[Closed] Easily Distracted and lacks focus.

He's only 6

Can't think where he gets it from 😉
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/easily-distracted-and-lacks-focus-1

You are asking people surfing STW during office hours about focus ? 🙂

Yes. 😆

fit him with blinkers and a shock collar?

Here’s a quarter. Go downtown and have a rat gnaw that thing off your face

He's only 6

So he still wouldn't have started school in some other European countries. My tip is that the school needs to get a grip.

Obviously he's got childhood out of the way, and I'm sure he'll look back at his formative years with fondness, it's time for him to buckle down and sort out his carreer and make plans for his pension. I'd be hard on him and put a firm timetable into place and not allow the next activity to start until the previous has finished. Children of this age only undertand one thing.

I was going to say something but I noticed the advert over there.

Toppers Jnr sounds exactly like me at that age. And look how I turned out.

literally yesterday i received my lad, 13yrs, school report. said exactly that... and every report since pre-school has said the same.

good luck because we can't think of a way to sort him out and its damn frustrating.

Toppers Jnr is exactly like Toppers snr. And he doesn't know how to help him be a bit less like Toppers Snr.

Just nod and smile on parent's evening, though obviously some lego, scalextric and a train set would be the usual prescription.

Following parents evening we need to start working on his focus because he is very easily distracted.

Bit young for a focus isn't he? Maybe an Islabike would suit him better.

If it helps we got exactly the same feedback for our six year old boy.

six year old kids are easily distracted, if he's anything like his dad he'll be

hey, a plane!!

and another

He's only 6

As others, I would not pay any attention to that sort of comment at that age. Nonsense and nothing to be concerned about.

And if he is getting distracted in school, then it is up to his teachers to remove the distractions....

Lack of Focus?

Sorted.

six year old kids are easily distracted, if he's anything like his dad he'll be

I know he's only 6. I know it's too young to worry. But that doesn't stop me worrying. Cause I'm 41 and I have struggled with concentration and focus since forever. And I know it's held me back from things. And I want better for him. So if I can get some tips to help then it's worth asking. Because the schools ideas are ****ing stupid.

Focus is a pretty good option, the estate is inexplicably huge so it's great for hauling bikes, though the cabin's not as well laid out as it used to be. But he seems a wee bit young to be driving?

That exact phrase followed me through primary school in the mid 70's until it was changed to 'Lacks focus and coordination' at High School.

I survived.

C.

[quote=toppers3933 ]And I want better for him. So if I can get some tips to help then it's worth asking. Because the schools ideas are **** stupid.You're happy to accept the schools assessment but not their ideas for improvement?

he is very easily distracted.

They said the same about my middle lad.

I suggested the lessons were probably boring. Teech didn't much care for me after that.

Because the schools ideas are **** stupid.

What do the school have in mind then?

Sitting him on his own behind a partition.

Toppers Snr sounds exactly like me at that age. And look how I turned out.

Easily Distracted and lacks focus.

Sounds like my 14yr old daughter!

My eldest is 8 and is the same. He was diagnosed as high functioning autistic when he was 4ish, so he's/we're lucky that the school have got extra measures in place for him, to the extent that he's got his own desk in normal lessons.

I'm the same too (other than the diagnosis) and it's just something I've had to live with. I'm crap at concentrating on one thing, if the school are that concerned and there's no underlying reason for it then they'll have to come up with a solution.

Do 'normal' kids get IEP's? Maybe something to discuss at that time?

I think the best thing to do is... ...wonder what the weather's doing tomorrow? Might go out if it's dry... Chicken Jalfreizy Tonight, I reckon. Sorry, lost my train of thought, what was the OP about?

I find my kids classrooms to be almost perfectly designed as a distracting environment. Every cm of wall space is filled with stuff, there are mobiles hanging from the ceiling and they even have screen savers running on the screens at the side of the room.

There is also a theory that the structure of childrens TV programming is less than helpful in this respect. Can't remember the exact details but its related to the bitesized nature leading kids to have shorter attention spans.

I often like to play this to my eldest, it winds him up no end

I had the same conversation with my 7 year old last night. I asked him to put his pyjamas on, clean his teeth and clear a walkway through the lego to his bed so we didn't stand on lego in the night.

He spent a good 10mins rolling round on the floor with his feet in the air and his pants on his head, playing with a technic lego battery thing he had made.

He's smart, bright and (generally) a complete delight. Focus, though, is not a strength.

I'm told it's normal. I didn't believe it last night.

