I need help plz with specific ways to help 9 yr old boy focus/retain during school.

[HappyGrace]

I know it is probably a common problem! But it is affecting his work, etc., and he WANTS to be able to focus more but it has become a habit to tune out. He has no attention problems or learning disabilities.

 

For example, when I am reading to him, he will just tune out and then I have to repeat it again. He is not good with details-like I can read a Story of the World chapter and he has the main idea but not tons of details-sometimes he doesn't even remember the name of the main person the story was about! (Granted, they are sometimes hard names, but he will often say "The king blah,blah, blah..." instead of "King Richard" even though I said King Richard 10 times in the story, he won't remember the name even when prompted to give it.)

 

Of course, he can tell you the price and details of every item in the Lego catalog though :)

 

One thing I am doing is having him narrate. We're doing 50 Famous Stories Retold and I read a paragraph at a time and have him narrate back. This seems to help.

 

When he knows he needs to narrate he will listen, but when I am reading an easy paragraph from the Bible during family time and stop and ask him out of the blue, now, what do you think "authority" means? (they had just used the word three times in the sentences.) He will say, what, I wasn't listening. He had tuned out on the last few sentences!

 

I thought maybe he was more visual and having trouble with auditory retaining, but the visual (reading something himself) is just so-so too. And he does need to be able to learn from auditory-like in co-op, stuff just goes over his head. If he is not interested, he just tunes it out. If he is interested, he retains. Like if it's an interesting part that he likes in Story of the World, he can tell all about that.

 

Generally, he is just not very interested in schoolwork-wants to get it over with and go play. Starting 4th grade now though, he does need to be able to focus more-retain spelling words, and so on. He has NO trouble with math-it's more the verbal stuff.

 

Basically it's almost more of an interest problem too-no idea how to deal with that!

 

What else is specific like the narration that I can do to help him focus, retain information, listen for details, etc?

Edited August 4, 2012 by HappyGrace

[Lori D.]

Perhaps the length of reading is too long per sitting to stay focused for him? Maybe try two 15-minute sessions, separated by some more active or non-auditory learning, or insert an activity related to the reading.

 

Perhaps start training DS now to take visual notes of what you are reading for the Story of the World -- have him literally draw the key points as you read, and stop and spell out names for him so he can label as you go. See an example of student picture note taking here. This will take you longer to read, because he may want you to stop for a minute while he finishes drawing one part of the picture before you move on, but this would be a VERY valuable skill (note taking) to be teaching a student at such a young age it would be worth it...

 

Perhaps give him a page with three key names/events that you will cover in that chapter of Story of the World; write a 1, 2, 3 after each, and hand him the page and a pencil; his job is to be the reporter and when he hears those 3 things, he writes a key word or phrase down after the 1, and later the 2, and then the 3, as he hears something *important* or highly *interesting* about that name/event (because that's what reporters do: report things that are important or interesting in their news or feature stories). Play up the reporter aspect. Maybe even make these pages in a special notebook, and have him wear a fedora with a "Press" badge in the hatband like they used to do back in the 1930s -- a physical reminder to him that he is now actively listening.

 

Perhaps do more "you read a page, I read a page" to have him involved in the process, AND discuss as you go to keep him focused.

 

Perhaps stop every single paragraph and have him answer a random question, since he pays attention better if he knows he "has" to listen. If he is motivated by prizes/cash/special outings, make paying attention worth his while: start the Story of the World by handing him 5 or 10 buttons or markers, and every time you randomly stop and ask a comprehension question, if he answers "I wasn't listening", or guesses wrong, he gives back a button; if he answers correctly, he gets to keep the button. However many buttons he is still holding at the end of the reading session get added to the "keep" jar", and when it is full, or he reaches a certain overall total, reward with what would be a reward for him.

 

If he is not an auditory learner, perhaps figure out what learning style is his strong style, and work in some supplemental materials that are his learning style and see if that helps with initial exposure to material -- documentaries, feature films set in the time, hands-on activities, etc. -- and during the activity discuss key facts you want him to retain as part of the activity process to link the facts with the hands-on -- or talk about the documentary/film afterwards. Here's a link to figuring out learning styles.

