Active 6 year old having trouble staying focused in school

[supermom101]

Hi again,

I am here to post on yet another issue affecting one of my many children :razz:
I have a 6 year old who just started Grade 1 in French immersion this September. He was in Montessori for JK and SK, where I know he was getting more individualized attention and I think that since he is now in a classroom with 24 students and 1 teacher, that may be affecting his performance.

He is already a pretty active child, and is forever running around and playing with his siblings. He NEVER slows down unless he is extremely tired. I have enrolled him in martial arts in order to up his level of discipline and focus, but have noticed that even at home he has a hard time focusing on one task for even 3 minutes without getting distracted.

Now, his teacher is starting to send home notes that he is having a hard time finishing his work unless she is sitting right next to him. And it's not that he doesn't understand the work or French, because he was learning it perfectly at Montessori. I ask him why he does this, and he says that the work is boring. And I'm like "yikes!" because he has at least 11 years of school to go!

Does anyone here have this kind of issue? And if so, how do you deal with it? How do you increase a child's level of focus at school if you are not even there?

Suggestions/advice are appreciated!

[D-Roc]

Adhd

[nalababe]

Adhd

There would be other tell tale signs and signs would be present before and after school and would have been noticed by now. They should have also noticed a hyperfocus which is a key characteristic as is a very limited or nonexistant impulse control. Our concerns were not that he wasn't sitting still, rather he was a potential danger to himself and others.

If that is what they believe, go see a specialist. Wait times are upwards of 6-9 months at this time. Also, keep in mind, most drugs are not tested on kids 6 and under.

There are many strategies that are used with ADHD. The challenge is that as a kid, it is hard to reason.

FTR, our son has been through the evaluation process (3 months plus of testing) and has been identified as ADHD and Gifted. Going through the process, no one has any question that I would have tested similarly when I was his age....

School may be a challenge...or may not. The key is to work with them regardless. Now, there are many job where many of the attributes can be beneficial. Hyperfocus, explosive energy at times, ability to process activity in chaos...ER Doctor, Technical Support/Application Support, Trader....the key is to work to strengths...

[susan123]

That is going to be my concern in the next year or two! My children attend a very terrific preschool/daycare and when I do switch them to public school for grade 1, I fear they may become bored. They are already reading and writing and having so much fun! To then sit in a classroom where they are going over the basics will be tough. Same with the level of activity. They are used to a classroom of 16 with 2 teachers and lots to keep them involved and where good manners are expected and practiced. I find even in this school when the younger set get moved up into their classroom, they know the expectation changes slightly and we see them conform to the "new" classroom. To then go to a class of 24, who are just starting out.....Ohhhh how I wish I had some advice! But am hoping to listen in to gain a game plan for when I get there!

[bionicbadger]

remove sugar and processed foods containing glucose/fructose from their diet.

[getmail99]

remove sugar and processed foods containing glucose/fructose from their diet.

+1, and food additives.

[volan]

The first thing you should do is see a pediatritian to have him formally checked for ADHD. Make sure that a proper test is done not just some doctor who looks at him and make a pronouncement. A proper test takes input from parents, doctors observations and input from teachers.

Secondly, keep him away from sugary and starchy foods so cut down on juice, candy, bread, etc. You will find it makes a big difference.

Third, Make sure he gets enough sleep. My 6 year old goes to bed at 7pm and wakes up at 7am. He doesn't necessarily go to sleep right away but he's definately getting at least 10 hour of sleep. If he doesn't get enough sleep he gets to be a handful.

Fourth, make sure that he is engaged at school. If he can read and the rest of the class is just learning their letter sounds he is going to cause trouble. Best thing in that case is to talk to the resource teacher and have him/her take a look and recommend some individualised work, or transfer him to a school where they can challenge him more.

I'm telling you the above because I have a 6 year old who has trouble paying attention and focussing. He is currently being seen by a pediatrician for the purposes of testing for ADHD. He does not eat much candy except as a treat once a day if he's been good. He has one glass of juice a day, the rest of the time he drinks water, he gets plenty of sleep (but even then gets tired after a full day of school) and he goes to a school where they offer individualised support and curriculum acceleration. When my son is challenged he is able to pay attention and concentrate but for everyday things like, "go and put on your jacket and shoes" he'll get distracted and not have done that. That's somewhat common in boys that age but very common for children who are interested in their environment and want to investigate things.

[Mother of Three]

According to the Ontario College of Psychologists, roughly about 10% of children diagnosed with ADHD are TRULY ADHD. The rest...well...
Be very careful about seeking such a diagnosis from just any psychologist.

