Because my son has ADHD, and it is difficult for him to succeed in a classroom setting due to the fact that he is easily bored and therefore prone to getting into trouble, and the things and people around him often turn into distractions, my husband and I decided this year to pull him out of school part way through this year and home school him.
It was a rough year for both of us, as we were both getting used to the way our home school charter works, scrambling to figure out curriculum, and because I also have ADHD, so there was added difficulty in that I, too, am not great at things like sticking to schedules and focusing on tasks, but we got through the year and did surprisingly well.
The last thing we did for the school year was choosing an inventor, learning about some of the things they did, and then writing a short essay (really just a couple of paragraphs) about it. My son chose the Wright Brothers.
One of the things I like to tie in when teaching my son about people in history is the morals behind what drove them to success. Sure, Orville and Wilbur Wright were intelligent and understood the science behind lift and drag, but it wasn’t just that which made them succeed. It was the drive to continue no matter how many times they failed, and the patience to make sure that they got their prototype just right before flying in front of the public.
For lessons like these, I really appreciate the Value Tales series, which started being published in 1977, and continued to be published all the way through 1998. I remembered reading them when I was in school and was happy to find that my mother in law had a few in hand from when my husband was growing up.
They combine the story about a historical figure, such as the Wright Brothers, with a moral value, such as patience, and explain why that principle was a driving factor of their success. I discuss these values with him at length because I want him to be successful, and I realize that, although he is quite intelligent, that things like hard work, persistence, and patience will get him much further in life than if he were to depend on his intellect alone.
I was sad to find out that many of these tales are no longer in print, but plan on trying to get my hands on a few more, if I am able, as there are 43 books in the series. They have been an amazing teaching tool to help my son not only learn about important figures during his Social Studies time, but also will hopefully help me to instill the values that I believe make up a good back bone for success.
I highly suggest these books to you whether for home school purposes, or just something for your children to read. Or something for yourself to read, as the case may be. I still enjoy reading the books as an adult. The stories are well written and interesting, and show me that there is still a lot left that I can learn, as well.
