Does Anyone Help their child do Assignments ????

[helpusnow]

I help our ds (12 1/2 yr) do some of his assignments. He is really intelligent and has a photographic memory, and just began grade 7 in Sept. Junior High has been a major adjustment with the increased work load- LOTS of ASSIGNMENTS. Often he'll verbally answer the questions etc and I'll be his secretary and copy down his answers. Then we will both type out the good copy together. I feel this ok because it is his work and writing and fine
motor skill activities are FRUSTRATING experiences for him, not to mention TIME CONSUMING. This has been
working out great until he got back a Social Studies Map
today. He only made 14 out of 20 and the teacher wrote
alot of this is not your hand writing. He traced the map of our town and all the streets, as well did the majority of the legend himself. He also answered the 5 questions himself and told me all the street names, and I copied them down. If we didn't do it this way, the map would have been distroyed 10 times and the evening would have ended in tears. I feel I need to discuss this with his teacher, so she understands him better and does not think I did the entire assignment for him.Do you think I should call her tommorrow or wait to talk to her in person during parent-teachers meetings this Fri?
He wrote a SS test today, and I'm afraid if she's upset she'll mark his test harder than everyone else!!! She's one of eight teachers that he has. Does anyone feel I'm
doing too much? Last year I thought I would prepare him for JH and not check his homework etc... and last term he lost 2-A's and dropped to C's, which really hurt his already fragile self-esteem!!

[Shandawn]

My daughter is in 4th grade & I help her at times also. I feel that as long as she does enough so that I know she understands & CAN do it, why not help her?? For example, her spelling workbook. SHE reads the question & figures out the correct spelling word to answer it & then I spell it out as she writes it on the blank. She has SO much trouble copying from the list to the blank that this can take her a LOONG time on her own! Also with reports, I have her do the reading & figure out what she wants to say & then she dictates & I type it out. That way its HER work. I just cant see a 4th grader spending hours a night on homework. And I think as long as shes learning the material & I'm not DOING it for her, why shouldn't I help her complete it & give her the satisfaction of a job well done?

If I were you, I guess I'd talk to the teacher ASAP & explain your views. It sounds as if you are doing no harm by helping him as he obviously knows the material. Why do kids get so much homework anyway?? They need to just be a kid & have fun sometimes~!

[helpusnow]

Thanks for your reply. I spoke with his SS teacher
today and ALL IS WELL. She understands and said it
was fine........

[Shandawn]

You're I bet thats a relief to both of you! I'm so glad all is well with the teacher! c**l

[d]

Is this his first year in Jr. High? Middle school/jr. high is a huge adjustment for all kids and has been one for my ADHDer. I've seen 1000% responsible very good students 'crack' since starting MS - neurotypical kids who have not experienced an iota of discomfort in school until MS.

We do a *lot* at home - we have all along (except 5th grade - aka the year I was on 'vacation' at the top of the roller coaster) but my ADHDer has learning differences too. We won't do it for her but its things like 1000 redirects off-meds, coaching her to get started or explaining math over again and again. Sometimes I play secretary - it's just faster & easier for her to dictate then she goes back and edits on the computer.

Maybe now is the time to consider formal accomodations if he doesn't have them already. Do NOT let schoolwork become an "issue" between you two so don't hesitate or wait to ask for school help.

[dmom32002]

My son's all three have learning disabilities, its written
in Their IEP's that they can scribe, which is what is
happening when they dictate and you write.
WHat we have worked out is if they want me too,
I will put scribed by mom. Or whoever else helps
them.

Especially with Derrick, because he also has the
seizure side effect, that makes it almost impossible
to keep notes, his para makes his notes and he
gets a copy for home. He is made to work on his
own too. But this way we have both.

I help my senior this year, I'm his homebound
tutor. I didn't require one from teh school
because he can't go in that building.

donna

[mrsheartbuzz]

My son has "dictate to scribe" on his IEP for all subjects.
i am his "scribe " st home. His teachers/assistants scribe for him at school. I made it clear in his IEP meeting that his homework would be in my writing. He failed an open book reading test at the beginning of the school year because his teacher neglected to read his IEP and see that she was to scribe for him. (He never finished the test) My son is an auditory learner. He remembers everything he hears. I read him the vocab. words and he recites them back to me. If my son had to copy 15 vocabulary word definitions himself, it would take all week. Hope this helps!

Sandy

[mattandchris]

I help my 9th grader all the time. He too has poor fine motor skill, so I type for him. If I didn't help him by doing that he would never get done. He too is very smart and very eloquent, just very slow. I feel that I am not doing any of his work just being his fingers for the typing.

[dmom32002]

I'm also my son's scribe at home. The fact that
a open book or any kind test can be given is
handled differently for us this year. In my
son's case he takes all test in a resource room,
with his para present. And all the teachers
in general ed usually realize its his para that
is writing.

donna