Fall -- A Great Time to Teach Adjectives

The words "fall" and "colors" go together like "bread" and "butter," so what better time to teach (or remind) kids that colors are adjectives. Younger kids may want to stick with calling these "describing words" for now, and learn later on that there are different names for describing different things, i.e, adjectives for describing nouns and adverbs for describing verbs and other adjectives.

If your homeschooling kids are just now learning adjectives, it is a good time to let them know that colors and numbers serve as adjectives (so do the articles "a," "an," and "the," for that matter), along with words that describe other physical characteristics and qualities.

What other describing words can be used to describe fall? The rustling leaves, the brisk wind, the vibrant colors--Yes, fall is a great time to teach about adjectives.

Autumn Poems for Kids

A few weeks ago we went outside to find our deck had been beautifully "carpeted" with fall leaves, and right after we had considered some information on what makes the leaves change colors.

Now, of course, comes the raking of the leaves...




Well, here is a link for some autumn poems that your younger homeschooled kids might enjoy: Autumn Poems

ADD/ADHD--The Final Word...for now

Okay, I said I was finished, but here is just one more post on ADD/ADHD before I go on to other things.

ADD/ADHD and Food Allergies

I left off talking about ADD/ADHD and chronic dehydration, so I thought someone may be saying, "But wait a minute," you may be saying. "I thought you said your daughter's ADHD was affected mainly by food allergies." Well, food allergies and chronic dehydration often go hand in hand. Dehydrated individuals often don't make enough hydrochloric acid and/or saliva, and less hydrochloric acid and saliva means poor digestion, and poor digestion means undigested food particles floating around in the bloodstream, and undigested food particles floating around in the bloodstream means that the body will see the foods as foreign, and that means--FOOD ALLERGIES!!! Whew!

Food allergies are often the result of a shortage of enzymes to digest a particular food, and since every food in the raw state contains the enzymes necessary to digest that particular food, it may help to eat those foods raw. (Some individuals, however, having already formed severe allergic reactions, may not be able to chance this.)
What's in a Name?
Today we live in a world of labelled illnesses. It's sometimes hard to tell where one "disorder" leaves off and another begins. I have tested positive for over 40 food allergies and multiple chemical sensitivities. When I am not careful with my diet and come into regular contact with offending chemicals, I know that I fall into the "ADD/ADHD" description, and have all my life. However, I don't really think of myself as "ADD/ADHD." I just think of myself as a person with food allergies and chemicals sensitivities. I feel that the underlying cause of these illnesses is brainstem inflammation, and that the major underlying cause of brainstem inflammation is chronic dehydration. I think of ADD/ADHD as a symptom, not a syndrome. But to each his own.

I also try to be careful not to label everyone I know who is a little flighty or loopy or energetic or changeable with ADD/ADHD, just like I wouldn't label every person who straightens a picture with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The main thing, I believe, is to try to maintain a positive view of our challenges and turn them into positives wherever possible, and this, I believe, can be done rather readily with ADD/ADHD.