Highly distracted child

[hugsathome]

Hi Everyone!

Let me first say that I LOVE BIGGER!!! This is our first year and I just love it! Thank you, Carrie!!!

Now, here's my problem. My ds is 9 and he is "highly distracted".

I have never discussed his problems with a doctor or had him diagnosed as having ADHD (or anything else.) He is not hyperactive. However, he has a terrible time focusing on "seat work" like Math, English, and Copywork. He will daydream and fiddle constantly. Most days, he has not completed his work by 6:00pm, 7:00pm or even 8:00pm. I do not believe it is an obedience issue. I have done much research and I definitely think he has a problem. Does anyone know of anything I can do? Also, he seems to fit many profiles for visual/spatial, dyslexics and Attention Deficit Disorder all rolled into one.

By the way, he also has a hard time focusing on his "play". Oftentimes, he will tell me that he has a "story" in his head while he is playing with Legos, but his brain won't stay with the story...it keeps wandering. He gets very frustrated when this happens.

Thanks for any help.

[GingerN]

Good morning! I have what could be considered a 'highly distracted' child. My 9dd has always had a difficult time sitting still for anything. While her sisters were sitting quietly, listening to the readings or being attentive as I explained something, she was fiddling with things or jumping up to 'get something right quick'. I also know that she is hearing everything that I am saying and often has better retention than her sisters. I am not new to homeschooling, but new to HOD, and this curriculum will be great for her learning style. So, a few strategies that I have found to help are these: I always begin the morning with some type of busy body work like a few jumping jacks or 2 minutes of running in place. Then she can sit down for a few minutes of history reading. She always has access to paper and pen in case she needs to draw about the story as I read. I keep lessons short and HOD seems to have provided this automatically. There will be 'teacher' directed time and then 'student' directed activity, switching back and forth. I think that's wonderful! When my dd seems to start getting wiggly, it's time for a quick break or a snack. Hang in there, as kids get older, their attention span gets longer. Just keep a happy countenance and keep the pace flowing with variety and a few breaks. We try to have a 10 minute break outside around 10 for some movement, weather permitting, and another quick break around 11 for a snack. Our days are usually done by noon, with read aloud after lunch. Hope this helps.
Ginger

[Carrie]

hugsathome,

Ginger did a wonderful job of giving you truly excellent suggestions. When reading your post,I was thinking back to my own first-born son, as I used to tell my hubby that if we'd ever sent him to school they would have had him tested for ADHD in kindergarten/ 1st / 2nd / 3rd grade and he would have qualified! After birth it was as if he'd been shot out of cannon! (I know this is true, as I used to refer and fill out the referral forms for kiddos in my own public school classrooms for years, and he would have been a sure thing)!

As kiddos get older, they often settle down some, and also learn to cope better with their various areas of strength/weakness. My oldest son is now in 7th grade (aged 12 turning 13), and the difference for him in grades 6-7 has been quite marked! So, I'll encourage you that time is on your side.

My second son is more of a highly distracted child, unless he really gets into his task. Then, he's a single task child, who cannot be interrupted (or even hear anyone else it would seem)! I have to strive not to repeat myself with him all day long! Focus is his hardest issue!

My third son used to fall off the couch during our lessons several times a day, just because he was such a squirmer. So, I can empathize!

Next, there's a few things we've found to be very necessary for this type of learner:
1. Short lessons (15 min. or less)
2. Vary activity with oral lessons with written work
3. Do the most difficult thing first or second in the day (to get it out of the way)
4. Set the timer and put it by the child (an electronic one works best as it doesn't make a ticking sound)
5. Sit next to the child for their hardest subject
6. Have a quiet room for working (keep them away from t.v., telephone, computer sounds, talking, pets, etc. as much as possible during work time). At our house, this "quiet room" rotates to wherever the rest of the people are not. We also have my older son read in my bedroom (rather than his own, so he won't be distracted by his playthings, books, etc.).
7. Break up the day with recess, lunch, computer time etc. so their work is not all in a row
8. Touch can help some kiddos refocus. For example, if your kiddo is daydreaming, instead of speaking, just walk past him and rub or pat his back. This helped mine refocus and get back to work. I also will sometime walk by and just point to the timer, without speaking, to draw his attention to that as a means of refocusing.

Anyway, I know more moms will be along with their suggestions for learners with distractibility. You are not alone on this, and boys seem to have it even more than girls. Almost all of the boys in my third/fourth grade public school classrooms were this way too!

Blessings,
Carrie

[hugsathome]

Thank you so much!

I really like the ideas that have been shared.

I was most confused about my ds because he is NOT wiggly or jiggly !!!!! He actually sits quietly while I read or go over the lessons. He's very passive. He does not drop things off the couch while reading or constantly move around during school. But..... his mind is wandering during his "seatwork"!! He even has a hard time concentrating during his play (when he is sitting quietly on the floor in his room). He will have an entire imaginary story in his mind and then "gets distracted" and looses his focus on his story. This frustrates him and then he comes and tells me....or else I would never have know. Does anyone else deal with this????????????

By the way, I tried the timer idea. I gave him a START TIME and an END TIME! Wow. What a difference. He loves trying to beat the clock. It is amazing!

P.S. Thanks....Carrie. Bigger has been the best curriculum I've ever used! Even with his "distractions", Bigger fully engages him and he looks forward to school for the first time in his life.