Questions about Science and Social Studies Lessons

[kbirden]

Hi,
I'm new to homeschooling this year. I am schooling my 11yo son, who had ADHD and Asperger's syndrome. We started last week with T4L and am now going thru a trial and error process. I am wordering what some of you do as far as helping to retain info that has been learned, 3-4 lessons prior to taking a test. For instance, we plan on doing 4 SS lessons and 2 quizzes each week. If a chapter has 8 lessons, it will be two weeks before we get to the chaper test. What are you guys doing as far as reviewing after the lessons have been completed. I know I can preview the test, and create a study guide, but I don't want to spoon feed him the test answers. What can I do....HELP!!!

[fairylover]

My son is only 9. He was having a real problem retaining dates and things like that. So we made a time line for certain events. When he was learning about the different explorers and the areas they were moving in to we put that on a timeline. Then we made a new timeline for the next chapter. I let him refer to the timeline for the tests. I personally just don't think it's all that important that he know exactly what date a certain event happened on. He needs to know how to find that information should he ever need it. By wriitng it out on a timeline, he can see how the events all connected together. My daughter has her children take notes as they go along in the program. She also lets them refer to their notes during test time. I think by reading the material and writing out notes or writing out a timeline it helps them remember more of the information.

[Mandy in TN]

What are you guys doing as far as reviewing after the lessons have been completed. I know I can preview the test, and create a study guide, but I don't want to spoon feed him the test answers. What can I do....HELP!!!

My daughter has her children take notes as they go along in the program. She also lets them refer to their notes during test time. I think by reading the material and writing out notes or writing out a timeline it helps them remember more of the information.

This is also the route we are taking.

In social studies and science, the 11yo Cuppycake is taking notes and I am letting her take open note tests. This way instead of just spoon-feeding her through the material she is learning the skill of notetaking! We just started this method, so we will see how it goes.

HTH-
Mandy

[fairylover]

I also think it's important to do all the little activities along the way with the lessons. I know in the science class there are a lot of things to "write in your notebook." But my son hates to write so much, so we haven't been doing this. I think when we start back up with school in another week or two, I will push him to make notes in his notebook more often. Maybe we should buy a fancy notebook of some sort for science and social studies. I wonder if that would help.

[kbirden]

Thank you guys for your responses. After I posted this, my son did his first SS lesson, and to my surprise he took notes (without me telling him to) in a notebook that I had given him. So, I defintely will encourage him to continue taking notes as he reads through the material. I've also decided to make mini stude guides for each Science and SS lesson and have him do it the day after he has initially completed the lesson. That way he has to read the material a second time (if he doesn't remember) to get the answer.

[fairylover]

Isn't it wonderful when they are already so far ahead of us?