What should I do?

Question

My nephew lives with me and he is in the 3rd grade. I study everyday for a hour with him and I give him a test at home to make sure he knows everything ,but when it comes down to the test he makes bad grades. I sat down with him and asked if there was a problem when he takes the test and he told me no. Do you think I study to much with him. What should I do so I can help him make better grades? Someone told me he might be ADHD that I should bring him to the Dr to get him tested,but I dont want to put him on any type of drug if he is ADHD.

Answer 1

Im pretty tired of Dr's saying everyone who cant focus for two seconds, has ADHD and putting them on drugs. It may be as simple as being relaxed at home and stressed at school, because you aren't there. ??

Try to have him imagine you there...maybe give him something of yours, something not valuable (in case he looses it) but small to put in his pocket or on his desk while testing, to focus on. Maybe a picture or something that would not be attractive for other kids to steal...like a rock....I used to teach 6th graders in an outside class setting. Sometimes the kids would get squirrly, talk to each other, get distracted by the outdoors, etc. I needed them to listen to me so they would be successful on the test.

My excersize: I had them find a small rock, then they would fiddle with it in their hands, or in their pocket while I spoke. It quieted them down, they didnt focus on each other so much, it seemed to help them focus on what I was saying...Try it, who knows! Good luck to your nephew!!!

Answer 2

It doesnt hurt to take advantage of the testing process. You could talk with a school counselor to set it up. Just because a student is diagnosed with ADD or ADHD does not mean they will have to be put on drugs. Most schools offer a 504 plan in which they offer minimal accomodations like sitting near the front of the class or having the option to leave the classroom during testing to go to a quiet area.

Honestly though, I notice most students are usually bad test takers especially when their parent or guardian spends a lot of time studying with them. I'm not sure of the routine you follow or how invasive it is, but kids start to rely on the parent/guardian/teacher to take the lead while they listen and they may not get as much out of this type of activity as they would if they were working on the homework alone, without help. Checking is great. Quizzing is great also, but if you are walking him through everything question by question, you might want to rethink that strategy. If not, then it may be a type of learning difficulty or inattentiveness.

Keep in mind that most children are active, they have bright imaginations. Maybe he is really smart and see the work as unchallenging which prevents him from being motivated. There are a lot of reasons why he could be struggling in school. Talk to the school and they can help you consider options, such as testing for disabilities or monitoring him for signs of ADHD. If that is the case, it isn't the end of the world. I teach HS kids who have ADHD or some type of learning disability that are very successful in school with the help of any medications, but just by working hard.

Answer 3

Why not? I'm all against drug therapy, espicially if it's for headaches or stupid things like that. However, ADHD can really slow the learning capabilities of children. I had a friend who was extremely smart but she didn't have the focus to think on tests. She studied for hours and still didn't do well. It turned out she had ADHD and the drugs are really helping her.

However, you might just be going all wrong about your method. Try different methods of tutoring. If that doesn't work, get him tested ASAP. He doens't have the time to lose on early education. After all, if he's behind now, he'll be a bum later.

Answer 4

He might have problems test taking or he might not really understand the material. If it is problems with test taking, you should review all the tests he takes and make up similar ones so you can practice strategies for test taking. If it is lack of understanding, you might want to try a different approach at studying. Instead of memorizing, make sure he practices the material to the point that he can make connections and teach you. I think it's great he has such a devoted aunt to help him. Even if he isn't scoring well, just know that he is learning a lot more than if you weren't there.

Answer 5

It sounds like you are doing a great job helping him but he may just be under stress when taking a test in school. You might try helping him by teaching him relaxation techniques before test taking such as taking deep breaths to releive stress. If he is ADHD there are many ways to treat it besides drugs. Biofeedback is very effective. Keep up the great job, you must really love your nephew to work so hard with him. The world and children who need help need more people like you. Good Luck.

Answer 6

I would have his eyes checked first, make sure that he can see what's written on the paper. Talk to his teacher, ask her/him what his classroom work and behavior is like. ADHD kids can't sit still, can't stop talking. He may have a different type of learning disability. Then, have him checked out by the pediatrician. Work with the teacher and the school, make sure that he gets the help he needs.
Good Luck.

Answer 7

hi amy...some people just aren't made for test taking...whether it be to nerviousness or just drawing a complete blank...when you study with your nephew, how do you study? is it in a text book fashion or geared more towards his interest? like for example if he likes trains or cars and he's trying to understand math, then make it fun and interesting for him and involve the things he like to dream and think about (trains and cars)...the other things to is, how is his teacher..is she willing to help him as well (tutoring him) or maybe his classmates discouage him from doing better (peer pressure)...as far as the ADHD..i'm no Dr..and if you feel it necessary to get him examined then by all means...but if he were my nephew, i would hold Meds as the ultimate last resort...i believe kids all have there own way of dealing with life...some may have difficulty with expressing outlit and focus...hope this helps...if you want to talk about anything else, [e-mail]...

Answer 8

It might be test anxiety. A lot of schools offer test anxiety workshops, you should find out about them. You got to try to ask him may be he just freezes up during the test, or something is distracting him. If there is, you should talk to his teacher. May be the teacher will be more sensitive and won't think that he just doesn't study.

Answer 9

Some kids don't test well. It sounds like you're doing everything you can. Why not talk to the teacher and see if there's something else going on that your nephew isn't telling you?

Answer 10

if he has adhd then send him to catholic school thats what u should send him with sister mary that puta who hasnt seen a dick in ten years shell smack it right out of him