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Many parents and caretakers worry about the “summer slide” of their student’s academic skills. Neurodiverse learners have been cited as particularly vulnerable. Here are some fun ways to prevent the loss of academic skills, while making skill work fun.

It is best to establish a daily schedule that works for your family. For some, it might be best to do academics first thing in the morning; for others, it might be while you are making dinner. Whatever works best for your family is the way to go. If you go with a structured schedule, it creates more room for negotiation and arguments. Schedules make it feel like part of the day.

Math

Math Minutes: These books come in grade level. You can order them on Amazon. Each page takes less than 10 minutes, depending on the student and the skill. The book will cover all skills for the grade level and has answer sheets in the back.

Math Minutes

Most of our students need practice with math facts. There are lots of fun ways to practice multiplication facts. Below are ways to practice them in unplugged ways and fun apps for phones and Ipads.

Non-Digital Games for Multiplication Facts Practice

Digital and Non-Digital Multiplication Facts Practice

Reading

Unplugged ideas

Kid Magazine Subscriptions

Schedule a weekly trip to the library. It’s like shopping for free.

Digital Reading 

Kindles, etc.

Newsela.com: This site puts up new current event articles for kids each day. They can select a grade level for the article. If they get to a word they don’t know, help them break it up into syllables so that they can read it.

You can ask, “What do the first three letters say?”

Writing 

During each writing activity, remind them to use simple and compound sentences. Here are some examples using these formulas. Have them check for Capitalization and punctuation.

Simple Sentence Formulas

Subject (S) -Verb (V): Bob runs.

SS V: Bob and Sue ate dinner.

S VV: Sue ran and swam.

SS VV: Bob and Sue ate dinner and saw a movie.

Compound Sentence Formula

SV, (and, but, so) SV: I, cI.

Examples:

Sue ran and swam, and Bob ate dinner.

Bob ran, but Sue went to the movies

Bob was sick, so Sue called the doctor.

SV; SV.

Sue ran and swam; Bob ate dinner.

Bob ran; Sue went to the movies

Bob was sick; Sue called the doctor.

Activities

Pen Pal weekly letter: Have them use the computer to write a letter to a chosen Pen Pal. It could be a grandparent, another relative, or a friend that has moved. Just confirm it is someone who will write back.

Have them type a draft, and then help them edit it.

Journaling: You can have them journal each day. If you need prompts, there are many websites with prompts. I like this one because it offers reminders of skills to practice.

Writing prompts and process tips

Throughout my 25+ years of teaching neurodiverse students, I found games where their talents shine. Most of the games listed below are games that use strategy. Since preschool, these students have been using strategies to survive in school systems where they do not fit. Play these games with them many times to see how quickly their out-of-the-box strategic thinking creates a winning strategy. These games help them understand and appreciate their unique way of thinking as an asset.

In addition, some games help them develop skills.

Othello: There are different suppliers of this game. I like this one because the magnets keep the pieces in place.

Connect 4

Mancala

Quoridor

Blockus

Checkers

Hoot Owl Hoot requires players to work together to get the owls home before the sun rises, developing teamwork, strategy, and social skills. Peaceable Kingdom Games has several cooperative games.

Shut the Box supports students in developing addition skills.

Tell a Tale develops storytelling skills. Support their learning by reminding them every story has a beginning, middle, and end. Have them repeat the part of the story added by the last card played before putting down their card to support them. Great Travel Game

Spot It is not a strategy game; it is a great game to develop focus and attention to visual detail. Great Travel Game

Otrio is a 3-D version of Tick-Tack-Toe, it is amazingly tricky, and develops strategic thinking and executive functioning.

Two of my favorite suppliers for games are Gigamic Games and Peaceable Kingdom Games. They have lots of strategic and cooperative games.

Yardsticks: Child and Adolescent Development Ages 4-14

I love this book. It provides an understanding of children’s growth patterns and typical capacities at each age and helps teachers and families support them as they grow and learn.

The Feingold Program

The Feingold Diet is a form of elimination diet where foods containing certain harmful additives are removed and replaced with similar foods free of those additives to determine if the food triggers the behavior. This is a great place to start if your child struggles with regulating their emotions.

The Secrets of Happy Families

This book made me think more strategically about our family time and what we all needed from it. Its subtitle is Improve your mornings, rethink family dinner, fight smarter, go out and play, and much more.

The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness

This book gives you some concrete strategies to help you focus on what matters in childraising.

Keeping A Head in School

This book is for students. It is very text-heavy and packed with great information. Yet, its formatting is not user-friendly for neurodiverse learners. I feel it is a better resource for teachers and parents. It has excellent pointers as you coach students to develop learning strategies.

Overcoming Dyslexia

This book covers the nature of dyslexia, diagnosing dyslexia, and reading interventions for people with dyslexia of all ages.

The Highly Sensitive Child

This book shares insight on highly-sensitive children and strategies to help them thrive in an overwhelming world.

Driven to Distraction

This book “dispels common myths, offers helpful coping tools, and gives a thorough accounting of all treatment options and tips for dealing with a diagnosed child, partner, or family member. But most importantly, they focus on the positives that can come with this “disorder”—including high energy, intuitiveness, creativity, and enthusiasm.”

Autism Speaks

Organization for Autism Research

Orton Gillingham Literacy Program

This program has been the most effective way I have found to teach students struggling with learning how to read and spell. This organization can help train you in the program or find trained practitioners.

Go to Ted Talks and search on the neurodiversity you are interested in for inspiration and information.

Please contact me to share any other helpful resources you have found.