Highly gifted and highly unmotivated child

[meg-momto2]

I'm really struggling with my son.  He's 7yo and in first grade.  I'm homeschooling him this year after an awful year in public school kindergarten.  He has absolutely no desire to learn anything.  Getting him to do even the most basic school work is a constant battle.  He was evaluated last year they couldn't find any signs of disorders just highly gifted.  We've been seeing a psychologist this month who suspects he has SPD issues which is what I thought the problem was with school last year.  I had asked the school to evaluate him for SPD issues in the request but they only screened him for Spectrum Disorders and ADHD.     

Can anyone offer some some advice, books or websites on how to help him want to learn?  Any tips on dealing with a 2E kid when school work and learning is involved?

[LynnS6]

Occupational therapy worked wonders for our ds' SPD.

Aside from that, have you tried doing 'school' with different kinds of activities (not just pencil/paper). If he's got SPD, he may not be able to sit still and do what looks like school work. So, if you're working on multiplying by 2s, bake a recipe and have him double it. Is there something in nature that he's interested in? Go for nature walks with a nature guide and read about trees, for example, while you walk. He can read a bit, then walk/run a bit, read a bit, walk/run a bit. Play scrabble to work on spelling.

This books, Developmentally Appropriate Practice is a good one for getting a sense of how to structure learning for kids who are still very physical and tactile learners. It's for birth to age 7 or so. Your son is on the high end, but since his ability to 'sit' and do school work is perhaps not matched with his age, some of the activities/ideas for how to present material to younger children, but with content for his age might help.

There are a number of parents who've got kids with 2E issues, here, and maybe then can provide more direct homeschooling support.

[Roar]

Does he have good fine motor skills? Is an occupational therapy evaluation in order?

I agree with Lynn's suggestion to try other approaches besides pencil/paper seat work. Does he enjoy playing games? Games offer immense learning possibilities. That might be a good place to start.

[meg-momto2]

Whoops, I had edited my original post several times and forget to leave in that he's getting an OT evaluation in June.  He has fantastic motor skills but loathes writing.  

Lynn, thanks for the tips about mixing things up.  I get so stuck in a pattern with him that I sometimes forget to think outside the box.  Thanks for the book recommendation.  I'll check it out.  

Roar, he loves screen time.  I don't mind him doing stuff on the computer but I've had a hard time finding much in the way of continues lesson plans at a low cost.  I should invest in a yearly membership somewhere if it helps him get his lessons done with less struggle.  It will be worth the cost just to have less stress in both of our lives.  

[imogenlily]

If he's into screen time but loathes writing, how about temporarily working on typing instead, and then doing the same kind of exercises in writing, once he's comfortable typing. He'll get the language development he would from writing, and you can gradually sub in the writing exercises (ie. type on four school days, write on one, then type three school days, write on two, and so on).