Also, what does he LIKE to do? Sometimes, you can come up with really creative ways to learn paired with activities that kids love to do anyway.

Throw me a couple, and I'll see if anything pings.

Welcome, Scube.

He walks differently...like strutting.

Emmett calls this their Proud Trot. "Look at that Dachsund's Proud Trot. He's little but he's proud."

Wow, the school year is definitely on. Wishing much vibes to all our Buffista teachers, and fellow parents of school-age kids. Emmett's slid into 5th grade pretty well. His third grade teacher (who he actively disliked) gave him tons and tons of homework (3 to 5 pages a night, including weekends). Last year was less, and this year is less still. He only gets about one page of homework a night now, and he finishes that up in aftercare.

I can't tell you how much of a difference it's made in the quality of everybody's happiness that they have enforced homework time at his aftercare. It's just what his social/peer group does, so there's less resentment about it. And EM and I don't have to be the homework cops.

He's already gotten into the social swirl of his new class, and Neelia knows that he's got a crush on her. (His friends told her. Emmett didn't mind. We don't know Neelia's response to this. As far as I can tell [and recall from my own experience], crushes at this age don't have much to do with actual romantic interest as much as an elaborate social sorting ritual. Or maybe I've been watching too much Meerkat Manor.)

I've been fortunate that Emmett's basically been on autopilot at school for a few years. In second and third grade there were some crying meltdowns over writing projects (he hates it when teachers ask him to do anything with fuzzy parameters. Like...express himself), but he's over that hump and has been grinding through the curriculum at a quick and steady rate. He's not very academically motivated (except for some math pridefulness), but he does well. He reads for fun, but not with the absolute eagerness I (or his Mom) had at his age. He does show an occasional research interest, like his Alcatraz obsession. Last night I put him on wikipedia and he was looking up all the Presidents. I see a list next to the computer where he's written down their years of office and their party. (Federalist 1797 - 1801. Democratic-Reublican 1801-1809.) That's cool.

Lessee...

Today I have:

Witnessed a bad accident on the 101.
Given out a few loaners.
Watched a guy flip out on our MOD, cursing, swearing, and just being your average jackhole.
Applied for two scholarships so far. I have eight to go and hopefully more to find. I'm applying for anything and everything. I also have to re-do my app for a Pell Grant, which I doubt I'll get.

I want my lunch and a nap.

God, I can't believe Emmett's in 5th grade! Craxy.

Also, what does he LIKE to do?

He is a social animal. People above anything else. He won't read fiction. He likes reading real stuff. World record books. How stuff works books. He comes home and tells me all about some scientist or historical person. He will go on and on about it. That's why I think letting him talk to the computer might help him see the link between communicating by talking and writing. He watches the history channel, science channel, animal planet.

I'm so glad to read that Emmett and his parents are being spared the homework torture. The boys don't have any where near the homework they did in elementary school. But still it is a chore.

I'm just watching all the parenting tips for school fly by and wishing I'd had this hivemind when my kids were still in school. Although, I think I did pick up on the fact my daughter was a kinesthetic learner and I tried to use it. The problem was, she still didn't want to use her brain for anything more than being popular. Homework did not fit in with being popular and I'd have to sit over her and homework nanny her to get her to do it. Crying fits were not uncommon, not mine though! Thing was, she could be a straight A student any time she wanted, and often was, but the fight over homework on a daily basis was frustrating as hell.

Hee, I mouse over your user name and see your number. It flashes Newbee

I thought it flashed Musical. And welcome SCube!

Laura, he sounds just like my neph. Not that I can take that sentence anywhere helpful, because we none of us ever figured out how to unlock the considerable smarts in my nephew for school...or even life. The neph does hate computers and typing, so maybe the language software is a good idea. He also loves music, so maybe there's something clever to be done with that.

Laura - Mom worked with adapative/assistive technology for many years and I picked her brain really quick. She had some suggestions -- she suggested using something like co:writer which finishes words when you're typing. She also suggested that if you haven't asked the school system about getting an adaptive/assistive technology assesment you might look at that.

She also suggested ldonline.com a leading website about learning disabilities and ADHD it has all kinds of information and resources for parents, kids, and educators.

Hmm. Mock interviews, character diaries, mock resumes of characters, role plays, acting out scenes to get meanings.

Mom also reminded me that I had a lot of problems writing due to spelling --- (my spelling is still so bad I routinely run into situations where spell check can't figure out what I'm trying for) and grammar and she'd tape record me and then she'd transcribe the recording.