 

 

And, yes, BOTH my DSs had the same lack of interest in learning -- school was a boring and necessary evil that had to be gotten through before they could do what they lived for (Legos, jumping on the trampoline, running around outside with friends....) ;) BEST of luck! Warmly , Lori D.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Lori D.

[HappyGrace]

YES!!!!

 

Lori, I am printing this post out-these are definitely things that sound like they could work. I love every idea!! Thank you so much for writing all that out.

 

I will have to put it in my folder with the rest of the "Awesome Lori D. posts" that I have. :D

[PeterPan]

http://www.staples.com/Ampad-Greencycle-Reporters-Notebook-4-x-8/product_761049 They sell reporters notebooks. I just bought my dd some. Might be fun with your theme. :)

 

You might also give him something to do with his hands or get him in motion while he's listening. That was about the age I gave up on read alouds for dd entirely. Not sure how the co-op argument is very helpful. If they're teaching in a way that isn't going to connect, don't bother to put him in. I mean seriously, at some point you stop plowing against how the kid is.

 

BTW, you said he has no attention problems, but this sure sounds like one. (not what you wanted to hear, sorry) They can check his working memory, etc. Maybe his IQ is just bolt-high and he's bored, but more likely it's attention, working memory, etc.

[HappyGrace]

Cute notebooks-thanks!

 

I think he is mainly just tuning out when bored. He can tell me every word when it's something he's interested in from what I read. Talk about a battle in SOTW and he can recite the whole thing, no problem :tongue_smilie:

[PeterPan]

Sounds like you should read only the battles. Political battles, war battles, food battles, kill the mathematician battles... I'm all for gender-biased instruction. :)

[HappyGrace]

It is amazing how different it is with a boy.

 

You will see very soon, OhE!!!!!!

[EmmaNadine]

Cute notebooks-thanks!

 

I think he is mainly just tuning out when bored. He can tell me every word when it's something he's interested in from what I read. Talk about a battle in SOTW and he can recite the whole thing, no problem :tongue_smilie:

 

This differentiated ability is very typical of attention disorders.

[PeterPan]

This differentiated ability is very typical of attention disorders.

 

Yeah, but there's no attention problem. :lol:

 

I'm just laughing, because no matter how you peel it, a banana is a banana... You know I love ya' Happy. :)

[Mmoodies2121]

If I didn't know better, I would think you were talking about MY son. What you described with SOTW sounds exactly like days we've had here! Only when mine tunes out and doesn't get the details, he just makes up his own version. Sometimes his are more interesting, but that won't get him credit when it counts :)

I've also noticed at times when I think he has completely tuned out and isn't even on the same planet as me, he'll end up practically reciting verbatim what I just read! I can't figure him out but we've not been at this long either so I'm interested in following this thread.

[One Day At A Time]

Mmoodies - It sounds like you and I may be sharing the same child... More than once I would have bet money that he had not heard a word I had said, but when I asked him, he knew exactly what I had read. Other days I can ask and it's like he wasn't even in the same room with us... :banghead:

[Targhee]

Sounds a LOT like my oldest (DD9). She is not an auditory-sequntial and so reading things to her (or just telling things to her) when they don't have any particular interest to her is very ineffective. She to can memorize details of obscure things and focus when she is interested (even hyperfocus). So I have to get to her with visual things. Even allowing her to color/draw or otherwise create while I read results in better retention. Having pictures to look at is always good, and videos are wonderful! I don't have a bunch of great ideas or anything, mostly I just wanted to say that you (and your DS) are not alone :001_smile:

[HappyGrace]

Attention problems, attention disorders, or just a 9 yr old boy preferring to do something else?

 

Hard to tell!

 

I have no attention problems but totally tune out when dh starts discussing the internal mechanisms of the machines he works on. He's worked on the same machines for 10 yrs and told me about them every day and I still couldn't tell you one thing about them because it doesn't interest me. My mind floats away to something else. His does the same thing when I start talking curriculum. :D

 

Anyway, I will see if maturity and trying some other things to help him makes any difference when this school yr starts; if not, seek some help.

[PeterPan]

Happy, in all seriousness, one way for you to screen to see if it *might* be an issue would be to pick up the book "Late, Lost, and Unprepared"... It has lists comparing neurotypical and ADHD/executive function deficit development. You'll see more ways it shows up. You probably also have a few misconceptions about attention issues. Kids with ADHD can focus just fine at times. They just check out when they AREN'T hyper-focused. So it's no shock he can hyper-focus. The issue is when he WANTS to attend for you and 3 sentences later is checked out.

