ADD Student

I used to teach a class for UAW workers at Daimler Chrysler. The class was designed to prepare them for a skilled trades exam and included a lot of math and some physics.

I vividly remember one gentleman I worked with who was having trouble understanding percentages. It seemed that the concept was too much a concept to him and not rooted in anything he could relate to.

That is, until we found some common ground.

I pointed out another student. “See this guy? Let’s say he owes you $100 and he’s just paid you $40. What percent did he pay and what percent does he still owe you?”

It was like I had turned on a light. His face lit up and he got the answer right away. Not only that, but he understood the concept as well and could apply it to more complicated problems.

Talk theory and he doesn’t understand. Talk about money you owe him and now it’s personal; he gets it.

The same thing is true for your ADD Student. Often what they need is to have an idea demonstrated to them in a way that they understand and can relate to.

Want to teach percentages to a teen aged girl? Take her to a sale at the mall. If she can get that cute outfit for 20% off, she’ll be doing math in no time. You could probably work in a little supply and demand lesson in there as well.

There are all kinds of real life lessons that can be used for making theory come alive. Got a sports fan? All kinds of math there – percentages, statistics, supply and demand – I’m sure there’s more.

Need to understand Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew”? Rent “10 Things I Hate About You” with Julia Stiles and a very young Heath Ledger.

Physics or science in general giving your child a hard time? Check out some of the cable channels like the Discovery Channel, or the Science Channel. Myth Busters is a very entertaining show that is just full of physics and science.

You might need to help your student relate what they read in a textbook to what they see on TV, but in the end, the lesson will stick with them.

Take advantage of all the resources we have at our disposal to help make learning relevant for your child.