I've enrolled my son in an online school this year. It's the same program he did last year. He seemed to do well and he really enjoyed the technology part of it.
I plan to supplement it with my own reading program designed for children with Down syndrome. I will also supplement his school learning with sound cards to help him with his verbal skills.
Our plan is to enroll him in the local public school next year but we want him to be able to verbally communicate much better so that's what I'll work on with him throughout this year.
I was surprised last year by all that he learned through this online program. Yesterday and today we've been doing some review and he's retained quite a bit. One of the fallacies I've heard about kids with DS is that they can't really learn. So not true. My son has learned, and knows, his letters, numbers, many sight words, concepts such as in and out and up and down. He is now spelling his name orally. He can definitely learn and anyone who thinks differently is just wrong.
I'm looking forward to this school year to see what he'll learn and how he'll grow. Mostly, I'm hoping he'll be more verbal by the end of the year so that he can go to public school and be able to communicate with his peers and teachers.
Showing posts with label learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label learning. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Monday, August 23, 2010
Memory Skills
I've heard that kids with DS have problems with memory skills so I've been watching my son. Since he's still young, I don't know yet about long-term memory, but he seems to be able to remember things like how to turn on the computer after I've turned it off, how to access his favorite websites (like Starfall), and how to lock me out of the house (while he smiles at me).
Today I watched him match words on Starfall. I've seen him match items like apples or dogs or flowers, but I've never seen him match words. I thought maybe he was just lucky the first time I saw him do it, but he repeated it by matching four more words. When he finished, he looked at me with a smile and then pointed to the screen. He realized he'd done what he was supposed to do for that particular game.
I'll continue to watch him for memory skills.
As far as potty-training, he has had many dry diapers in the morning and he's had long periods of a dry diaper during the day. He also points to his diaper when it's wet and says, "Eeeww." I nod my head and say, "Eeeww." Then I sing, "Potty in the diaper, no, no, Potty in the toilet, yes, yes." I think he's getting ready, but I don't want to push him and stress him out and then make it take longer. So we'll keep working on potty-training.
And, he's the only one home with me now that school has started. Very weird. I haven't only had one child home in over twenty years. I'm looking forward to one-on-one time with him and helping him grow and learn.
Today I watched him match words on Starfall. I've seen him match items like apples or dogs or flowers, but I've never seen him match words. I thought maybe he was just lucky the first time I saw him do it, but he repeated it by matching four more words. When he finished, he looked at me with a smile and then pointed to the screen. He realized he'd done what he was supposed to do for that particular game.
I'll continue to watch him for memory skills.
As far as potty-training, he has had many dry diapers in the morning and he's had long periods of a dry diaper during the day. He also points to his diaper when it's wet and says, "Eeeww." I nod my head and say, "Eeeww." Then I sing, "Potty in the diaper, no, no, Potty in the toilet, yes, yes." I think he's getting ready, but I don't want to push him and stress him out and then make it take longer. So we'll keep working on potty-training.
And, he's the only one home with me now that school has started. Very weird. I haven't only had one child home in over twenty years. I'm looking forward to one-on-one time with him and helping him grow and learn.
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