Short Attention Span

Reply to Short Attention Span on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:28:28 GMT

Charmaine_chong — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:28:28 GMT

Hi Leoleo18,

Have a talk with your child. Be patient and encourage him.

You may want to start the conversation like this:
1.I notice that you have been taking long hours to do your homework, shall we talk? Anything bother you?

2. Is it because writing is hard? Anything distract you? Give him sometime to think and feedback.

Try to ask him why why why in a calm and encouraging manner.

After knowing the reason, try to ask him to think of solution.

Then ask, Do you need my help? How can i help you? Do you think xxxx would resolve the issue?

If he couldnt offer solution, try to offer and get his agreement to work on.

Reply to Short Attention Span on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:51:41 GMT

cherrygal — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:51:41 GMT

Hi leoleo

Have you tried asking him why he needs so much time? Is it becoz he writes really slowly (left hander, perfectionist etc)? Maybe he has trouble deciphering the words on the board (eyesight)? Try to eliminate all environmental and health issues before concluding that he’s just distracted.

You could also show him by finishing his work quickly, he can go and play. That’s an incentive.

Are there things that he does very quickly?

Reply to Short Attention Span on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 04:13:32 GMT

Leoleo18 — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 04:13:32 GMT

cherrygal:
Hi Leoleo

My son used to be unsure too, esp for Maths. He would always ask his teacher if he did it correctly.

If I sat beside him at home, he would also try to ask me if he was correct at every step. I refused to give him any affirmation till he completed the whole exercise. I told him I would only mark once he has checked all his answers. In fact, coaching doesn't mean spoonfeeding them the answers. You should ask him \"what do you think?\" instead.

Now, I would tick the pages he needs to do, tell him to do within 30 mins, then leave the room. I would check after 15mins to see if he was actually doing the work, then leave again. Once completed, I give him a last chance to check then I will mark it.

I also praise him profusely if he gets the answers correct on his own. He beams. :lol:

Hi

Thanks for the ensuring.....
Now I realised that he is v.slow in this work. His teacher even told me that he is distracted in school.... imagine he take more than an hr to complete the task in school. I tried to let him do the same task at home... he took 1.5hr to complete. He is ask to copy from the white board 11 questions on gammar.
So I seriously don't know how to help him.
Any idea

Reply to Short Attention Span on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 02:18:30 GMT

LittlePrinz — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 02:18:30 GMT

jedamum:
LittlePrinz:
I have a slightly different problem with my 2 yr old son. Whenever I try to read to him, he will close the book and walk away. But there are many times (everyday), he will pick his book and browse on his own (he can't read obviously since he's only 2) and when I try to take over to read to him, he will close it and walk away. So I'm at a loss now. :idea:

leave your kid alone to browse the books. he may be making up stories in his head while looking at the pics.
instead of taking over to read to him, just pick another book and sit down beside him and browse or read to yourself, hoping that he will be interested to come and sit with you.

Hey thanks! You may be right. Okay I'll try and see. Thanks for the tips.

Reply to Short Attention Span on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:43:31 GMT

jedamum — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:43:31 GMT

LittlePrinz:
I have a slightly different problem with my 2 yr old son. Whenever I try to read to him, he will close the book and walk away. But there are many times (everyday), he will pick his book and browse on his own (he can't read obviously since he's only 2) and when I try to take over to read to him, he will close it and walk away. So I'm at a loss now. :idea:

leave your kid alone to browse the books. he may be making up stories in his head while looking at the pics.
instead of taking over to read to him, just pick another book and sit down beside him and browse or read to yourself, hoping that he will be interested to come and sit with you.

Reply to Short Attention Span on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 09:53:32 GMT

LittlePrinz — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 09:53:32 GMT

smurf:
my 5 YO boy also has short attention span. he is K2 now, and whenever I read to him,he wiould be very restless. and ssometimes, even after 1-2 mins (of me reading), he will yawn and look up and down. he will also look away from the book, fiddle with something he can find on his hand.

I dunno what to do, I dun expect him to read by himself, but me reading to him, also cannot.

I have a slightly different problem with my 2 yr old son. Whenever I try to read to him, he will close the book and walk away. But there are many times (everyday), he will pick his book and browse on his own (he can't read obviously since he's only 2) and when I try to take over to read to him, he will close it and walk away. So I'm at a loss now. :idea:

Reply to Short Attention Span on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 02:35:59 GMT

cherrygal — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 02:35:59 GMT

Hi Leoleo

My son used to be unsure too, esp for Maths. He would always ask his teacher if he did it correctly.

If I sat beside him at home, he would also try to ask me if he was correct at every step. I refused to give him any affirmation till he completed the whole exercise. I told him I would only mark once he has checked all his answers. In fact, coaching doesn't mean spoonfeeding them the answers. You should ask him \"what do you think?\" instead.

Now, I would tick the pages he needs to do, tell him to do within 30 mins, then leave the room. I would check after 15mins to see if he was actually doing the work, then leave again. Once completed, I give him a last chance to check then I will mark it.

