Has anyone used the attention keeping tools from timberdoodle?

[Dolphin]

The exercise ball chair, thinking putty or peppermint smencils. My son will sometime take 6 hours to do an hours worth of work. I was just wondering if any of these things actually help?

[Tess in the Burbs]

No, the thinking putty led to giggles and talking, not quiet listening.

[abbeyej]

I had a student in my Latin class once who did seem to do better sitting on an exercise ball than in a standard chair. This was not a child who fell (or falls) within the realm of "normal." He's smart (brilliant in certain ways), high energy, distractible, and *extremely* quirky. :) Awesome kid. :) Very challenging to have in class, lol. Anyway, for *him* the exercise ball did seem to help. (Holding something very heavy in his lap was also helpful -- perhaps even more so.) But it was wildly distracting for other kids in the class (including two others who were highly distractible in their own rights). They wanted to roll the ball around and play. I don't know that sitting on one would have helped either of *those* two.

 

So I guess I'm saying: it *can* help -- but it may just *add* to the things that distract him. I don't know of a good way to predict. ... Holding something heavy in his lap might be easier / cheaper to try. Just put a blanket over his legs, then set a dictionary in his lap, or drape a bag of dry beans over either thigh.

[Penelope]

My kids like to play with the thinking putty, or any sort of clay, but I wouldn't say it helps with distraction. It's good for times when I read aloud, but not while they are supposed to be doing written work.

 

My ds9 did use an exercise ball (I already had one in the house, for exercise, lol) for a short time when he was 6/7 and it did seem to help. I think it was more the novelty of it. He could bounce a little while he worked.

[Wutzz]

I haven't looked at a Timberdoodle catalog in some time. But when my ds was in K - 1st grade. He could NOT sit still or concentrate on any lessons for any amount of time. An Occupational Therapist gave me the idea of using an exercise ball for his lessons. I thought it was ridiculous! But it did help him to focus and he eventually began to enjoy "doing school"

 

Hang in there. I have been there working long periods of time to get a little work done. It does get better as they mature.

[Dolphin]

Timberdoodle's is an exercise ball, but it has little legs on the bottom so it won't roll. I think I might try that over the thinking putty. Thanks for the advice.

Has anyone heard about peppermint helping with concentration?

[Satori]

We love the Thinking Putty! I usually use it for read-alouds though. We obviously don't do it when she needs to write or read something herself.

 

I should try an exercise ball at the table for fun...

[FrogMom5]

My oldest used an exercise ball from ages 7-9. It did roll, which helped him concentrate. It drove me nuts to see him disappear under the school table but, he heard and understood everything I said. We did not use the one from Timberdoodle. Ours was just the ball. I need to get one for my middle dc. He's Tigger! :)

 

Putty or any toy to roll around has been a distraction to both of my boys.

 

The peppermint smencils were a Christmas gift to my children this year. They hate them. They won't use them because, they say, they stink. Who would have thought they would have that kind of reaction to them? :confused:

 

This is not on your list but, chewing gum also helps my kids concentrate.

Denise

[Food4Thought]

Mine love the Thinking Putty. It helps DS stay in a seat, but still have something to do - good for reading history, but not for focusing on other seat work. He almost always has to be moving, and learns best when he's pacing the room. Strange, but true.

 

The exercise ball didn't work here. It was far too distracting. I like to sit on one myself, but it makes the kids go crazy.

[Lily_Grace]

We still use an exercise ball on occasion. In fact, that's the only seat in our quiet room. :)

 

Playdoh was a bust here for quiet time, but a knitting spool was a hit during read alouds. It's mindless enough work to keep the brain focused.

[HiddenJewel]

Timberdoodle's is an exercise ball, but it has little legs on the bottom so it won't roll. I think I might try that over the thinking putty. Thanks for the advice.

Has anyone heard about peppermint helping with concentration?

 

There are several studies that have been done about peppermint and concentration and recall. You could probably do a web search about it.

[historically accurate]

My middle uses the ball for speech therapy; it does help her concentrate. We also have a little pad that we can put on a chair that wiggles a little (we got that from her PT).

 

Haven't tried the thinking putty; I think it would be too distracting.

[Ewe Mama]

I found out the hard way that Thinking Putty and carpeting are not a good mix. :glare: If you have carpeting in your schooling area, I'd try something else.

[Aurelia]

Chewing gum gets the best results here. You could give him peppermint gum and see how that works before you try the smencils.

[kesmom]

I may have to try some peppermint essential oil in the room. (since we already own it)

[fatfishes]

We like the thinking putty

[Dolphin]

I have peppermint oil, I will try that. I like the gum idea too, especially as he doesn't usually get it. I could combine that he gets gum if he is focusing and working, but I will take it away if he doesn't.

 

It sounds like I don't have the only distracted kid around.

 

So, any others like mine? Sometimes he is good, focused and get things done, then he will go through a phase for a few months where everything takes 10 times longer than normal. Then, back to normal for a few months.

[HiddenJewel]

Gum can actually help a person focus because a part of his body is moving thus taking care of that need while maintaining an environment conducive to studying.

[Superfly]

We use the ballseat. Before DD would rock back and forth in her chair so much she would literally knock it over at least 20 times a day. At the very least it keeps me from feeling like I might blow a gasket. :D She is still very slow with reading activities, but I think it has helped her focus on math. I don't know how she can work while bouncing (I feel dizzy just watching), but she does get it done. We haven't tried the others. She usually doodles or tears/folds up paper while I give the lesson. During read-alouds she walks around the room or bounces on the bed.

[nitascool]

I don't know how you feel about supplements but my dss and dh have improved quite a bit by adding fish oil. We've tried the gummy kind, and the capsules... but actual oil straight from the bottle works best for us.

 

My 9yo's OT is working on finding some more methods as well. He does well with two weighted lap belts (a 22" tube separated into 3 sections with play sand inside). They are about 5lbs each. A weighted pencil has been slightly helpful as well (with the fidgets at least).

 

We do the exercise ball when listening to audiobooks or read-alouds but not for written work. Ds has low tone issues and it would be way to much concentration to sit up like that. We tried the $2.50 balls you can find at Walmart before investing in the $9.00 exercise ball. It didn't last long but it was a cheep way of seeing if it would be useful.

 

We tried the peppermint. It wasn't much help for concentration, more of a distraction, it was just way to strong a sensation for ds. Conversely my concentration queen (the 4yo) loved it.

[Spryte]

We love the ball here. We don't have the little legs, just the ball. We use it during read alouds, RS lessons, and anything that doesn't require a lot of writing. For writing, we use the regular chair.

 

Adding gum to the grocery list right now, what a good idea!

[Finnella]

I didn't get the putty because I was worried it would be too messy and/or too distracting. I got a variety of fidgets from the Therapy Shoppe, making my choices from the quiet classroom fidgets list. Those helped some and my husband also took a couple to work as he's ADD too.

 

We haven't tried the ball to sit on, though we probably will this year. My DS has days when he's standing up at the dining table with his lower body dancing non-stop while I'm trying to discuss schoolwork with him. He can get so active that I start to have trouble focusing.

[Osaubi]

We are trying classical music. dh he concentrates best when he has the tv, radio, and computer going all at the same time. Drives me crazy but it works for him. My ds is very much like this.

 

I also let him play quietly while he listens to stories or CD's. If he just sits and listens he spaces off.

 

He also thinks the best when he walks. He usually walks around me. I don't think he is aware until I tell him to stop circling me like a shark! :001_smile:

 

I will also try peppermint oil and see if that helps.