 

But anyways, that book would be an easy way for you to sort through it for yourself. There are also screening tools (questionaires) your ped can do. I wouldn't accept a *diagnosis* based on that, but absolutely it's something your ped could screen for. Takes a few minutes and it's a screening tool almost every practitioner we've been to (ped, OT, ST, etc.) does. So next time you go to the ped request it.

[foxbridgeacademy]

This sounds perfectly normal for a 9 year old boy. One easy trick is to physically describe the character, show him a picture and ask him ..."now what was his name again?" Do this before you read the story.

 

He is going to be distracted, he is going to need constant reminding and repetition, it does get better.

 

He may have an auditory issue similar to mine, I need to look at a person's face when they read to me. They need to modulate their tone of voice up and down, like you would in a conversation.

 

In the end don't get too frustrated with him, I did with my son and I think it hurt his confidence in himself. Good luck.

Edited August 5, 2012 by foxbridgeacademy
spelling

[Lily_Grace]

I had success with getting mine to get his hands in the story. Either acting out the story at the same time I was reading/telling, or doing an activity that directly related to it - stamping with individual letter stamps when talking about Gutenberg or coloring the pieces of a Viking ship to put together when he was finished.

 

When all else failed, I grabbed a second copy and he read silently while I read aloud.

[HappyGrace]

Happy, in all seriousness, one way for you to screen to see if it *might* be an issue would be to pick up the book "Late, Lost, and Unprepared"... It has lists comparing neurotypical and ADHD/executive function deficit development. You'll see more ways it shows up. You probably also have a few misconceptions about attention issues. Kids with ADHD can focus just fine at times. They just check out when they AREN'T hyper-focused. So it's no shock he can hyper-focus. The issue is when he WANTS to attend for you and 3 sentences later is checked out.

 

But anyways, that book would be an easy way for you to sort through it for yourself. There are also screening tools (questionaires) your ped can do. I wouldn't accept a *diagnosis* based on that, but absolutely it's something your ped could screen for. Takes a few minutes and it's a screening tool almost every practitioner we've been to (ped, OT, ST, etc.) does. So next time you go to the ped request it.

 

Thanks, OhE-I will ck it out!

[Harriet Vane]

My ds often needs to do something with his hands while he is listening. He has a variety of craft projects he works on--latch hooking a soccer ball picture, weaving a plastic lanyard, whittling, even cross-stitch. (He just doesn't tell his friends he likes to stitch! ;-D)

 

Also, ds needs a lot more exercise than I ever thought possible. Seriously. He's eleven years old, and he is a bear to deal with if he hasn't started the day with a serious workout and then had lots of vigorous activity throughout as well. Often I make him go jogging first thing. Roughly every two hours he has to go outside and skate board or play tag or skate or kick a soccer ball or whatever. His ability to focus is markedly better the more exercise he gets.

[Katy]

Sounds like inattentive type ADHD to me.

[Hedgehogs4]

My 9 yo (now turning 11) did (and still does) much better with silly putty. I know a pp mentioned doing something with their hands, but it's really true--it helps them to "organize," to use the technical term. He's able to pay closer attention to the details if he feels like he's playing, too.

 

Another thing that was very effective for retention for my son was lap books. I know that for all boys this may not be a fit, but the way we went about it was great for him. He was not a coloring / drawing kind of kid, but he enjoyed doing crafts, so he LOVED lap books.

 

When we cover a particular topic I ask him which elements of that he is most interested in. Then we sit down together and pick out mini-book shapes that he likes, and then I have him recall / research / write on the topic. It forces him to slow down with the material, take pride in finding out more, and practice good writing and handwriting skills. If he narrates something to me I used to type it out for him, though now he is more than capable of doing that himself.

 

I have several articles on my blog about how I've done lap books with him. He said he's looking forward to doing them again this year, so apparently he hasn't outgrown them!

[umsami]

Have you tried a standing desk?

 

May seem strange, but we're trying it with my almost 9 year old this year. There are a few studies out there that say it really helps kids focus.

 

I would probably try rigging one at first...to see how it goes...before investing. :)