So I have started schooling DC [5] now that preschool is out. We are starting out slow. Just Math and Reading. We use manipulatives with her math b/c she is VERY wiggly. I have never seen her this wiggly. Maybe I have I just didn't realize it till I needed her to sit longer than 5 minutes to do something. When we sit to do reading she will last maybe 5 minutes before sliding off the couch, sounding things out wrong-even tho I know she knows how to. What do I do? She cannot sit still! She does have OCD tendencies [jumping, flapping, putting things in order, stacking etc] and sometimes the math takes longer then needed b/c she HAS to have the rods in a certain order or she can't pay attention. She is being re-evaluated by our old OT that assisted her when in early intervention but I am wondering if I need to take her to our family physician as well? A few people have mentioned she seems a little "aspie" [????]. I.Just.Need.Her.To.Focus. Is 15-20mins to much for this age? Should I break down the lessons in smaller chunks through out the day?
It really could just be too long a stretch for her at that age. My son has always been uber wiggly. The boy is constant motion. When he was little, I'd just incorporate movement into the lesson as much as I could. Also, it helps to burn the energy before you sit to do a worksheet. My son would do laps or jumping jacks or whatever to burn some off before we sat down to do any work. Since your daughter has had early intervention, though, more could be at play. I noticed you mentioned 'flapping.' My daughter does that. She has an auditory processing disorder and has a VERY hard time focusing. She wiggled a lot--- still does--- but wasn't really into big movements like my son. APD is often misdiagnosed as ADHD or ADD because of the lack of focus. However, your daughter is still SO very young to be trying out a diagnoses of those kinds. I'd just try to incorporate more movement into your lessons and maybe spread out the sitting portions over the day and for shorter periods.
I agree with the not diagnosing her. She is to young. I do know that she has Sensory Processing Issues. One of the reasons OT is coming back out. I think I am going to break her schedule up in smaller increments and add in play-doh play while working seat work orally.
I think your idea sounds good! We also had early intervention with my daughter [she was 4 months premature], and we've had to revisit some therapies over the years as well. We're back in speech now that we know she has an auditory processing disorder. You might check out the site Little Giant Steps. They have stuff to help homeschoolers who have children with a variety of learning differences that are designed to help with focus and such.
If all she can sit for is five minutes, then let her work for just five minutes. How can you incorporate what you want her to learn in math in her play? For example, make a number line outside with sidewalk chalk. Call out a number and let her run to it. If you're on number two and take two hops, what number are you on? (You're not "teaching math", you're playing outside!) If you're teaching initial sounds, write two letters on the sidewalk. Stand back at the house, call out a word, and have her run to the letter it starts with. Things like that. I've had a great book, but I can't remember the name of it. I gave it to a friend; I'll try to call her and get the name. It's a lot of informal stuff you can do with preschoolers for math.
I agree try to incorporate learning through play. I spy the letter _ while out in the car. Or hopscotch alphabet and the like. Have her draw images of what you want her to learn if she likes to draw. My DD wasn't into sitting doing sheets or reading until later. Sometimes it just takes you telling them what you want over and over and other times they are telling you with their actions what they need. It sounds like she needs to move so let her. It's a fact that the energy we have as children decreases as we age. So limiting our childrens activity levels in my mind is a bad thing. We are effectively making them less active adults by not allowing them to move as children. If that makes sense
I would attempt to do most learning through hands on active play. Work with your daughter, instead of against her. For instance, I have a student (almost 7) who has been diagnosed ADD. I find she focuses quite well on her reading, when I write the sentences on the sidewalk and let her read them from the top of a tree. Sometimes I give her a stick and let her run the length of the sentence, hitting each word as she reads it. Other times I'll write beginning sounds in a grid on the ground and say words that begin with those sounds, so she has to jump from one to another. I have her for an hour twice a week. I spend the first half hour of each session wearing her out and making her run. Then when she's got some of the wiggles out, we come inside for games and reading. I don't spend more than 5 to 10 minutes at a time sitting down. We constantly move from the couch to the table and back again. Read, play word bingo, read a bit more... I even will get the dog to sit on her lap, as the weight of the animal seems to allow her to focus better on the book. Sometimes I'll also give her something to hold in her hands, while she reads. I don't know if this little girl is truly ADD or not, but she seems to focus better when her body is engaged at the same time as her mind.
Thank you everyone! Ive pretty much decided not to do formal work in the afternoons with her. I changed reading programs [again] and this one seems to be working out better........and we literally are only doing one page at a time until it's mastered unless she already knows the information. We also are doing it only in the mornings. We do read alouds at anytime. So far this seems to be working. We also are doing most of the work on the whiteboard so she can stand, hop etc while "learning" LOL.
start with a few games like simon says or red light green light, this could get some of the wiggles out first.......... then just do a few things each day, don't make it very structured.
