How can I help my five year-old to focus and pay attention in class or out of class?

Question

I think my daughter has ADD but not sure. She will be tested soon at her elementary. Is there anything that I can do to help her focus better and pay attention more? This is causing her a lot of problems in and out of school. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Answer 1

When I was a boy I was hyper-active,They gave me Ritalin. I don't recommend it

Answer 2

easy bribe the kid. its very effective

Answer 3

try to add reward wat they  like or smth like $ but not too much

jus try to reward and see what they does

you can reward it using$ like $2?

or $1?

or toys??????

anyway thats the way

Answer 4

There are lots of approaches to this and I've tried most of them LOL Part of it, I firmly believe, is age. My ds had HORRIBLE kindergarten and first grade years although he was clearly very bright and had no social problems with his peers. At the end of last year I took him to a specialist for evaluation and he was diagnosed as mild to moderate ADHD. The Dr said that it wasn't unusual in his age or his gender and that most likely he would outgrow it. We opted not to treat with meds but he gave me a list of other options such as seating near the front of class, asking the teacher to ask the child questions prefaced with their name ("Susie, what color is a duck?') frequently to keep them engaged in the work at hand, etc... We also bought a bottle of Focus Factor at walmart and started it 2 weeks before school. I was skeptical but he takes 3 tabs in the morning and 3 at night and let me tell you second grade has been MUCH better. Not perfect but a large improvement. I do think that he has matured some which played a part but I notice that if we take a break from the vitamins his behavior becomes more erratic and he has trouble paying attention. He doesn't know what the vitamins are for so I don't think it's a psychological reaction to knowing he isn't getting them. ((HUGS)) I know how lost and lonely it feels when teachers are telling you that your child isn't performing and you know they have the ability.

Answer 5

My son has an attention deficit.  He is negatively impacted by foods containing artificial flavors and colors.  It is easly enough to remove such foods from a child's diet for a trial period to see if it helps. Also, difficulty attending in class can sometimes be related to sensory integration problems, such as a hypersensitivity to sounds, visual stimuli, etc...  If this sounds like it could apply in your daughter's case, you might consider asking your school district for an occupational therapy eval.  Good luck!

Answer 6

How cooperative is the teacher to helping your daughter?  You could set up a reward program with her to help your daughter focus in school.  One suggestion:  Give your daughter a sticker chart (you can get them many places, but at a teacher store you can get 24 for about $2.50) and set a goal.  For every 5/10/15 minutes that your daughter stays focused and on task she gets a sticker.  For every 10 stickers or 20 stickers she can earn a reward (a toy, candy, or even just free time for 5 minutes in class-it would be a great way to give her a break after all of her hard work focusing!).  I have used this technique in class or variations of it and for many students her age, it's enough of a reward just to get a sticker!  By breaking it down into smaller time frames to focus, it will an easier, more reachable task (focusing for an hour is daunting, but focusing for 10 minutes is manageable).  Hope it helps!

Answer 7

wat my dad did for me was bribed me

whenever i did exceedingly well in school i got a gift for each class i did good in.

still works for me (since i started school)

im now in hs

Answer 8

i have ADD and i'm now in 7th grade. Everyone one says i am smarter than most others . Usually on tests, since everyone else is very quiet and I don't want to seem stupid, I try to do it and get it turned in by the time the bell rings, I'll get the second best grade in the class. Up until I got my medication my mom always made me eat a good breakfast and drink half a can of Mountain Dew. It kept me awake and aware in class. It worked for me.

Answer 9

TEST YOUR CHILD'S IQ FIRST.  AN ADD/ ADHD TEST WILL FOLLOW YOUR CHILD EVERYWHERE SHE GOES.  WOULDN'T YOU RATHER HAVE HER HAVE A HIGH IQ FOLLOW HER?  i HAVE A HIGH IQ AND MY MIND WANDERS ALL THE TIME.  I CAN'T STAY FOCUSED BECAUSE ONE THAT LEADS TO ANOTHER AND ANOTHER.  HOWEVER I HAVE NEVER HAD TROUBLE HOLDING DOWN A FULL-TIME JOB.

Answer 10

With my son I reward him every day he's good in school with something small like a treat for dessert.  Then if he's been good all week long we go do something he enjoys like go to the Discovery and Science museum.  I do allow some leeway expecting him to be perfect is just crazy.  Ever since I started his teacher says his behavior is much better.

Answer 11

Interesting fact: greenery has been shown to help girls with ADD concentrate and focus. Girls with a view of trees learned better and stayed more focused than girls with a city view. Can you take your daughter to a park right before school? Students taken on a nature walk immediately before a learning task also did better. Even outdoor time in the evening could help.