Earthmerlin Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Hi there. I have a 6 yr old 1st grader who apparently needs to work on her time management at school. I guess some assignments are not being completed on time during independent work. I'm not sure if the teacher instructs students regarding time management but I'd like to get some age-appropriate ideas to use at home. My goal is for her to transfer these strategies to the school setting. Many thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 I think it might be helpful to get some more information from the teacher. Is she working too slowly to complete the assignments? This could be a sign of a processing speed or attention issue. Is she getting distracted by other things in the classroom? Is she bored? Is the work presented in manageable pieces, so that she doesn't get overwhelmed and stop? There are just so many things that could be at play. I think the real question is not what you can be doing to help her at home, but how can the teacher structure her time and assignments better at school, so that she can succeed. There have to be systems in place in the classroom, or anything you do at home may not transfer over. What has her teacher tried so far? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freedom Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 I completely agree with Storygirl. I just want to add an additional consideration. The skills and abilities of 6 year olds is all over the place so be sure to identify the teacher's expectations and be sure those expectations are realistic for your child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthmerlin Posted February 12, 2016 Author Share Posted February 12, 2016 (edited) Thank you! I will touch base with the teacher again to see specifically what "working on time management' means to her. The only bit I got was at P/T conferences in October. The teacher said she was left alone nearly 40" to work on an assignment but couldn't finish it. Papers continue to come home with 'working on time management' written on them, which makes me wonder if my daughter's getting any instruction on how to better manage her time. I didn't care for the idea that she was left that long w/o teacher intervention--to see if she didn't understand the assignment. I myself am an instructor & don't leave kids solo for that long (& definitely not 6 year olds!)--it's best practices to check on student progress. When asked about this issue, my daughter says she gets distracted talking to neighbors. I saw her distracted in Kinder when I regularly volunteered in her classroom last year. However, she was enrolled early in Kinder & I think her young age has something to do w/ it--especially when compared to classmates who are significantly older than her. I don't think it's an academic issue b/c she grasps concepts easily & is pretty bright--hence the early enrollment. When the teacher said she had trouble mastering place value, a 20" mini-lesson w/ dad corrected that, surpassed what she was taught in school & has actually stuck! In school, she just may need a nudge in the right direction or a 1-on-1 re-explanation. My gut feeling is that the teacher is a bit overwhelmed--her 1st year teaching 1st grade--& gives mostly whole group instruction. I think it may be better at this young age to teach small groups--to give more attention & instantaneous feedback. Her literacy bag is lacking & the books don't rotate quickly plus there is barely any math or writing homework. I believe most of the homework is fluff anyway. Between that & bi-monthly newsletters, it's hard to gauge what's really going on in that classroom. The only things I have to go on are the cagey P/T conference & my daughter's pretend school play--which has her role playing a stressed, corrective teacher. I bet you can sense my frustrations, eh? I don't know how much stock I should put into the teacher's comments but I'm open to forum members' insights & suggestions. Many thanks! Edited February 12, 2016 by Earthmerlin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AggieMama Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 I'm having the same problem with my kinder daughter. I was brin told that she wasn't doing her work at school. I told her teacher to send it home and we would do it. The last week I have been using a reward system to teach my daughter time management outside of school on extra homework. She has been excited to work on assignments and more focused at school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Could just be normal behavior (I can't help but think the teacher's expectation that a 6 year-old learn "time management" is a bit...naive? ridiculous?! At the very least, 40 minutes without redirects doesn't seem very age appropriate.) OTOH, ADHD in girls often looks like "easily distracted" and sometimes also "talkative." Staring out the window and talking to friends could just be a dreamer/social type or could be ADHD. Girls are typically underdiagnosed because they don't tend to act out in the way boys might. Anyway, not saying your daughter has that, but it might be something to keep in mind. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stutterfish Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 I'm wondering if the teacher's expectations are age-appropriate? I wouldn't leave my 12-year-old for 40 minutes without an occasional check-in to be sure that he is understanding the material and on-task. I don't recall any of my kids physically able to stay in a seat for more than 20-30 mins at 6 years of age, and they certainly couldn't work unsupervised for longer than 15-minute chunks. The ability to manage academic work within a time frame probably didn't really kick-in until age 11 or 12. You can train kids to manage their time, and demonstrate tools and methods to help. However, imo they need to be both developmentally ready (i.e. they need to have a good grasp of the concept of time), and be motivated (intrinsically or externally). For many kids that doesn't come until later. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthmerlin Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 I'm having the same problem with my kinder daughter. I was brin told that she wasn't doing her work at school. I told her teacher to send it home and we would do it. The last week I have been using a reward system to teach my daughter time management outside of school on extra homework. She has been excited to work on assignments and more focused at school. Oh, cool & good to hear it! If you don't mind, what specifically is your reward system & how do you get her to transfer it at school? I'm hungry for ideas & it sounds like you've got them! Many thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthmerlin Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 (edited) Could just be normal behavior (I can't help but think the teacher's expectation that a 6 year-old learn "time management" is a bit...naive? ridiculous?! At the very least, 40 minutes without redirects doesn't seem very age appropriate.) OTOH, ADHD in girls often looks like "easily distracted" and sometimes also "talkative." Staring out the window and talking to friends could just be a dreamer/social type or could be ADHD. Girls are typically underdiagnosed because they don't tend to act out in the way boys might. Anyway, not saying your daughter has that, but it might be something to keep in mind.Thank you