My 7th grade daughter (ADHD) is doing okay during class time. Teacher is aware of her problems and tries to keep her on task. She seems to understand the math. Also have her enrolled in KUMON Math which she started last summer back at basic addition. She is up to 2 digit mutiplication. Our problem is her test taking. She studies and studies but seems to freeze on tests and can’t seem to get above 50%. Any suggestions? She is on a 504 but supposedly does not qualify for IEP. We live in Arizona and I’m not sure if just the ADHD would qualify for and IEP.
Re: tests in math
Have her take practice tests at home. Are there sample tests in her mathbook that she could practice from?
You could call the publisher of her math book and ask for the ‘assessments’. You might even find them online if you go to the publishers’ websites. Math books come with a book of tests from which teachers sometimes choose. Such test booklets are nevertheless available for purchase by anyone who wants one and usually there’s an 800 number and they’ll see you one right over the phone.
Even without that, you could possibly make up a sample test for her before every test in school so that she could get more comfortable taking tests.
Have you tried giving her “practice tests” at home? If the teacher doesn’t distribute practice tests, you can create them yourself by selecting exercises from your daughter’s homework and in-school work.
This can help students at all levels (the learning strategies instructors at my college suggest it)!
Another approach you might try is helping your daughter recognize problems and instructions out of context. I find many students who do their homework - at least to some extent - on “autopilot”. By the time they get through 10 similar problems, they’ve forgotten what it was they were asked to do! Mixing up types of problems could be helpful.
Mary