Name: CHEC Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-12T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Denver, CO

This topic has 8 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 10 months ago by Sonya Shafer.

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)

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June 9, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Malissa
Member
Hi,
I am getting really excited about doing more CM with my kids. But I have one issue that I’m struggling with. My 12 year old daughter really struggles with memory problems. How do I incoporate narration when I’m dealing with this? I can read a short passage (about 4-6 sentences) and then ask her to narrate back to me, but she has a hard time remembering what I just read to her. Do any of you have any suggestions? Talk to you all soon.
God Bless,
Malissa 🙂
June 9, 2009 at 2:57 pm
CindyS
Participant
Hi Malissa,
Are you saying that she has clinical memory problems or that she is just not practiced at memory work? In either case, I would work at her level, give her opportunities to do some different kinds of narration (Sonya has a list on this site), and perhaps work on some sorts of projects that have more to do with a ‘flavor’ of the story versus detailed narration, like character analysis (I liked this character because….he showed great ______ when he did this…). You can also let her ask you one or two questions about the reading and then she can see if you are correct. I know others will have more suggestions.
Blessings,
Cindy
June 9, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Malissa
Member
Hi,
Mary has clinical short term memory problems. We suspect (although we keep hitting the proverbial brick wall when it comes to getting confirmed) that Mary has been battling minor seizures since she was an infant and it is causing her mental problems. This started when she was just a small baby (less than a year old). She has gone through multiple MRI’s, EEG’s, and other evaluations. But the only thing I keep hearing is that she is just a slow learner and that she is going to have to learn to live with it. I actually started homeschooling going on 4 years ago because her school decided that she “could not learn” (that was according to her “principal” at the time. I am out of ideas. I agree that she definately struggles with retaining information, but to say that she can’t learn at all, that I won’t agree with. She can, but I just need some help to help her. Then about 2 years ago I started hearing about Charlotte Mason and read an article about using Charlotte’s methods with special needs children. Since then, I’ve read more and more about CM and I truly believe that this will work, but I need to figure out how. That is why I’m asking for help here. Talk more later and thank you!
Malissa 🙂
June 9, 2009 at 8:51 pm
simplicity
Participant
Hi Malissa,
I was very interested in your post. My daughter (12, next month) also has memory problems. She has trouble recalling the names of familiar places and people, sometimes even objects (for example she’s looking at the dishwasher and says “Do you want this dish in the, the, the,….oh, Mom, what’s that thing called again?”) She gets really irritated with herself when it happens but usually can laugh about it. She often looks to her 9-year old sister for help with a word or name. She EASILY forgets directions, especially if they are rather long or have more than one or two details to remember. Four and one half years ago, we found her having a seizure in her bed (about 1/2 hour after tucking her in for the night). She has been on medication for benign rolandic epilepsy ever since. She has some difficulty learning and reading has come very slowly for her. She is just beginning to enjoy reading more. She still spells terribly. We are sort of at a loss as to what to do to help her and aren’t sure what her problems exactly are. Many of her struggles sound to us like dyslexia too. To our knowledge, she has been seizure-free for just over two year. In fact, we just took her to the neurologist yesterday for an EEG and consultation. If her EEG results are normal, they will begin weaning her off the medication to see if she has outgrown the seizures or not. They expect that she will, as that is the usual course of this type of epilepsy. What is it that makes you suspect your daughter may be having seizures? If I were you, I would continue to push for some answers. It’s very hard as your child’s parent and teacher to keep in mind that their memory problems cannot be helped…especially when you JUST told them something and they can’t remember it. I feel for you. I’d love to hear any suggestions you might have that have helped you. I held my daughter back the first year we began homeschooling (also about four years ago!) so she is in fifth grade. She just completed the CAT standardized test and scored in the 69th percentile. We were SO THRILLED about this small victory. It’s been a long time coming. Hope things get easier for you and your daughter both.
Rachel
June 9, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Malissa
Member
I wish I could find something that works. I’ve been homeschooling her for 4 years now and every year it is a struggle. Primarily because of her memory problems. Thankfully, she does love reading and is actually good at it, but to ask her to remember something is a huge struggle. Her pediatrician has been great, but even he is running out of suggestions. Our next step is to try something that is actually illegal to do in Iowa, that is to try to find a way for her to see an environmental doctor. The closest one to us is in Omaha, Nebraska. But that will be about $500 for the initial visit. Not to mention follow up visits. I am praying that God will make a way for that to happen. More later. 🙂
God Bless!
Malissa 🙂
June 10, 2009 at 12:53 am
Sonya Shafer
Moderator
Malissa, you may have already tried this, but I thought I’d mention it just in case. One idea is before you read the passage, write a key word or two on a little white board or sheet of paper. Then read the passage and ask for a narration, allowing her to look at the key words as she narrates. Those key words can give little mental hooks to hang her narration on and prompt her memory. Does that sound like something that might help?
June 10, 2009 at 11:56 am
Malissa
Member
Hi Sonya,
Great idea. I’ll try it. I’ll let you know how it works. 🙂
Thanks,
Malissa 🙂
July 25, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Malissa
Member
Hi Sonya,
I tried your idea and it worked like a charm!!!! Thank you. By the way, I’m still going through my notes from the sheets you gave out at the NICHE conference last month and I’m getting a good plan set up for the coming up year. Meanwhile, I’m continueing to work on narration with all the kids. Oh, and you’ll probably get a kick out of this. My oldest son (Caleb-10) has a friend named Alden that hangs out at our house a lot during reading time and I asked him why he likes hanging out even when we are “playing school” and he says that I make school fun and even reading is fun with me. He said that the books are even fun, and this is a kid who doesn’t like reading. 🙂 Talk to you later.
God Bless!
Malissa 🙂
July 26, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Sonya Shafer
Moderator
Wonderful, Malissa!