for your ideas. I don't think it's ADHD but I know she's a dreamer---she's got an insanely creative & active imagination. In that regard, she reminds me of myself! She also likes to socialize with friends. I am glad for the latter because she's also very shy & is just now starting to blossom socially (with peers). I think she still clams up with adults & in large groups though. This is why I believe she may sit that long--she is afraid to ask for help. Plus I have noticed that if another student is reprimanded, she is somewhat too vicariously. So if a classmate is told 'I already showed you' then my daughter figures she'll get the same response & therefore won't ask. Make sense? I'll request unfinished work be sent home in a more timely fashion (we just got 'scarecrow/ autumn' work last week, in February!) so we can complete it together. I will also try to nail down from the teacher what exactly is going on & how she deals with it--what she does, if anything, to empower the kids. My daughter & I will also continue our dialogue & brainstorming. I want this to be an opportunity for positive growth--she's highly sensitive & I'd like her to develop a good sense of self-efficacy. Thanks so much! Edited February 13, 2016 by Earthmerlin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AggieMama Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Oh, cool & good to hear it! If you don't mind, what specifically is your reward system & how do you get her to transfer it at school? I'm hungry for ideas & it sounds like you've got them! Many thanks! I'm using a ticket reward system. For every page DD completes I give her a ticket and every chapter she reads out of her book she gets 5 tickets. I haven't figured out what all the rewards will be yet, but I figure she can cash in tickets on Saturdays. I also found a princess computer game for her to play after she gets all her work done is a huge motivator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 If you are just now having material from the fall sent home to you, I really think this may be a teacher problem, not the student's problem. I would ask for a conference. An effective teacher should be able to give you ideas about what to do at home to support what they do in the classroom. And, although it is difficult, you can bring up that you would like to know more about how the classroom is managed. Can you visit and observe class one day? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stutterfish Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 If you are just now having material from the fall sent home to you, I really think this may be a teacher problem, not the student's problem. I would ask for a conference. An effective teacher should be able to give you ideas about what to do at home to support what they do in the classroom. And, although it is difficult, you can bring up that you would like to know more about how the classroom is managed. Can you visit and observe class one day? Agreed, though it sounds as if this teacher is perhaps already overwhelmed and might not be able to offer much to meet parent/child needs. I'd say that any teacher who writes 'time management' on a 6 year-old's homework isn't, for whatever reason, coming from a child-centred viewpoint. If children are being left to work for long periods, with little support, it coukd well be that the teacher is transferring her own time-mismanagement onto the children. In the meantime I would do everything I could to let DD know that this isn't her fault, that she is perfectly capable, just that the teacher is expecting too much. It's very easy for young children to feel they are a failure because of poorly-thought-out comments from teachers. Do they allow parent helpers into the classroom? Although it is not directly your problem, it could be that the teacher needs more support to enable small group interaction within the classroom. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthmerlin Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 Agreed, though it sounds as if this teacher is perhaps already overwhelmed and might not be able to offer much to meet parent/child needs. I'd say that any teacher who writes 'time management' on a 6 year-old's homework isn't, for whatever reason, coming from a child-centred viewpoint. If children are being left to work for long periods, with little support, it coukd well be that the teacher is transferring her own time-mismanagement onto the children. In the meantime I would do everything I could to let DD know that this isn't her fault, that she is perfectly capable, just that the teacher is expecting too much. It's very easy for young children to feel they are a failure because of poorly-thought-out comments from teachers. Do they allow parent helpers into the classroom? Although it is not directly your problem, it could be that the teacher needs more support to enable small group interaction within the classroom. Thank you for your insights. I do in fact believe the teacher is overwhelmed. I plan on asking for clarification regarding her time management strategies. I know quality of teaching varies per individual & experience. I, as an adult, understand the teacher's expectations may be unrealistic. However, I think it is harder for a 6 year old to see things that way--her ego is still tender--& she may internalize another's erroneous judgement. This is especially true of math--the sitting alone for 40" made her think of math as hard. This comes from a kid who loves all things math! We were able to correct that perception with the quick home tutoring session, from which she showed a renewed confidence & pride. So I truly like your suggestion of having an honest dialogue at home regarding her capabilities & how she can self-advocate at school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 This is why I believe she may sit that long--she is afraid to ask for help. Plus I have noticed that if another student is reprimanded, she is somewhat too vicariously. So if a classmate is told 'I already showed you' then my daughter figures she'll get the same response & therefore won't ask. Make sense? I agree with the others that this sounds like a teacher issue--fall work in February?!! Additionally, I'd point out that the response she is giving (to 6 and 7 year-olds) is not developmentally appropriate either. Ever had a new job as an adult and had to be shown something more than once in order to know what to do? How much more a child. I can understand that she may *think* that she's encouraging children to listen so that she doesn't have to repeat herself ad nauseum, but this really isn't going to work... Why would your daughter ask for help when she's obviously not going to get it? I think you just have the misfortune of breaking in a new teacher. I wonder if the school can do anything to walk alongside her and help her tweak some of her approaches to be more developmentally appropriate for little ones (I'm wondering if she student taught with older kids....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthmerlin Posted March 18, 2016 Author Share Posted March 18, 2016 Thanks again for all the input. I got yet another 'working on time managment' note on a paper so I've e-mailed the teacher for clarification. We shall see what the response reveals. Thanks to this community for the push to do so! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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