Strategies to decrease distractability? | ADHD Information
The meeting was interesting. Basically there's one boy in the class who is a huge disruptive influence. He calls out a lot and makes a big commotion. Teacher's view is to let him burn some energy occasionally and then tell him it's time to clamp down. She admitted that sometimes dealing w/ him interferes w/ her ability to teach. Anyway, it sounds like this boy's behavior is too distracting to my child. I'll make sure they aren't in the same class next year. Ironically, my ds likes this boy, but says that it's hard to learn w/ him there and even my ds doesn't want to be in his class next year even though they are friends. It's nice to know ds cares about learning! In the meantime, teacher and I agreed that there will be some time when they can pick to sit w/ anyone, but when they're doing work that requires more focus, she'll sit my ds w/ people who tend to be calmer and more focused. Only other issue seems to be that my ds isn't participating at times that it seems he's lost on what to do. Sometimes when a task is too open-ended, he can't figure out where to start and needs help making a plan. I suggested that, rather than telling him to draw anything on the subject they've been doing lately (when we met, they were talking about the notion of "repairing the world") maybe she could give some suggestions and then he could do one of them or come up with something else himself. She said she thought several kids in the class might benefit from doing some brainstorming first, so she'd make it a whole-class activity.
So, I love the fact that the teacher has sensitivity to children's needs and patience for this boy who seems to have too much energy and some trouble containing it. She sounded open to suggestions, though she has a tendency to forget our conversations, so hopefully she'll implement them. I'm a little surprised she didn't pick up on some pretty basic things, but I'm hopeful things will improve for the last couple of months of this year's Religious School.
Sitting near the teacher helps. The tap on the shoulder helps. If your child is old enough, you can train him at home to always look at whoever is talking to him. My oldest dd ended up on meds in 5th grade. That helped a lot. My younger dd is too marginal for a diagnosis at this time but has been singled out for not paying attention in the past. Her current teacher just told us to request a certain teacher profile for her for next year. The teacher-type that we will request is a teacher who provides a structured environment and is kind and caring. Her psychologist told us to tell each teacher at the beginning of the year that she is "marginal for ADD" so that she is not punished for not paying attention or getting distracted. Various teachers have tried to embarrass or punish her out of her ADD but naturally it just gives her anxiety/depression.
My daughter's 3rd grade teacher would embarrass her too. The anxiety it created in my daughter was tremendous. After a meeting with the teacher, principal and social worker it became apparent the teacher had no clue what she was doing was wrong. She was bossy and rude. I did not like her one bit. She also didn't mention any issues until conferences even though I was emailing her weekly. She just ignored problems.
It has become apparent to me that modern educators tailor their classroom to themselves and not the children. It seem as though they think they children should be conforming to them instead of the teacher trying to find the best way to teach their students.
My son's teacher would just lightly touch his shoulder, sometimes push down gentle as she was teaching. This was being done due to his sensory needs. I wonder if it would help redirect your son back to what the teacher is discussing. I know it helped my son. The teacher even told me she would feel his whole body relax as she did it.
It's worth a try!
I just got my child's Religious School report card. She said on it that he's very distracted by his classmates and this is affecting how much he learns. I'll meet with her to discuss strategies to help this problem. What can I recommend besides having him sit near her (they sit around a table) and having her tap his desk or his shoulder if he seems to be paying attention to the wrong thing?
ETA: He's 8 years old (2nd grade). It's not an issue of meds wearing off b/c he goes Sunday morning.
I won't touch how ticked I am that she waited 1/2 the school year to tell me this! 
good ones. Sitting around a table would be distracting for anyone, if you
ask me. How many kids in the class or at a table? Maybe fewer kids sitting
together would help? Maybe more hands-on activities? Does this class
meet after his regular school day? (Like CCD for Catholic kids who go to
public school). Maybe your son just needs a break. If that's the case, can
they get any exercise (ie: walking around the building or doing jumping
jacks in the classroom)? Just a few things that popped into my head.
Hang in there!
My kiddo responds better to really concrete goals/warnings to help her
control herself. Like if she knows how long they'll sit there (so there is an
end in sight) or has a wiggle seat (self calming) and gets some visual cue
of when she's going down the wrong road - like a mark on the board or
something.
