What is the Best Math Program for an ADHD Child?

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I was just wondering what math program some of you use for your ADHD children? What you have found that works best?

I've tried, and looked at, many math programs. In general, I would have to say that whichever math program you use, you'll probably have to adjust it for your child.

For instance, some folks love Saxon, I feel like it's too repetitive, especially in the early grades. However, if you adjust it for your child by eliminating every other problem for instance, than this program can work.

If your child does better with more computational math, something like Horizons or Bob Jones might work. If your child is better at conceptual math, then something like Singapore may work.

If there is ever a concept that your child doesn't understand, than you can supplement with something else to get it into their head before moving on with whatever program you chose. I feel like math, more than any other subject, has such a range of programs people love, but I'm guessing it's more because it fits well with their child than that any one program is better than another.

Many ADHD children are right brained learners, and therefore do well with conceptual math. They're not good with individual steps, but they can see the whole picture and figure it out in their head. My son can come up with an answer but not have any idea to explain to me how he actually got it. That's because he figured out the concept, but can't get each computational step.

Ok, I'll stop rambling now and answer your question that you asked in the first place! We use Singapore for our 2nd and 4th grader. I also use Professor B which not too many people have heard of, but it's a wonderful program.

I love Switched-on Schoolhouse. The noises it makes when my 11 year-old gets the right answer motivates him, as well as the fun video clips and pretty colors. We didn't like it for other subjects such as Science, History, and language. Too much stuff.

We use Math-U-See. It's a conceptual, manipulative based program that is very much hands on. My adhd son can do double digit multiplication in his head (he's 10, been doing this since last year). I switched to Saxon for 1 year then went right back to Math-U-See. We found Saxon to be overwhelming (although you can just leave stuff out as someone else mentioned). I'm sure they have a web site.

Thank you for this:

Many ADHD children are right brained learners, and therefore do well with conceptual math. They're not good with individual steps, but they can see the whole picture and figure it out in their head. My son can come up with an answer but not have any idea to explain to me how he actually got it. That's because he figured out the concept, but can't get each computational step.

This describes my 14 year old son to a tee! I have more difficulty trying to help him with math and end up breaking it down to step-by-step parts. I'll ask him for his answer to step 1 or 2 and he is already giving me the final answer! It baffles me how he can not know how to do it and be near tears in frustration, but have the answer correct.

This really excites me and causes me to appreciate how uniquely God has created each one of us. I just pray He helps me provide the best learning environment and tools my son needs.

Have you tried Moving in Math? It is all hands on. We are using SOS for math. He (11+YO) seem to do ok with it. I wish that there was more hands on hand for, so he can keep it in his brain longer. We tried Horizons and it got to be to long of a sheet to do.

We use Spectrum for my 9yo doing every other column or line on one day, then the other on the next.

My 6 yo is doing School of Tomorrow because it explains every new step very simply, and once you can do the "harder" stuff, it's hard to explain why 7 +2= 9 LOL. School of Tomorrow just works better for me to begin with.

We do a lot of hands on also, using beans, legos, and a lot of cooking, setting the table, "If you start at this time and it takes so long to do this chore, when will you be finished?" We also do a lot of grocery store math.

My 9 yo once rounded the grocery bill to within 1 dollar! (He's good at math, much better than mom!!!) I had the gentleman that runs the local parts store bragging on my 9yo because he could do the taxes (8 cents on the dollar) in his head. I can't do this either!

Anyway, just find simple things to do with math. Oh yeah, one teacher friend of mine came up with: How may pair of blue jeans makes one load in the wash? If six people get their clothes dirty every day, how many pair of jeans would you need in the house in order to wash only once a week? ( She asked this so she wouldn't have to figure it out!!!)

My ADD son, 9, loves the Math Blaster CD's. They come in all different grade levels. I don't know if they qualify for homeschool but they work great for reinforcing math facts, learning multiplication tables etc. They are really fun. He can't stand just doing flash cards and stuff like that. There is also a book a friend at school told me about that is called Math Games or Games for Math, something like that and they have very active ways to have fun learning math. I have to ask her again who the author is. Hope this helps.

I am using Saxon math for all my kids, two with ADHD and one with math difficulties. My two ADHD kids don't have math problems and Saxon seems to do just fine for them (the mistakes they make are carelessness rather than conceptual).

My other daughter has always struggled with math and failed math the last two years in private school. She can do Saxon because of its incremental approach. She still doesn't get some stuff, but because it's reapeated over and over, I can tell when she starts to grasp it (or what stuff she is just not getting). So it's worked well for us. Sometimes Saxon is too repetitive and I just eliminate some of the repetition for my kids who don't struggle with the stuff.

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