Child Study Report -help interpreting results

Some of my tutoring outlines, especially concerning handwriting and spelling, cover a lot of your issues. Email a request at [email protected] and I’ll send another batch soon.

Do you have the subtest sscores for the WISC?

Dear Sue-
Verbal Comprehension\
Similarities 18
Vocabulary 15
Comprehension 12

Perceptual Reasoning\
Block design 13
picture concepts 13
matrix reasoning 11

Working memory\
Digit span 12
letter-number sequence 12

processing speed\
coding 8
Symbol search 13

In the test interpretation section:
full scale IQ 120
Verbal comprehension index 130
Perceptual reasoning Index 115
Working memory index 110
Processing speed index 103

specific subtest weakness was revealed in psyco-motor speed manipulating a pencil
Particular strength in abstract reasoning ability and vocabulary development.

Although in the end summary they said his handwriting skills are weak. (which I agree)
“his mind seemed to work faster than his physical ability to write”
I note<
Brody has a particular problem with cursive connecting “o” or “a” both connect the same and he cannot “see” where it’s wrong.

I find when I am working with him that I must insist on a good job or I’ll get 3 word sentences, very careless math errors etc.
thanks, Cyndi

There’s just a huge gap between his verbal scores and his reading skills… I”m guessing he thinks *way* faster than he can output, which is why it’s real work to get more than the three word answers… but the very best solution is to be persistent and consistent and keep insisting on more like you’ve been doing :-)
He looks like an unusual combination - a verbal “big picture” thinker. He’s just about topped out the test on “similarities” - which involves knowing how words relate to each other - but is “only” superior in vocabulary (what individual words mean). Even lower - though still above average - is his ability to answer questions about what the socially correct thing to do in a situation is (“Comprehension”).
That”coding” score is pulling down the nonverbal & perceptual skills overal totals - and it’s the test I most often see as a “relative weakness.” It’s almost nothing like anything you would ever do in real life, fortunately :-) It requires speed *and* processing symbols *and* coordination *and* fast visual tracking and it’s just really easy to simply choke and spend 10 critical seconds thinking “WHAT WAS I DOING????” … it’s timed, so you just lost points…

ADD testing is really hard to draw good conclusions on, when a kiddo is very bright. If you do the computer and attention-to-task kinds of tests, welp, he’s got this huge advantage in that he doesn’t *need* to pay as much attention as the average kiddo to get the right answer. He could have been distracted seven times. Also, if you’re smart, you may have learned to distract yourself for survival. School stuff moves SLOWLY.

How does he feel about his grades & performance & school? This is a confident kiddo… who is failing. Is he confused by it? Angry?
IMO one of the best things you can do is get him involved in the process of figuring out where to go … but THEN you put structure and standards on it. I’ve got a couple of articles with my thoughts on your general situation at www.resourceroom.net (click on ‘homeschooling’). Right now is an excellent time to pull out and regroup and bring his skills up closer to his general ability. His strengths are so strong that just by going fast where he can go fast, but backing up and making sure he’s been thorough where he will be impulsive, you’ll be doing ***so*** much better than what even a good teacher can give him in school. If he buys into targeting certain skills (and even if he doesn’t), it can be really encouraging to get feedback when they start improving… (“hey, you really stuck to this math for 15 minutes without complaining” or “You did that whole problem without a single ‘silly’ mistake.” or “You read the short words right” or…) Schoolteachers still end up having to spend more time telling kiddos when they’re doing wrong… that endless “You’re such a smart boy, you should do betteR!” that does, eventually, sap at that “confidence.”
… now I gotta go… hope that helps a bit…

School -he just says he hates it. He enjoys the social aspects, recess lunch -he watches the clock for those times.
He always has a friend. He never fights with his friends. He constantly jabs and annoys his older brother-for the fun of it. He likes to be the center of attention. He doesn’t fight to NOT go to school.

As long as adults are respectful to Brody -he has no problem and will “go along”-not that he would put forth real work or anything but he’ll go along. He doesn’t much care about their opinion. He takes instruction much better from women than men. A hard-line authoritarian approach …that’s a disaster. He’s incredibly stubborn but easy going if that makes sense.

He quietly ignores adults that are not charmed by his irrepressible humor. And don’t ever ask his opinion in public as he’ll give it and he’s blunt.

He’s impatient,disorganized,messy etc etc. full speed ahead at all times and sleeps like the dead.

I don’t find charting and all that behavior modification style stuff to work -he has to have immediate gratification and will not work for long term goals-very in the moment.

It looks like you have a *really* good picture of him - I don’t see the tinges of rose-colored glasses, but you see his strenghts… and his weaknesses :-)

It would be worth figuring out something long-term - a project or a goal - that’s pretty straightforward to decide to work on and do… for the sake of realizing the value of planning and executing long-term projects. Now, some of us do value all that stuff … and we still can’t do it without help. But it’s a life skill - either figuring out how to do it, or figuring out how to make sure you’ve got help lined up - and having *successful* experiences with it can go a long way. Nice thing about doing it from a homeschool perspective is you can chip away at it and make adjustments; the obvious hazard is that well, you dont’ **really** have to make that deadline…

And one of my main goals would be to work on reading, *every* day… p’raps beginnning the school-ness day with ten minutes’ worth of some quick drill and review of an *easy* reading skill (flashcards of three syllable words that he knows, vocabulary that he’s mastered, re-reading that absurd poem that he almost has memorized), and, say, half an hour in between more easily accomplished academics *working* on reading… and then fifteen minutes trading off reading some great story (great to him :)) at the end of each day. If he can bring his language skills up closer to his thinking skills, he’ll be more ready, willing, and able to do “real work” and “real effort.”