That said - is boredom a factor here? I would think hand's on activities,
songs, movement, the option to color/draw, all might be helpful. Surely
the goal here is to convey some of the information of your faith, but also
much of the joy? I really don't mean to be offensive, I hope this doesn't
come off that way. I grew up with a LOT of religious education myself,
not all of it good. Some teachers are more gifted than others, just like in
any environment. What stuck for me, especially before 10, were the times
when we did cool stuff - I was able to understand and think about some
of the deeper questions, stories and prayers better as I got older.
Oh good! I was worried - well, you know how easy it can be to step on someone's foot about religion and parenting - two of the touchiest subjects there are, I think!
I'm not sure what I mean by concrete exactly, lol. I guess what you said about smaller tasks in part - also my kid is so literal that some abstract behavioral expectations can really throw her. She'd rather be told, "I want you to glue your heiney to this chair and keep your eyes on the teacher for 5 minutes" than be told, "Pay attention." It's all about wording, which is weird because she's not dumb, but I think if there's room for interpretation (or time for her mind to wander off) then she gets anxious which makes it all worse. She WANTS to please, but she needs more information (and visual or visualizable info) about how to do it than you'd think.
She also seems to really understand things like a mark on the board a lot better than a verbal reminder or even a touch. It needs to be something that she can't forget about but it'll be there each time she looks and that helps keep her on task.
An edible ark sounds so awesome! How did they do it?
Crunchy Frog, your post did not come across as offensive at all! I don't think boredom is a factor. This teacher had them build an edible ark last week (talking about Noah's Ark). That's just one instance. They definitely do a variety of stuff: discussion, art, music, Israeli dancing, etc.
I'm so glad you mentioned concrete goals. I don't know why I didn't think of this before now. I remember reading that some kids need tasks broken into smaller pieces to stay on task. Is that what you mean by concrete goals? He doesn't need that at elementary school, but maybe he needs it at Religious School. When the teacher gives me a better description of what's going on, I'll see if that might be helpful. Thanks for your help!
That seating arrangement is not a learning seating arrangement. Sitting around a large table?? If I had to do my job sitting at a table like that, and everytime I looked up, boom, there was someone right there, I would get nothing done. That's not condusive to concentration.My oldest son Chase is 9 and he was diagnosed add last year. We had him on straterra, we couldn't get him to take it so the dr's office pharmacy makes it into a lotion for kids that are younger who can't swallow pills. Neither form worked for him. It made him very emotional & angry. He got to the point if you said Chase, go do your homework buddy. It's getting late. He would take off crying to his room. So we have just opted to work with the teachers to do the best we can without medication and limit different foods.
But I hate to say it, his teacher last year didn't let him get away with anything, but she still took into consideration that he is VERY distractable & nervous. This year, oh good grief his teacher annoys me to high heaven. Chase is really forgetful when it comes to things he isn't really interested in. So he's constantly forgetting homework at school or at home. I've gone above and beyond for him to help him remember. I've even called other parents of kids in the classroom and they have actually read the homework sheet to me, then i go type it up. Because I feel its not the rest of the classes fault my son can't remember. And I don't think they should have to wait on him to do it before they can start or what ever the case may be. So I finally started telling his teacher, he is add, he isn't taking meds for it, but we have this discussion at home alot. Please when he doesn't bring him work back to school take recess away from him. Make him spend recess redoing it. Anything, just do something. No he wont do it. He just can't bring himself to be the bad guy!!!! Omg are you serious? So my son is going to suffer even more in 4th grade next year, because its going to be even harder on him. No instead he just says, now Chase you know you have to bring your stuff to school everyday. Here redo it for me... OMG WHAT?!?!?!?!?!? I mean I'm glad he works with Chase but come on, you are giving him the impression its ok, and there are no concequences for it.
My son can be at the back or the front of the class it doesn't matter if he isn't distracted he is nervous. When he gets nervous he figits with pencils, tears up erasers, shreds paper. I don't know what to do with him with that. And obviously his teacher is no help either. He just says i'll find something else for him to do that isn't so distracting to the class? Distracting? How is him tearing up an eraser inside of his desk distracting the rest of the class?
Sorry to ramble. I don't normally talk to much about him, because we are trying to teach him how to manage his life and school and everything without being a distraction & without being distracted. and if he gets distracted i'm trying to teach him how to redirect himself, because as he gets older the teachers are going to get harder and harder.
i'd love some thoughts & suggestions myself on this issue.
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