Wow. They say such things about 6 year olds?? Bloody twerps.
My kid was easily destracted (especially by the idiotic ones that made him laugh) (ie. his father) when he was a nipper. Now he's in the top 10 acheivers in the school (unlike his father) (who can't even spell achievers). (or distracted)

Another vote for

He's only 6

There are more important things than focus at that age, mental health for example. At that age you want them to want to go to school and enjoy the environment and learning. If you give him focus related performance anxiety at 6 the guy is never going to be happy.

Good at English and maths but lacks focus on writing? Sounds to me like he's not interested in what the teachers want him to write. Part of their job is to get the kids to engage. Tell them that.

I had similar with my son. He's got an awesome concentration span if he's doing something that interests him. But also lacked concentration on writing. His teachers changed what they were aging him to do and hadn't had any issues since.

6 year old boys lacking focus is hardly cause for concern.

I know he's only 6. I know it's too young to worry. But that doesn't stop me worrying. Cause I'm 41 and I have struggled with concentration and focus since forever.

I think steve-g nails it:

At that age you want them to want to go to school and enjoy the environment and learning.

As it goes, I have a 5-year old who loves reading and maths, but is less keen on writing. I'm not pushing it at all because she absolutely loves school, and the last thing I want to do is dent her enthusiasm.

My chihuahua has problems with focus. I sort it out with cocktail sausages, maybe get the teacher to try that.

How many kids with a short attention span does it take to change a lightbulb?

Let's go and ride bikes!

Toppers Jnr sounds exactly like me [s]at that age.[/s] And look how I turned out.

8)

Most primary teachers are women and expect boys to behave and listen as well as girls. Which is partly why so many boys are having adhd medicine thrown at them or why they get turfed out into EBD schools.

I was called disorganized and off with the fairies all my life and now Im a QA Officer - something that requires high attention levels.

Go figure. Teachers are mostly cockwombles.

Teachers are mostly cockwombles

QA officer?

EBD?

adhd?

Lego, Meccano, reading with parents, walking into town. Perhaps with a reward - carrot rather than stick. "Would you like to walk into town for a Mac Do' and see the Christmas lights?".

I would be suspicious of a focused 6 year old,(unless it was digging a hole with a stick) chill out

I've had similar feedback about my 5 year old. I took it to be a polite way of saying that she was a pain in the ass. Which she is on occasion! Terminating parents evening with a thumbs up and a cheery "good luck" does not apparently count as being engaged in the educational process 🙁

My sons 6 but in year 1. His teacher says that she thinks he finds it almost physically painful to sit still! I think shes right!!

Most primary teachers are women and expect boys to behave and listen as well as girls

I've asked my other half (who is a female primary teacher) and she said she is actually is aware of the diffence between boys and girls.

She also said, you are an idiot. (Which apparently a lot of boys are, so don't worry too much)

I thought you had hold of one of my old school reports 🙂

Teachers are mostly cockwombles.

Just as well you put 'mostly' in there.

Wouldn't like either a physical or verbal barny with my stepdaughter!

Sounds like teacher taking the easy option, oh its your kids fault that I can't teach him or keep him focused. These days, oh he must have a disorder!

/browsing STW at work just back from the pub at lunch 😕

Toppers Jnr sounds exactly like me at that age. And look how I turned out.

Did that feature the RAF Regt or is the rock ape username a coincidence?

OP - us too with 5yo in Year 1. As long as she's still not like this in secondary...

Been said already, but he's a boy and he's only 6.

The problem is with the school and the system really. "Targets" mean that the teaching staff have to try to ram as much into them as possible in as short a period of time. Schools with a fairly bright intake can be especially tough because what they get measured on is the improvement on the baseline at the start of the year or key stage. We noticed this when moving away from urban area to slightly posher neck of the woods I.e. The school push a lot harder.

Its sh1t really as the kids who aren't natural academics are getting turned off to learning at a very early stage. Our 6 year old is really struggling with the transition to year 1 and he isn't the only one in that year group. Parents requested a meeting to complain about the quantity and level of the homework (spelling test for 6yr old FFS!) and were simply told by the head of key stage 1 "well there's a lot to get through...."

As others have suggested, you can help by doing things at home that promote focus I.e. Building toys and drawing / painting / craft work.

My 7 years old got exactly the same feedback at parents evening, I found out his teacher had him sat on his own as he was incapable of sitting with other kids without chatting to them.

Amazingly his behaviour has improved significantly since the teacher has started a daily scorecard on his behaviour and the threat that if his behaviour doesn't improve there's no Xbox for Christmas.

He's 6, I'd be more concerned that he was happy and enjoying school at that age, school's probably worried that he's not going to be focused for the sex education and careers talks next week!!

