13 year old and Padi JOW cert

[Frosty]

Hey folks my next two kids are fizzing at the bung to go diving.
One of them has done two DSD dives to 12m and a shallow (5.0m) lagoon dive
He is working through the Online Padi dive course.
He is struggling a bit.
Not with the concepts but in all honesty just with some of the "big" words used.
My problem is I don't want to be giving him the answers or dilute his understanding of this stuff.
BUT can anyone see any issue with me "converting" some of the specific words into words he does understand?
Just an example --residual = left over

 

[west0ne]

The instructors we had simplified some of the terms and concepts for certain members of our class and this was for some of the adults.

I certified with my son and there was a temptation to help him out but I had to remember that he needed to be safe in his own right without me, I also need him to be a capable buddy as some day I may need him in that capacity.

At 13 there shouldn't be much they don't understand, my son was 14 when he certified and most of the science stuff they had covered at school, much of it I had done so long ago I had forgotten it. One thing with the PADI course is it is written and presented in a very simple format that is easy to understand. I would sa it is written well below the reading level of your average 13 year old.

 

[Diver0001]

BUT can anyone see any issue with me "converting" some of the specific words into words he does understand?
Just an example --residual = left over

The most important thing is comprehension. If you give it a different word so he can understand it then that's ok as long as he still gets "what it is".

In terms of working with the tables a term I use with some success to get people not to forget the RNT is "penalty time" since people naturally don't forget penalties. LOL. All kidding aside, it does work for getting them to remember to account for it. It's still of utmost importance, however, that they understand on a physiological level what's *actually* happening. If you can use a different word and get that point across then go for it.

R..

 

[west0ne]

............

In terms of working with the tables a term I use with some success to get people not to forget the RNT is "penalty time" since people naturally don't forget penalties......

R..

Depending on what course you do tables aren't even a requirement any more. We did the 'with computer' version and the last two knowledge reviews and final test didn't even address tables. I bought the table reference guide separately and got the instructor to show us how to use them, I also did the two knowledge reviews that included tables and had those checked as well.

Whilst the computer course was easier to grasp than the tables I thinks it's a bad thing and probably too much dumbing down.

 

[Diver0001]

Whilst the computer course was easier to grasp than the tables I thinks it's a bad thing and probably too much dumbing down.

I completely disagree with this comment for reasons I won't go into here. We'll derail the OP's thread if we get into this and out of respect for the OP I'd ask to you split this off into a new thread.

R..

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Well if you don't identify the words he does not understand, how are we to help? Personally I don't think there are ANY words that a normal 13 yr old can not understand in a scuba course. It is written at the most basic level and if there are any words that are tough, the scuba course is a PERFECT vehicle to get the child to learn the meaning,

The only important concept that i think is somewhat tough (concept not word defintion) is inverse relationship. The kid needs to understand and know when to apply an inverse relationship. I used to like to explain it as a teeter totter... one goes up the other goes down...

I taught my two sons ALL the material when they were 8 and 9 yrs old.

 

[Akimbo]

How is expanding your child’s vocabulary any different than when they were in diapers? Why do you consider it “converting” rather than “defining”?

 

[OldNSalty]

This isn't the SATs. If there is something he/she does not understand then as a parent we are suppose to explain it to them. I would have no issues with helping my child define/understand the vocab.

Nice pic by the way

 

[Rhone Man]

I am a great believer in Einstein's theory that it takes a clever person to make things sound simple. Too often the PADI manuals are not simple. When I was assisting my son (then aged 10) I tried to rephrase a lot of things for him. When he was working on his tables, I told him: "Forget residual nitrogen time... just call them "penalty minutes" which you have to add onto your real dive time."

I doubt they ever will, but if PADI is going to teach JOWD to 10 year olds, I think they would be well advised to produce a rewritten manual which is designed to use simplified words and phrases. It could also then be used in Alabama.

 

[boulderjohn]

There is nothing educationally unsound in helping someone understand something they are struggling with. If you just give people answers on tests, then that does them no good at all, but if you explain things in different terms that help them understand better, then that is indeed helping them. The important thing is that they understand the concepts, not how they came to understand the concepts.