A lot of parents want to believe that their child is "bored". A gifted child is never bored. If he/she is truly smart or gifted, he/she will find something to be engaged in. If you want to challenge your child, you will need to do this yourself. The school will not create a separate program for your child because you think he/she is bored.

A more probable cause might be the inability to cope with a "structured" environment. Keep in mind that Montessori schools operate differently. Children are used to learning at their own pace with a bit more physical freedom.

In public school, children are required to sit quietly for a lesson and then complete a task with some degree of independence. The lesson can last anywhere from 20-30mins. That's a long time for a six year old child who may not be used to it. When my kids were in Montessori, it seems that free time as all the time. Not so in public school - especially French Immersion.

IMHO, French Immersion schools are not very tolerant of children who do not "fit the mould". My 11yr old was deemed "difficult" in grade one and received C's and D's on her report card. They had her on a growth plan and we were meeting all the time. We ignored the school's complaints and in grade 3, she passed the screening for giftedness. She just didn't want to conform. Still in French Immersion.

Diet - as noted above - is helpful. Omega 3 is also useful.

Coping Strategies - you may want to role-play with your child to better understand how he/she really behaves at school and use that as a springboard to guide/coach proper classroom behaviour (hands to yourself, stay in your seat, eyes on me/teacher). Trust your instinct as a parent.

BTW - the max number of students in primary grades K-3 is 20 students. It's one of McGuinty's new mandates. Why 24 at your child's school?

[volan]

A lot of parents want to believe that their child is "bored". A gifted child is never bored. If he/she is truly smart or gifted, he/she will find something to be engaged in. If you want to challenge your child, you will need to do this yourself. The school will not create a separate program for your child because you think he/she is bored. The thing that a smarter than average child will do is get engaged in something that disrupts the class if they are not properly directed. He/She will bang on the table, start talking, read things aloud, start singing, walk around the classroom looking for something to do, etc. Schools have resource teachers to help those children at the upper and lower end of the spectrum. The resource teacher should and will evaluate the child and then will recommend a course of action which could include pulling the child out of class for some additional help or for some other type of stimulating work.


In public school, children are required to sit quietly for a lesson and then complete a task with some degree of independence. The lesson can last anywhere from 20-30mins. That's a long time for a six year old child who may not be used to it. Any teacher worth their salt will not try to make a grade 1 child sit for 20-30 minutes. It's impossible!!! Of course there are some schools that do that (like TLC in Calgary) but most other schools have short periods of instruction followed by long periods of time where the child can work on their lesson. There should be a lot of motion and always a little noise in a grade 1 class.

[nalababe]

According to the Ontario College of Psychologists, roughly about 10% of children diagnosed with ADHD are TRULY ADHD. The rest...well...
Be very careful about seeking such a diagnosis from just any psychologist.

A lot of parents want to believe that their child is "bored". A gifted child is never bored. If he/she is truly smart or gifted, he/she will find something to be engaged in. If you want to challenge your child, you will need to do this yourself. The school will not create a separate program for your child because you think he/she is bored.

A more probable cause might be the inability to cope with a "structured" environment. Keep in mind that Montessori schools operate differently. Children are used to learning at their own pace with a bit more physical freedom.

In public school, children are required to sit quietly for a lesson and then complete a task with some degree of independence. The lesson can last anywhere from 20-30mins. That's a long time for a six year old child who may not be used to it. When my kids were in Montessori, it seems that free time as all the time. Not so in public school - especially French Immersion.

IMHO, French Immersion schools are not very tolerant of children who do not "fit the mould". My 11yr old was deemed "difficult" in grade one and received C's and D's on her report card. They had her on a growth plan and we were meeting all the time. We ignored the school's complaints and in grade 3, she passed the screening for giftedness. She just didn't want to conform. Still in French Immersion.

Diet - as noted above - is helpful. Omega 3 is also useful.

Coping Strategies - you may want to role-play with your child to better understand how he/she really behaves at school and use that as a springboard to guide/coach proper classroom behaviour (hands to yourself, stay in your seat, eyes on me/teacher). Trust your instinct as a parent.

BTW - the max number of students in primary grades K-3 is 20 students. It's one of McGuinty's new mandates. Why 24 at your child's school?

We have a child that has gone through the formal testing (pediatric specialists) and the recommendation was ADHD and an expectation of Gifted. Our challenge is simple, not to be discouraged in school. Once he is older and can implement coping strategies he will do fine (like his father)...but as the doctor pointed out, coping strategies and reasoning are difficult with 6 year olds.

For us, French Immersion was ideal as it forces the brain to work (a form of enrichment). In fact, with the system that is in place, it is a perfect environment for those that don't fit the mold...once done, he can go and read as much as he wants (hyperfocus is a strong with ADHD), they also spend more time singing as it. At least that has been the experience so far.

