Pokey when working independently, quick when with me

[4KookieKids]

So my 7 yo reads BA for fun and enjoys the work. When he works with me (even if I'm just pointing at the next problem and reading it aloud), he plows through it (several pages in 10-15 minutes). When left to his own devices (say while I'm busy with other kids, he sits there staring into space and barely makes it through half a page in an hour. I'm unsure what to do: limit time and just let it go (no real concerns about slow progress since he's already ahead), stay consistent and he just missed out on fun activities later when he's not finished yet, somehow find time to do all his work with him (not appealing with three younger kids), or something else.

 

Thoughts? I'm convinced it's not for lack of understanding or reading ability.

[regentrude]

That sounds age appropriate behavior for which I would not punish the child. I would simply be present to work with him for the next few years for the mandatory work and let him do any work I cannot supervise at his own pace. Expecting him to cover a certain amount of unsupervised work is setting a 7 y/o up for failure.

 

Edited July 22, 2016 by regentrude

[Arcadia]

Sounds just like my brother and my DS10. It was worth the time to tomato stake them. For example math work takes 2hrs if no one is with DS10. Just my sitting there reading these forums or a story book means he gets work done well in 30-60mins. I'm just there to redirect whether it is LA, math, science, music theory ...

 

If it is only math, maybe wake him up earlier before the youngers and do math first thing in the morning.

 

My DS10 start "school work" by 8am so most of his work is done when DS11 wakes up :)

[4KookieKids]

I think it's easy to forget how young he really is. Sigh. Thanks :)

[4KookieKids]

I think it's easy to forget how young he really is. Sigh. Thanks :)

[Arcadia]

I think it's easy to forget how young he really is

My maternal aunt has 4 kids two years apart for the first 3. The middle two are very independent and very driven. The firstborn and youngest need tomato staking until end of high school, oldest for daydreaming and youngest just want everything to be fun.

 

My DS10 has gotten better now he understands how much time he wasted by not focusing. But he still gets distracted once DS11 is awake.

[desertflower]

Yes, sometimes I forget too. He sounds like my ds. I chalk it up to that he wants me paying attention to him, so I sit with him while he does it. Not very time efficient, but hey they are only young once. Soon he will not want to do anything with me.

 

And yeah, at that rate with yonger ones, he doesn't get very far. But like you said, he's ahead. Sometimes he can do a page while traveling to grandma's house which is about a 2 hour drive. I still praise him for whatever gets done hecause the tv is on. Oh, and he wears ear muffs. :)

[4KookieKids]

Sometimes he can do a page while traveling to grandma's house which is about a 2 hour drive. I still praise him for whatever gets done hecause the tv is on. Oh, and he wears ear muffs. :)

It's true! He will fly through his work if he had it in the car! Ten minutes to the grocery store and he's done with math for the day. But an hour at home... Lol. He just lives in his own little world. :)

[kiwik]

Maybe he is just a social learner?

[Cake and Pi]

I have to sit with my 6.5yo for math (and basically everything else) as well.  I think it's normal at this age.  My 8yo has really only begun to show some autonomy in his work over the last several months, but even he still needs me to just sit with him while he works sometimes.

[SanDiegoMom]

My 10 yo does all his math by himself (1 hr). When he was 7- early 9 that never happened. I sat next to him and pointed at the next problem when he got done with one. Otherwise off to lala-land he would go!

[CAtoVA]

Also could be a personality thing. My 8 yo DD will pout and daydream if I am not sitting next to her with her work. My 5 yo DD will take the work and just do it. She thrives on doing the work "by myself."

[mommy2ella]

I've got a daydreamer, too.  What works well (when the timer doesn't panic her) is to set a timer for maybe 5-10 minutes longer than I know she needs for her assignment using full focus.  So if I give her math that should take her 30 minutes if she attends to it, I'll set the timer for 40 minutes.  Once she's finished and it's all correct and neat, she gets whatever time is left on the timer to do whatever she wants with before we start the next lesson.  If she's got a longer lesson, I'll break it up into chunks and do the same thing.  She usually finishes before I even originally thought she could, and is much more accurate, as well.