But mainly I would look for a program with a lot of structure, since he doesn’t have it :-) You could even get a packaged deal like K-12 that has teachers - if he’d go for it. He’s gotta be part of it - and my guess is he’d do more work if it came in bite-sized chunks so he could turn on his “full tilt” and then be “done” with something and have a nice result… before he got tired of it.

Thanks Sue!
Yes, I’m in total agreement,reading is key. My focus will be on reading 1st and math 2nd.

We’ll do projects-I’m big on practical projects. Once we build our new house I’m planning to put in a large vegetable garden.

I’m going to make concrete flower planters next, so he can make his own. Or something else with concrete.

I make soap, candles, bread,jelly and all that kind of thing from scratch.
So he’ll be able to see some instant outcomes of slowing down a touch and paying attention to detail.

I talked to him about homeschooling and he was very enthused. Thanks, Cyndi

Hi, I’d say this is a pretty classic ADD profile, not LD. I understand the desire to not medicate if possible, but if it were me, I might consider a small dose just for the morning hours while teaching the reading and math. I have tutored children like this and they just make great progress once they have a little help with focusing. The couple of boys I am thinking of do not take the meds in the summer or weekends.

Now you could also try other therapies like Interactive Metronome, etc. to try and improve the attention. But you’ll find it is going to be somewhat of a struggle to make good gains in the reading when the child’s brain cannot focus and remember what is being taught.

Janis

Dear Janis-
Yes, I will consider it if the “one on one” isn’t working.
I do think his ADD is mild, comparing him to my other son who absolutely must have the meds to keep his retention/short term memory.
Brody can concentrate enough to memorize spelling words/poems- that is easy for him. We don’t even study spelling for school.
ADD sure is a factor in this mess but….the school allows him to totally slide.
I just got his report card, all “C”s. His teacher retired on the day of report cards-not a note or comment on the card-and he didn’t earn those grades.

This is a different school & state than last year. I don’t like to point fingers at the public school system but honestly I have the impression that both schools would pass him no matter what. and he knows it.
Cyndi

Cyndi,

Yes, you are very right that the schools frequently do not handle these situations well. I do think the one-on-one will help a lot. To be honest, there is one child I tutored for a year before he was formally diagnosed with ADD and put on meds. He was making gains with me, although I had to constantly redirect his attention. But it was the school that was losing him because they weren’t able to stay right with him every minute to redirect. I was not the one that referred him to the doctor. So you may be able to do fine at home, except it will likely require more repetition on certain things.

Janis

Dear Janis-
If the frustration level (for both of us) gets too high I will use Strattera
If, of course, I can get Doctor to subscribe!
Testing for ADD was inconclusive last time he was tested.
I will need to be right there redirecting. I will break up “school” into 1/2 hour blocks of time.
We planned our schedule together.
I sent in homeschooling notification online to school, so I can start in one month. New Mexico seems a great homeschooling state. Requirements :must have GED or H.S. graduation as parent, teach 180 days per year,have file containing immunization,notify school each year (on-line).
I guess I’ll find out if anyone comes around to look at the file.

I ordered bks etc. so we’ll start in one month.
Thanks, Cyndi

I think you’ve got a great plan. It’s not going to be perfect - but, ahem, school isn’t either; we just don’t *see* the wasted time and effort there.

Keep us posted - tell both of ‘em they’ve got a fan club :-)

I’ll be back ! Probably with more questions!
Thanks again for the wonderful advice and encouragement.
Cyndi

We’ll be here :-) You can also drop by and chat at Net-Haven

( www.net-haven.net ) - I usually drop in on Thursdays.

Progress report:
Everything has been going well with homeschool.
No arguments from my son-I was afraid of that.
His reading and math is going smoothly. Math review in Singapore I started at 2A, he does approx. 10+ pages in a half hour with 100% correct. It’s probably too easy -but it’s a very positive & happy.

I took him to the Pediatrician-prescribed Strattera after observation with visit. That was his best behavior -lol.
I didn’t try it yet. Not sure if the payoff would be worth the risks.
Science & history-more of a listen to me read-he’s not interested-but I didn’t have any quizzes yet-hope he’s retaining the info.

So as of now-it’s better than I hoped.

My advice: GIVE QUIZZES. OFTEN.

Give one now. You may be ***very*** surprised at how little he retains. (This is the most common phenom in new teachers in my experience… “how can they not remember anything?”)

I learned to give weekly quizzes, and the stuff I really wanted them to remember showed up on the quizzes again and again. We had daily review of the important stuff (like what do we celebrate on the fourth of july… and it has to go deeper than “freedom” … has to involve having some concept of what an ‘independent nation’ is! I work with students now who, when asked, “okay, what do you mean by ‘freedom’?” say, a little too often, in a quizzical voice, “ending slavery?” Not in 1776, my dears…)

Very true-if he’s retaining nothing I’ll need to use Strattera.
I do a lot of review questions each subject-micro verbal quizzes.
I do “tell me what happened” in books for after each chapter.
I’ll start more written ones!
Thanks, Cyndi