strategies for paying attention in kindergarten

[sanjay12]

Storytelling is a powerful way to introduce lessons. Nothing captures attention as effectively. For example, tell a five-minute story about your first roller coaster ride, and by the time you get to the topic of potential energy, every student will be strapped in and following along.

The inherent mystery in stories draws students into whatever world you create for them. And it keeps them there as they transform your descriptions into moving pictures in their head.

Stories also provide deeply layered context for students, linking their memories, emotions, and viewpoints to your lesson objectives. This makes complex ideas, like potential energy, easier to understand and remember.

[msec123]

The first strategy is exercise.

Before beginning your lesson, ask your students to stand and join you for two-minutes of light exercise. You can do jumping jacks, knee bends, twists, stretches, or your favorite yoga poses. Anything that spikes the heart rate will do.

Studies show that exercise can boost brain function, improve mood, and increase learning. I’ve found that it clears mental clutter and provides the energy boost students need to be at their best.

Once they sit back down, your students will be refreshed, rebooted, and ready for learning. Use exercise breaks throughout the day and you’ll notice a difference in your students’ attentiveness and performance.

The second strategy is curiosity

This strategy uses curiosity, which all students have in abundance, to entice them to follow along. And it’s as easy as it gets. Easy, though, doesn’t mean less effective. You can use this strategy several times a day, and it will never lose its attention-attracting luster.

The curiosity strategy starts with a promise. The teacher asks students to pay close attention, to mentally engage throughout the early stages of the lesson because, if they do, there will be a payoff at the end.

[Bluegoat]

I am not really sure how giving kids something to play with is going to improve attention.  I get how it will keep hyper kids in their seats and quiet, but are they actually listening actively?

 

Some kids seem to have a really hard time holding their bodies still.  It's like it takes a lot of energy in and of itself, so the amount of time they can do it and also focus on something is short.  Or, they get over-stimulated and need some activity to take up some of the spece in their brain to shut out that stimulation.

[Bluegoat]

Binip, my friend's daughter is a bit like that - I mostly see her at music lesson and choir, but she can barely hold still.  She constantly has to be moving or touching something.  She's very bright and verbal, but her self-regulation is on the poor side.  Her mom has told me she was like that at the same age, and i also think she is possible a little physically immature for her age and that is part of it too.

 

Recently they started learning movements for a show they are doing, and I noticed that she is actually more able to focus on listening when she is doing the choreographed movements.  I think it gives her her a sort of physical outlet that leaves room for paying attention.

 

Also, I wonder if spending some time on things like games that train self-control would help?  Things like Simon says, or Freeze Tag, and things like that.

 

It's late in the year at this point so it is likely too late, and I know cost is a factor too , but I think the direction I would be thinking is that the program is developmentally inappropriate.  I would be thinking about whether that mismatch is likely to carry on for any length of time or if it will create any seriously bad school habits.  If it were earlier I would probably look at some kind of home care situation if possible and try K again later.  I'm not sure what the options would be for you at this point, but I would try and look at even things that might seem nutty.

[arliemaria]

Swim class isnt particularly strenuous. Swimming laps is helpful, but she needs to get out in the morning and get an hour of sweaty exercise in before she begins sitting. Watch carefully to see what she is really doing...my nephews were considered adhd, and were real happy to yell and to jump all over the couch at that age and run in the house, but oddly when they came to my house they became exhausted rapidly...turned out their play consisted of a lot of stopping and talking and arguing. So, after they learned their chores (at home they did not set or clear table, assist in prep, or wash up), had breakfast conversation, went for a mile run, and walked to school, they only had the cooperation issue left...their father fixed that rapidly.

 

The pysch can help you with her need to be center of attention. You want to address that now, bc the current slang for those girls is attention ho and she will build a rep if she doesnt learn how to relate in another way. The psych can also direct you to community resources on learning to discipline effectively in a manner that works for you.

 

The boss part is easy..give her addl responsibilty. Remind her when she is overstepping into adult territory and discipline her when she continues.

 

Intellectual stimulation needs to be increased at home. Before school, after morning exercise,, is a good time to work math puzzles, listen to a read aloud, have a discussion, learn to tie a knot, etc.

 

I would be grateful to hear more about how you accomplish this.  Perhaps I am just much lazier, but I'd love to have those skills to teach these to my children more effectively.

[arliemaria]

I have two energizer bunnies and exercise didn't help.  Seating arrangements help a lot as certain seats in the classroom are just more distracting. Can she doodle in class instead of drawing on herself?  For transitions, the teacher did the loud booming "eyes on me" routine.  Lots of daydreamers in older boy's kindergarten classroom of 20 kids. 

 

I recently saw this blog post http://www.whatdowedoallday.com/2014/02/zentangles-with-5-year-old.html

 

If she is allowed to doodle in class, perhaps a simple sketch book would help when she is finished with her work she could pull out her book to zentangle.

[Tsuga]

This is a zombie thread, but I appreciate your input, arliemaria.

 

We have tried all the legal, non-marking forms of discipline that "fix things quickly" to no avail.

 

She's getting better but it's a slog. Doodling is not preferred as it distracts them but she's getting better at taking notes and I plan to work with her on that.