I also praise him profusely if he gets the answers correct on his own. He beams. :lol:

Reply to Short Attention Span on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 02:27:38 GMT

cherrygal — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 02:27:38 GMT

Boys by nature, have shorter attention spans than girls at this age. My Ds wanted to learn piano so we enrolled him for a 1-to-1 course at a music school with a young teacher. After a month, he said it was boring. I pulled him out. Well, he can’t blame me for not letting him try ya? If he decides to take it up again later, I will let him.

To me, music / ballet lessons are not mandatory. If you have the talent, I will let you take the lessons. It’s that simple. If you don’t, then give up. It’s not like you need to know how to play the piano to survive. It’s a nice-to-have, not a must-have. And if the kid doesn’t progress till Grade 8 teaching / performer cert, it’s as good as nothing achieved.

In fact, the kid’s time could be used on more useful areas such as learning to read, mental abacus, financial knowledge, baking etc.

There’s no need to force your kids to take up music / ballet lessons to fulfill your own dreams. Go with their inclinations.

Reply to Short Attention Span on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:57:57 GMT

atrecord — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:57:57 GMT

Leoleo18:
Hi

I have a problem with my child, he is 6yrs old in K2 this year.
He cant do his work (either in class or at home independently). Meaning in school he sits beside his teacher while doing his work and will ask his teacher if he is doing correctly. His teacher did ask or go through w him in class and he is able to understand and reply but when coming to doing the work, he jz need to sit beside his teacher. His teacher told me that we need to build up his confident level in doing his work as he understand and capable of doing his work without any help.
At home I will have to sit beside him and see him work and he will also post me same question : if he is correct in his work? Sometime i realised that he is lazy to think or recall that y he kept asking how to do this and that?

Any mummies out there to advice.
Next year he is going Primary 1, no teacher will be sitting beside him to watch him... really worried.

This sounds so familiar. my DD is like this too. Now that she's in P1, she'll call either DW or myself in the morning (she's in afternoon session most days, and we're both working) to ask this and that, often treating it as a helpdesk!!

High maintenance it is. We're hoping that with peer pressure, she will see that other classmates can do homework on their own so that she will learn to do the same too.

Reply to Short Attention Span on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 14:14:37 GMT

Leoleo18 — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 14:14:37 GMT

Hi

I have a problem with my child, he is 6yrs old in K2 this year.
He cant do his work (either in class or at home independently). Meaning in school he sits beside his teacher while doing his work and will ask his teacher if he is doing correctly. His teacher did ask or go through w him in class and he is able to understand and reply but when coming to doing the work, he jz need to sit beside his teacher. His teacher told me that we need to build up his confident level in doing his work as he understand and capable of doing his work without any help.
At home I will have to sit beside him and see him work and he will also post me same question : if he is correct in his work? Sometime i realised that he is lazy to think or recall that y he kept asking how to do this and that?

Any mummies out there to advice.
Next year he is going Primary 1, no teacher will be sitting beside him to watch him… really worried.

Reply to Short Attention Span on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:37:16 GMT

atrecord — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:37:16 GMT

My DD who started P1 this year has got v short attention span, and i’m also trying to find a way to improve it. All the teachers whom we spoke to during the teachers-parents meeting from her childcare centre onwards said the same thing. in Apr, her P1 chinese teacher used a phrase i’ve not heard for a long time to describe her in class - 神游！

Now coach her for homework is high-maintenence job. The moment takes your eyes off her only, she’ll not focus. In fact, even when eyeing her, she often plays with her stationery, hair, clothes, etc…

Reply to Short Attention Span on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 04:17:11 GMT

peanut_butter — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 04:17:11 GMT

Hi smurf,

Some kids are clearly not fans of learning audibly. I had a piano student with ADD who went into daze by the 3rd word I spoke. But she doesn't hate reading. She was told to scribble a summary with a few key words on the white broad. Her mother shared this tip with me. Getting your boy to move either his body or hands might do wonders.

Alternatively, get a Suzuki teacher. The method emphasis on learning a music instrument by ear, like a picking up a new language. So there will be little reading involve initially. Learning the violin may be a better option too because the student is usually standing. Not that frustrating for an active kid.

Reply to Short Attention Span on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 06:50:33 GMT

Cherylg — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 06:50:33 GMT

is your son interested in piano in the first place?

I wanted to put my child in some music classes too when she’s older… but I wanted to wait till she have an interest first.

if no interest, there is no point putting the child in the lessons as it will bore him/her out.

Reply to Short Attention Span on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:29:17 GMT

smurf — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:29:17 GMT

Good idea. Will try it.:)

Reply to Short Attention Span on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 04:17:18 GMT

jedamum — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 04:17:18 GMT

smurf:

he can read and can recognize many words (credit to his preschool phonics), though he can't spell yet, but he can recognise.

he often choose those books which is too advance for him, and when he brought back, he wouldn't read.:(

choose books with dialogues. take turns reading.
choose books with short sentences on both pages. you read the left, he read the right. etc.
5-10min of reading is ok; i dont expect my preschooler to read more than 15min.
teach him how to use the computer in the library to search for books that he like; if he get to choose the books to borrow, chances are he will at least read it at home.
JMHO.