As for children, another challenge for the parent is to find where they can be successful. Our son did not care for soccer so it was an abject failure. Now we have found that another language (Mandarin) and Music (accepted into a very good choir) are things he loves...and therefore in kicks the hyperfocus. Once they learn they can focus, the challenge is to show them how to transfer to other day to day activities.

Adding....with any good ADHD treatment plan, the goal is not to medicate to have the person sit still, force them to concentrate or stop fidgeting. The goal should be to control the impulse control...even a split second could help them make the right decision.

[pitz]

Yeah I used to be like that. I suppose nowadays, they would have labelled me ADHD and put me on whatever fad or tranquilizer that is being pumped by big pharma.

What did they do to me? Put me in advanced classes, along with similar kids who were statistically far smarter than everyone else, according to some form of standardized test.

There are proper psychological tests for this, and I am very glad that school administrators used them on me, instead of just writing me off as a mental ****** (a diagnosis I had previously, albeit erroneously received, which was due to a disability, not a lack of intelligence...).

[TWDM]

The thing that a smarter than average child will do is get engaged in something that disrupts the class if they are not properly directed. He/She will bang on the table, start talking, read things aloud, start singing, walk around the classroom looking for something to do, etc.

They used to have a solution for this. Something called the belt. It's been putting manners and common sense into children since the 1900's, but sadly we've been passified by modern society.

I'm sorry but for me being bored does not give you the right to be rude. It all comes down to parents learning to teach their children proper manners instead of just labeling their children as ADHD and using it as an excuse.

[setell]

They used to have a solution for this. Something called the belt. It's been putting manners and common sense into children since the 1900's, but sadly we've been passified by modern society.

I'm sorry but for me being bored does not give you the right to be rude. It all comes down to parents learning to teach their children proper manners instead of just labeling their children as ADHD and using it as an excuse.
I think that is so true. I've never encounter a kid with ADHD (or maybe have ADHD) till recently and holy cow...that kid had energy. The parents nor the grandparents knew how to control the kid. They didn't know how to redirect the child's attention/focus and how to teach/control a kid with that much energy all the time. At the beginning I was seriously wondering how much of a brat the kid was as he was giving me a headache with him jumping on the floor, banging his toys, scraping his toys against the hardwood, yelling etc. I was able to have a very well constructed converation with this 4 year old kid in English when nobody around him speaks English (also got him to quiet down and behave as I steer him into unknown territory which is test out his English). The kid is intelligent just has no means of exerting his interests elsewhere so he does the "typical" kid things by being this loud brat.

I hope my future kids don't have ADHD as it'll be a lot of work as the parent to redirect your child's focus since it isn't the school's responsibilities but yours.

[volan]

They used to have a solution for this. Something called the belt. It's been putting manners and common sense into children since the 1900's, but sadly we've been passified by modern society.

I'm sorry but for me being bored does not give you the right to be rude. It all comes down to parents learning to teach their children proper manners instead of just labeling their children as ADHD and using it as an excuse.LOL!!! Your post made me laugh!!! I assume you're joking right?

Giving the kid the strap because he's bored does not teach them to behave it only teaches them that school sucks!!! To a 6 year old, they don't know they're being disruptive, they're just trying to keep themselves busy. Really the fault is with the school board for teaching to the middle. If you're too bright, or not bright enough you're out of luck. You're labeled as a trouble maker and as a kid with ADHD. It's really sad.

Luckily in Alberta we have charter schools and if the regular school system doesn't work for you then you have the option of a charter that can cater to your child "unique" circumstances.

[supermom101]

According to the Ontario College of Psychologists, roughly about 10% of children diagnosed with ADHD are TRULY ADHD. The rest...well...
Be very careful about seeking such a diagnosis from just any psychologist.

A lot of parents want to believe that their child is "bored". A gifted child is never bored. If he/she is truly smart or gifted, he/she will find something to be engaged in. If you want to challenge your child, you will need to do this yourself. The school will not create a separate program for your child because you think he/she is bored.

A more probable cause might be the inability to cope with a "structured" environment. Keep in mind that Montessori schools operate differently. Children are used to learning at their own pace with a bit more physical freedom.

In public school, children are required to sit quietly for a lesson and then complete a task with some degree of independence. The lesson can last anywhere from 20-30mins. That's a long time for a six year old child who may not be used to it. When my kids were in Montessori, it seems that free time as all the time. Not so in public school - especially French Immersion.

