Getting an 8 year old to concentrate at school?

Question

serious advice please - i have an 8 year old little boy. He has a slight concentration problem -hes extremely playful at school and when doing homework. The problem is that he knows his school work - teachers have no problem with calling on him in class because he has great understanding of the stuff thats been taught. Its just that when left alone to get down the writing of it all he starts and then his concentration wanes and he ends up doodling or playing with something .The effect is that his work doesnt get finished yet if you ask him what the answers are he can verbally tell them to you.

Any advice on what I can do to help him sit with his work from start to finish ? I constantly have to meet with his teachers and they tell me he knows his stuff he just doesnt want to put it down - he'll only do it if he has his teacher looking over his shoulder - which isnt possible all the time obviously.

serious advice please - thanks!

Answer 1

I give my son flax seed oil, one dessertspoon in the morning and the same at night. when I am consistent his teachers notice an improvement in his concentration. Flaxseed has all the fishy, good oils in them and it should help.

Answer 2

I had been going through the exact same thing with my daughter earlier this year.  After several other things that we tried didn't work, her teacher and I created a sticker chart that she would bring back and forth each day.  Every day that she completed her work she got a sicker and 5 stickers = a prize from me (something small like a happy meal or a new book).  The reward didn't have to be expensive I found, just something to work towards.  It helps keep her focused and with a chart kids can see the progress that they are making and take pride in it.

Answer 3

I don't think it's his fault. I teach children myself and as a teacher, you need to make your lessons interesting and appealing to kids. Bored children will lose their interest in school and start to disrupt the lessons, or in some cases feel frustrated.

You could ask the headmaster if other children are bored as well and if there is a chance that the teacher actually learns how to prepare a lesson.

All the best!

Answer 4

I would watch him while he is doing his work. If you are not home when he does his homework..then have him do it when you get home so you can watch him and make sure he does it. I hope this helped.

-Tara

Answer 5

Well really it depends on your child's academic level;which school district hes in.If he was in a bad school district he is might be trying to pay attention but cant because of detraction's.

Answer 6

Make sure he has a good breakfast that isn't one of those sugary cereals. He needs toast or porridge. It will help him to concentrate at school. Make sure his meals give him the long lasting energy needed for concentration

Answer 7

My understanding of the way people work, according to my education in psychology, is that we do things because we get something out of it, whether that's a joy that comes from accomplishment or a reward given for compensation in the end. For instance, most people work at a job either because it brings them joy or because they get a paycheck in the end. Kids aren't really different. Different things just appeal to them.

It sounds to me like your son is bored. The paperwork isn't interesting enough to keep his attention, and in his mind, it's not worth it to put the effort into doing the work. I'd say that the way to help him is to engage his interest and make it worth his while to do the work.

Now, what does that look like in action? At home, you could give him rewards for completing an assignment, whether that's verbal praise, a special candy treat, or time playing video games- anything that appeals to him and meets your parenting values. You could make this a weekly reward, after doing so many assignments each week- or a daily reward if that's what's needed to keep his attention.

At school, that's a much harder problem to address since the teacher can't reward him apart from other kids or spend her whole time focusing on just him and his assignments. And, unfortunately, the only solution that comes to mind is that the teachers need to be innovative enough in their styles of teaching to address the needs of each student, possibly creating assignments for him that keep him actively involved while evaluating what he knows. This isn't something that you can make them do, though.

Unless someone has any better suggestion, I think that all you can do is work out a way to engage his attention at home, and you can try to carry this over into school. For example, in addition to rewarding him for doing his homework at home, you reward him for doing his work in school as well. Since it sounds like his teachers are communicating with you regularly about this, then hopefully you guys can work together to make sure it's all done. And, remember, the reward doesn't have to be a material thing. It can be time doing an activity, hanging out with friends, or verbal praise- anything that appeals to him. And, you can do this reward as frequently as appropriate for you and the situation.

Good luck!

Answer 8

Kids go through times like this. Hopefully it is something he grows out of. You might need to hire a tooter (I have no idea how to spell it, sorry) Someone that can help your child find new ways of focusing. I didn't have a teacher that took the time to keep me focused, and I ended up entering high school with a limited education and had to learn everything on my own. You can even be the one to teach your child. A child's mind is always running a mile a minute, that is natural. But learning school work is not something they do naturally. They have to be trained to be that way. So teach him how to focus. Make it something he wants to do. I knowing having having my mom teach me was fun. Because she didn't judge me if I made a mistake. She always made me feel like I was doing the right thing in try, even if I made a mistake. Correct mistakes, but always encurage them.