DS nearly 7 concentration issues with school work

Counting_Pennies_2

patchwork_cat wrote: »

Does he swim and go to Beavers once a week and 2 tutorials if so then that is a lot of activities for a nearly 7 year old.

Swim and Beavers on a weekend

Gingham_Ribbon

I don't think that's too much, CP. Some exercise, some help with lessons and Beavers sounds just about right to me.

amandada

How does your son react to incentives?
I have a niece who is intelligent enough but is a total dolly dimple when it comes to concentration....but it's amazing how an extra £ on the pocket money for certain results can make a difference.

I'd also say, as the mother of an 8 year old son, when mine was the same age as your ds, homework was a bit of a battle zone as he just wasn't interested in doing it-but now, he just gets his books out and gets on with it-he goes to a high achieving school which is very "homework happy"-much to my disgust-but he knows it's non negotiable, so there is hope!

(BTW she's 8 now, and this year her mum had several discussions with her about her being older now and she has to take the responsibility for getting her work completed, and so far so good)

Counting_Pennies_2

patchwork_cat wrote: »

Really only addressing one aspect of your post OP, but one thing I have noticed is that children sometimes 'forget' an old skill when they are learning a new one. In his english is he concentrating on creative writing and rhyming and he is having difficulty 'switching' off this skill and such when he is supposed to be writing a mathematical type sentence he is thinking more creatively.

He has the same problem with writing generally in school, I would imagine he is drifting each time. Maths is a new problem, I can only put that down to the fact more writing is required.

He does however say he doesn't know where on the page he is meant to write in class, he is not allowed to put his hand up to ask a question. When he was put down a set (yes they are all fully aware where the top middle and bottom set is) his teacher said he wasn't concentrating. 'I could sit with him, but I doubt he would like me to' was her discussion on it.

Gingham_Ribbon

Counting_Pennies wrote: »

He does however say he doesn't know where on the page he is meant to write in class, he is not allowed to put his hand up to ask a question. When he was put down a set (yes they are all fully aware where the top middle and bottom set is) his teacher said he wasn't concentrating. 'I could sit with him, but I doubt he would like me to' was her discussion on it.

:silenced::silenced::silenced::silenced::mad::silenced::silenced::silenced:

The problem could well be how he's being taught. :silenced:

How was he last year?

Counting_Pennies_2

amandada wrote: »

How does your son react to incentives?
I have a niece who is intelligent enough but is a total dolly dimple when it comes to concentration....but it's amazing how an extra £ on the pocket money for certain results can make a difference.

Bribes feature regularly in my family. My DD (3) is given a 2p coin each morning she wakes if she sleeps through. My DS has had regular incentives for other things throughout his little life, and reacts well to them. I might have this one up my sleeve if the egg timers don't work.

I found some online tonight, a mixture of different times, 30 sec through to 5 mins, we discussed it as I bought it and he seems really excited by them, so will see how we get on with them when they arrive.

I am really grateful for everyones responses.

Counting_Pennies_2

Gingham_Ribbon wrote: »

:silenced::silenced::silenced::silenced::mad::silenced::silenced::silenced:

The problem could well be how he's being taught. :silenced:

How was he last year?

He has the same teacher this year as last (got caught up in the merry-go-round of teachers!), at least with the maths move he will be with a different teacher.

I spoke with the tutor I pay and she says sometimes a teacher just doesn't get it with a child, or the child just can't understand the teacher. I do think it is one of those cases.

He is not quite at the top of the class but is treading very closely behind them in reading and maths and he is so proud of himself, but the writing and now the maths have slipped and he is so sad, doesn't understand why he has been put down a set.

I am going to see the new maths teacher next week and hopefully get an idea, at least I can have some strategies when I approach her.

Hopefully if he can get used to a new teacher and they can work well together.

Thanks

patchwork_cat

Counting_Pennies wrote: »

Swim and Beavers on a weekend

Your Beavers group meets at the weekend? That is dedicated! Our group would do special activities on an occasional w/e, but regular group was a week night. I would say 4 evenings a week is too many, but if the swimming and beavers are at weekend then that is OK, perhaps a little too much , although I wouldn't add anything else structured in.

gratefulforhelp_2

Counting_Pennies wrote: »

We did worry about the things you mentioned. He recently got into reading chapter books on his own, and would read for a little too long in bed at night, so now we let him read a chapter and then bring the book out of his room so he can get to sleep. For weekends I think I will let him have the book as I don't want to punish him for being so keen on reading.

DD1 (just 8) is the same with reading, she will go onto midnight if we don't stop her...I think its a good thing, that they want to read so much.

Exercise is probably not as much as it should be, we live over half an hours walk away from school, and school and nursery are in opposite directions so I do tend to drive, but I have taken to walking a couple of days a week to school to at least get fresh air into him before he gets into a stuffy class.

He goes to Beavers and swimming as his hobbies and now it is two nights a week for the tuition.

Thanks again

We have to remember that kids get really really tired and sometimes its easy to forget that, though you are giving him such a lovely and well-rounded experience, that is great :T:T

patchwork_cat wrote: »

Does he swim and go to Beavers once a week and 2 tutorials if so then that is a lot of activities for a nearly 7 year old.

I think it is quite a lot, how long are the tutoring lessons? Might be better - and cheaper - to have one a week and he does 10 min with you on the other weekdays?

Honestly, though, please don't get too in knots. Kids can show this kind of thing through into secondary school and then suddenly they take off and they fly.

Not too confident in the teacher, though, or the ethos of the place if her attitude goes unchallenged.

Counting_Pennies_2

gratefulforhelp wrote: »

I think it is quite a lot, how long are the tutoring lessons? Might be better - and cheaper - to have one a week and he does 10 min with you on the other weekdays?

Honestly, though, please don't get too in knots. Kids can show this kind of thing through into secondary school and then suddenly they take off and they fly.

Not too confident in the teacher, though, or the ethos of the place if her attitude goes unchallenged.

Tutoring is just 40 mins twice a week. Once for Writing/Spelling, once for Maths.

I split them up in the week so he gets a chance to have a play afterwards. Would hate him to go straight from there to dinner table to bed, so this then enables him to play with his fire engines, watch a bit of tv and chill out a bit.