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My youngest (9) has ADHD and is in Preparing. We are just now having him formally tested, so he is not currently medicated (though we are praying for it). He is VERY bright. However, he CANNOT attend to the readings in Preparing. I had to toss out The Fountain Of Life when I finally admitted I was reading it to myself! My older kids LOVED the viking series, so I thought he could get into that, but NO! Every couple of paragraphs, I would check in with him, and he had NO IDEA what was going on. He has thinking putty, a fidget cube, legos. I want him to get the most out of Preparing, but I don't know what to do for him! Help?

Shannon,

Honestly, I would stop checking with him during the reading to see if he is comprehending. Interrupting the flow of the reading can be jarring to any listener, and the flow of the story is even more important for kiddos whose minds are constantly jumping around already.

I would just do the readings as scheduled, and over time I think you will be pleasantly surprised that your son has taken more from the readings than you think. It can take kiddos time to get into the rhythm of a story and often connections from the stories don't show up until much later. I liken this to reading aloud to a young child, who you think is not listening at all, but then much later you might hear some connection coming out in his/her playtime. For many kiddos this is how reading aloud goes.

As parents, when we read aloud we are making connections to the reading left and right. These connections are based upon our past exposure to this topic and to the more mature way that our brains are able to process what we hear. For our kiddos, in contrast, the reading aloud topics are often a child's first introduction to a topic for which they have no frame of reference. So, their comprehension can seem to be almost non-existent! But first exposures are necessary stepping stones, so your time is not wasted!!

Blessings,
Carrie

Thanks Carrie! I was afraid no one was going to chime in.