
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! For me, the holiday lived up to its name and was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate all of the blessings in my life. We hosted 30 people for the holiday, but I didn’t cook a thing! My husband’s parents graciously took control of the turkey and mashed potatoes. Everyone else brought a dish to pass. (THAT’S the way to host Thanksgiving!) I truly enjoyed catching up with lots of cousins, having a heart-to-heart chat with my last surviving uncle, and squishing my adorable niece who was celebrating her 1st birthday. I am so grateful!
As we all head back into the grind of school and work, I thought I would keep today’s newsletter somewhat simple. I am petitioning you to keep it simple, too.
This will make my school year run a lot smoother- thanks for all the wonderful ideas.
Michelle P.
Tobi Flair
Public Middle School
New Orleans, LA
Tobi Flair is the principal at Harry Hurst Middle School in Destrehan, Louisiana. Her building has built a 20-minute session of “SOAR time” into their daily schedule.
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