Thanks everyone. I think my concern is he is going to get put off school because they're always moaning at him. He's very bright. Constantly scores highly with maths and spelling and is currently reading David walliams books on his own. We sit and read to him and his sister every night and always have. He will happily sit and build lego for hours. They give him shit books at school that he gets bored with so doesn't pay any attention to them. So when he's asked about the book he's not interested in talking about it so the teacher takes that as he can't process it not that he doesn't want to. He takes Ronald Dahl/David walliams/Enid Blyton books to school and sits reading them at break time (people have told us they've seen him doing it).
Anyway I'm just having a moan about it I think. I just wanted to put it out there for people to point out the obvious to me I suppose.
We've scheduled a meeting with his teacher but I'm concerned that I'm going to end up engaging mouth before brain.

Thanks again.

Parents requested a meeting to complain about the quantity and level of the homework (spelling test for 6yr old FFS!)

At my daughters school spelling tests started in reception, so when she was 4. She quite likes them tbh.

What happened to letting kids just be kids. I remember having afternoon naps when I was in primary school. Have they been replaced with essay writing? Lack of attention at six, no shit. I still get easily distracted and I'm 39. Wish I could offer some sound advice OP. My son is two and a half and has the energy of a border collie. I can't imagine him sitting down for more than five minutes.

What happened to letting kids just be kids.

Maybe he is over achieving, they just aren't doing enough to keep his interest. Most of my school time was like that, I didn't focus because I didn't need to to get the results, so did other disruptive stuff.
My answers have tended to be concise, I never needed extra paper in exams and lost out in maths exams due to not having any workings, just answers.

I used to get that as a school report all the time 😀

Was way more interested in day dreaming or what was going on outside than parrot fashion learning times tables, repetitive sums and the like.

Managed to get through A Level Maths and a degree in Computer Science. Okay, not amazing results, but then other distractions occurred 😀

I paid more attention to stuff that was actually not boring though.

Fwiw.... minivader is 8, bright and intelligent, teachers have said that if you ask him about what's going on in lessons he has the knowledge and is intelligent, works well in groups and enjoys school.... however his writing and spelling sucks, badly and it's a struggle to get him to wright stuff down. He lacks focus in class and is very very easily distracted. As far as I am concerned that's exactly how I was at school, difference being I hated it. And I haven't don't too badly they are doing autistic spectrum tests as there is asbergers and dyspraxia in both families.... don't feel bad about it, you and your lad are not alone in this!

My daughter is very smart and an avid reader but really struggles to focus enough to do her writing.

She has been diagnosed with high-functioning autism and probably has an attention disorder problem.

Might be worth just having a little read up and seeing if anything strikes a chord.

You might find the Forest School approach to learning interesting, and possibly helpful?

Having in mind that things like schema are only vague labels or ways of framing the thinking of adults, It's about looking at children's 'learning schema', and at what they naturally gravitate towards, and then tailoring their learning to that. So, rather than having maths being about sums, if they're drawn towards playing with stones - one might ask how many stones there are, and use the stones as a way of exploring counting.

It'd probably be something you'd have to focus on in your own time, unless there's a school in your area which has a Forest School as part of it.

It sounds a bit little woolly and hippy-ish perhaps, I'm naturally a little bit cynical of things which can sound hippy-ish (thanks to Dad), but it could be a good way of catching up any ground he loses within the conventional or current education system? Having looked into it, I actually ended up doing a course, to qualify me for taking children into woodlands towards helping them to develop, and to nurture a connection with nature...

It comes from Finland originally, where their approach to education is very different to our's. It's a holistic approach one might say.

There's too much involved in it to post on here (I have things to do), but you might find the approach to learning helpful. The people saying it's because he's six have probably hit the nail on the head. Young male primates don't focus as well as female ones by the way, which generally applies to human children as well... 🙂

Beware of the possible over diagnosis of 'problems' perhaps?

Did that feature the RAF Regt or is the rock ape username a coincidence?

It did, many years ago now though, as I left in 85 after 7 years. However despite having no focus and easily distracted at school, I pulled myself together and have done okay since those early days. There's more than one way to skin a cat!

TimD - I think you've onto something but the issue is that the educational mould that kids are being squeezed into is now so tight that anyone who doesn't fit is either an academic write-off at a very early age or has a "problem". They're more likely to get help with the latter - even if that help is just more 1:1 attention and a different, more flexible approach to learning.

Perhaps the teacher is just pandering to the current generation of parents need to have a fancy sounding label to attach to their kids. But haven't realised that you belong to the minority of parents who are quite happy to have a "normal" kid who is sometimes a bit lazy, noisy, distracted, bored, frustrated with being stuck in a classroom, uninspired by the work - think back, and perhaps think about how you feel about going to work some days, when it's not every work day.

If the kid functions well at home that's good. Be happy with that.

Perhaps the teacher is just pandering to the current generation of parents need to have a fancy sounding label to attach to their kids.

You sound nice.