Reply to Short Attention Span on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 07:14:59 GMT

smurf — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 07:14:59 GMT

thanks for the suggestion. but I think my boy really hates reading. brought him to library, he is more keen in the PC (those searching for deta kind), and he will sit in front of the PC, typing, dunno what he type about, cos u need username and p/w right? he just want to sit there and type, instead of reading...

I read to him because he wants me to read to him,but after 5 mins, his mind is elsewhere, and turn his focus...and then he will wander off, leaving me reading alone...I tried not to be monotone, but no use.

he can read and can recognize many words (credit to his preschool phonics), though he can't spell yet, but he can recognise.

he often choose those books which is too advance for him, and when he brought back, he wouldn't read.:(

Reply to Short Attention Span on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 01:30:02 GMT

heyhoe — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 01:30:02 GMT

smurf:
my 5 YO boy also has short attention span. he is K2 now, and whenever I read to him,he wiould be very restless. and ssometimes, even after 1-2 mins (of me reading), he will yawn and look up and down. he will also look away from the book, fiddle with something he can find on his hand.

I dunno what to do, I dun expect him to read by himself, but me reading to him, also cannot.

My 5 year old boy is in K1 and I find that some kind of structure is very important. Normally, we will get him to play piano for 5-10 minutes on a daily basis. Then he will go thru phonics by reading his level. I'll reward him with a story book of his choice. I'll also help him with his weekly tingxie and spelling.

Thereafter, he knows he's free to play or watch tv. Hope this helps.

Reply to Short Attention Span on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:30:37 GMT

Sun_2010 — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:30:37 GMT

smurf:
my 5 YO boy also has short attention span. he is K2 now, and whenever I read to him,he wiould be very restless. and ssometimes, even after 1-2 mins (of me reading), he will yawn and look up and down. he will also look away from the book, fiddle with something he can find on his hand.

I dunno what to do, I dun expect him to read by himself, but me reading to him, also cannot.

May be the problem is that you are reading to him. His nmind is free to wander. He may not even be involved( at a mental level)
Just some tips:

1. are u reading bcos he wants u to or bcos its a good and a very essential habit?

2. Did he get to choose the book? U may need to get books that he likes - something on wheels, planes, space, anything topic that fascinates him. NLB is a treasure house, get him to choose the book.

3. If he can read words or short sentences? if so make sure for every page he reads one sentence or a few words as much as he can comfortable do. May be you could point to a slightly diff word for him and get him sound it out \"syllabilically\". Lower the bar till it is just a wee bit out of his reach.

4.Start in short sessions. When he is tuning out stop. Maybe a minium of 5 mins. Do again later if you can. Once he does his part well, a tiny weeny reward may make things attractive for him

5. Most important that i tend to forget when dealing with kids is -
Its not me AGAINST the kid.
It is me WITH them.
Together we can. :celebrate:

All said, it will be emotionally draining... be mentally prepared. Take it easy. Small steps. The effect may take time, make it enjoyable.

Gtg, will be back on some tips on improving attention span later

Reply to Short Attention Span on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:21:46 GMT

smurf — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:21:46 GMT

my 5 YO boy also has short attention span. he is K2 now, and whenever I read to him,he wiould be very restless. and ssometimes, even after 1-2 mins (of me reading), he will yawn and look up and down. he will also look away from the book, fiddle with something he can find on his hand.

I dunno what to do, I dun expect him to read by himself, but me reading to him, also cannot.

Reply to Short Attention Span on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 03:01:26 GMT

verykiasu2010 — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 03:01:26 GMT

heyhoe:
Thanks sleepy.

No, he's in 1 to 1 lesson.

too young for 1 to 1 lesson

at age 5, you don't expect him to sit still and play / learn the piano for half an hour !!

group lessons allow for interaction and less boredom and after he has progressed and grows in interest in the instrument, then introduce 1 to 1 lesson

Reply to Short Attention Span on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 02:40:42 GMT

heyhoe — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 02:40:42 GMT

Thanks, all. He's still with the same teacher. He lasted 25 minutes last week and I'm very happy.

I guess he needs lots of encouragements.

Reply to Short Attention Span on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:22:08 GMT

allamanda — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:22:08 GMT

hi heyhoe

I think you shld stop piano lessons for a period of time and focus working on his attention span.

I started piano lessons for my son only at 6+ as his attention span was short before 6.

As for my girl who has no attention span problem, she started her music lessons at 4.

try google for tips on how to improve attention span.

Reply to Short Attention Span on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 01:24:35 GMT

heyhoe — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 01:24:35 GMT

Thanks sleepy.

No, he’s in 1 to 1 lesson.

Reply to Short Attention Span on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:41:57 GMT

sleepy — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:41:57 GMT

Is he in a group lesson?

I feel that group lesson is more interesting for beginners and likely to hold chidlren’s attention better