How can you aid retention?

Sis · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 5:22 pm **Posts:** 8837

A friend of mine is having difficulties helping her son to retain the information he's learning. Any suggestions?

Anna1111 · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:14 pm **Posts:** 8115

How old?

Sis · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 5:22 pm **Posts:** 8837

He's 10. And has asperger's.

Anna1111 · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:14 pm **Posts:** 8115

From what I know of Aspergers, it might actually *help* with retention. I have a friend with it, and he is a veritable font of data.

The BEST resource I know of for retention is "The Memory Book" by Harry Loraine & Jerry Lucas. It's written for adults, but I actually use its principles to help dd retain info.

Sis · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 5:22 pm **Posts:** 8837

You're right in that the things he knows he knows WELL! But, if he has no interest in it, like history right now, he's retaining nothing. He doesn't like acting it out. Is there a principle you could suggest for her to try? I'll tell her about the book.

Anna1111 · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:14 pm **Posts:** 8115

The book IS the principle I'd suggest.

I don't blame him for not liking acting it out ; )

Also, my young friend with Aspergers (he's now in college) THRIVED on videos as a kid. The American Experience might appeal to him, as well as various History Channel series from the library.

Sis · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 5:22 pm **Posts:** 8837

Would this be something you'd WANT to be able to remember? What if you have no interest in remembering it?

Anna1111 · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:14 pm **Posts:** 8115

If he's being defiant & disobedient - that's a discipline issue.

If he's trying to obey but has trouble focusing, this book will help.

Tory · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 6:58 pm **Posts:** 5828

My dd is this way.. and has gotten better as she grows older.
When she was in speech (years ago!) her teacher said that about her.. what she knows, she really KNOWS.. what she doesn't know.. she hasn't a clue! (and no desire to know it, either.)

So... try to pick the things he does like... and slowly build on that. For dd it was horses.. so she took riding lessons, we found books on horses, she drew horses, took a horse anatomy class (hands on at a ranch), etc... and I'd branch out from there to broaden her world.
It was slow going but now she's 17 and does remember more about more things.
Getting the interest in something is the hard part. It was hard to not let dd get stuck on the one subject. Finding other things that had horses in it, but wasn't completely about horses, helped her to move beyond the subject. (example: the Trojan Horse story got her interested in learning more History.)

The movies Anna suggested are a great idea. Dd loved videos from the History Channel, and also the Drive thru History DVDs (she would watch them over and over).
HTH

StacyinTN · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 11:01 pm **Posts:** 2491

Sis wrote:

A friend of mine is having difficulties helping her son to retain the information he's learning. Any suggestions?

Making a video about the subject; writing a blog about whatever he is learning (even if he is complaining. My son would do this..he would "complain" in the car with me and my dh about how boring the thing he learned for the day. The funny part is that he recalled all of the information. I told him that although he was bored, he obviously retained it!). Make a lapbook about whatever subject. I knew of one mom whose son loved making websites. So for a "history" project, she had create a history website about the different time eras that they studied. He had to do all the research (books and the internet), and then, create a website page. She would grade him on how much information he posted.

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