IMHO, French Immersion schools are not very tolerant of children who do not "fit the mould". My 11yr old was deemed "difficult" in grade one and received C's and D's on her report card. They had her on a growth plan and we were meeting all the time. We ignored the school's complaints and in grade 3, she passed the screening for giftedness. She just didn't want to conform. Still in French Immersion.

Diet - as noted above - is helpful. Omega 3 is also useful.

Coping Strategies - you may want to role-play with your child to better understand how he/she really behaves at school and use that as a springboard to guide/coach proper classroom behaviour (hands to yourself, stay in your seat, eyes on me/teacher). Trust your instinct as a parent.

BTW - the max number of students in primary grades K-3 is 20 students. It's one of McGuinty's new mandates. Why 24 at your child's school?

Thank you for your input and suggestions. Although Montessori allowed my son a bit more freedom wen it came to working at his own pace, they still had certain periods when the class was required to sit still (Eg. circle time, walking the line, book work, etc) so I dont think that his problem is adjusting to a structured environment. I will try with the role playing and will cut down on the juice intake to and see if this will help.

They added four new classrooms last week, so now his class size is down to 19 :)

[supermom101]

The thing that a smarter than average child will do is get engaged in something that disrupts the class if they are not properly directed. He/She will bang on the table, start talking, read things aloud, start singing, walk around the classroom looking for something to do, etc.

This is SO my son! lol

And the comment about the belt - hm, I don't really think that would help too much, but I know what you mean about children not being respectful. It is up to the parents to teach their children manners, but when my child is bored that is just what he does. And I'm not quite ready yet to label my son as ADHD, and think that this label has been improperly diagnosed for children with a lot of energy. Someone recommended a book to me by the name of "The Diseasing of the American Child." I'm putting this one on my list of books to read this week!

[CSK'sMom]

As the Mom to 2 fully diagnosed ADHD'ers I will add a different perspective to this. We've been through both early and late diagnosis. From an educational perspective an early diagnosis is far better with better outcomes. I would highly suggest you approach the school and be open to a frank discussion. You need to be open and not defensive is key. Hear the school out and listen to what they are seeing. They cannot diagnose but I'll say they are generally fairly accurate due to experience. The school ERT/LRT will have probably picked up on any possible learning disabilities as well or will soon. Statistically learning disabilities and ADD/HD usually co-exist. There can be other issues that would be diagnosed by other professionals like central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) or visual processing issues. Both of these are fairly common with ADD/HD'ers as both are brain processing based.

Now I'll say this. ADD/HD is not something one should feel ashamed of if their kid is diagnosed. Would one feel that way if their child was diagnosed as diabetic? Would one deny their diabetic child treatment? I would hope not yet parents routinely do with ADD/HD which astounds me. The sooner the true ADD/HD'er is diagnosed the better they will do in school and in life. The social issues are generarally far more profound than the educational ones and longer lasting. Coping skills are learned over time, but this takes years and is trial and error for the most part.

[TWDM]

LOL!!! Your post made me laugh!!! I assume you're joking right?

Giving the kid the strap because he's bored does not teach them to behave it only teaches them that school sucks!!! To a 6 year old, they don't know they're being disruptive, they're just trying to keep themselves busy. Really the fault is with the school board for teaching to the middle. If you're too bright, or not bright enough you're out of luck. You're labeled as a trouble maker and as a kid with ADHD. It's really sad.

Luckily in Alberta we have charter schools and if the regular school system doesn't work for you then you have the option of a charter that can cater to your child "unique" circumstances.

No, I'm not joking. I'm saying to discipline them for being rude, not disciplining them for being curious. It's just like Pavlov's Dog. If you're rude and start banging on things, then you will feel pain. If you don't want to feel pain then stop banging on things. It has nothing to do with school. It should be enforced everywhere that child is, including the home.

[volan]

A child will not learn to behave because you hit them, they will learn to hate school because it does not meet their needs and on top of that they get hit. You're obviously not understanding the issue here.

[nalababe]

No, I'm not joking. I'm saying to discipline them for being rude, not disciplining them for being curious. It's just like Pavlov's Dog. If you're rude and start banging on things, then you will feel pain. If you don't want to feel pain then stop banging on things. It has nothing to do with school. It should be enforced everywhere that child is, including the home.

Or if they are smart, they will realize that there is only a small price to pay for doing what you want.

Our son, who is ADHD, does not handle transitions well. At the begining of this school year, he was in the VP's office 4 times within the first two weeks. The VP said with our son, it was a particular challenge: one he was not affected by having to go the office (other kids were horrified) and really it just gave him another change to work quietly or read or talk. The other challenge they faced was that they had to remember they were dealing with a 6 year old, not a 9 year old (which is his conversation level)...though his impulse control is that of a 4 year old.