Is there any way to get my seven year old to concentrate better with school work?

Question

He is just horrible with concentrating. From playing with his fingers, to doodling, I always have to "PUSH" him to concentrate. He always says he's a "little bored". HELP!

Answer 1

At his age the reward "punishment" game might work.  Suppose he has to write. Put a favorite candy at the end of the line.  Everytime he finishes a line he has to move the candy to the next line.  When he gets to the end of the assignment he can have the candy.  If he has to read have him move the candy to the next line or paragraph until he gets to the end.  Things like this make him realize that he has to achieve success to get a reward.  At some point he will learn to do something and concentrate because it's good for it's own sake.

Answer 2

at seven y/o he hasn't developed this skill yet. being bored is the word of the day. make sure when he is doing his work he is not in the path of family activities. people passing by will distract him. he definitely can't do his homework in his room because I know there is a tv, stereo and maybe some kind of game counsel. at this young age 15-20 min at a time would be ideal. let him take a juice break but he has to get right back to work. praise him each time he does this w/o prompting. keep adding min but at such a young age it shouldn't be no more than 1/2 hour. good luck!

Answer 3

The work must not be very interesting for him.  It's probably either too easy or too hard.

Have you tried sitting there & doing the work with him.  Not giving him the answers, but prompting him to do the next thing, every step through it?  Don't set this up as a habit, but do it as a way for you to help him to figure out where he's getting hung up, mentally, on getting the work done.

Once you've figured out what the hangup is, help *him* to find a solution that works for him.  He's got to see that the dawdling is just making the work take longer, cutting into his personal free time.  Help him to find a solution to that problem.  Ask him what he thinks will work & then help him try, then refine that plan.

Answer 4

Hi there.  I have this issue with both of my girls (8 1/2 & 6 1/2).  I have started to set the timer for 15 minutes and have them concentrate and do as much of their work as neatly as possible during this time.  When the timer goes off, they get to take a couple of minutes as a breather and then work on a different area of their homework for another 15 minutes when the break is over.  Usually they are done during the first 15 minutes.  

He may say that he is bored from not understanding the work very well, OR it is too easy for him and he is not challenged.  Either way, I have noticed that at this age they are extremely distractable.  Make sure he has a quiet space to work and minimize other siblings (if any) or things that can mess up his concentration.  

Good luck to you.  I feel for you and am right there with you and hope this helps!

Answer 5

welcome to the real world

Answer 6

This may just be a surface symptom of a deeper problem. He MAY have ADD, but please don't jump to a conclusion like that immediately (it's already a very over-diagnosed condition).

More likely, the schoolwork is either too hard or too easy for him. You should have a talk with both him and his teacher about this; if he's mentally way ahead of the material being taught, of course he'll be "bored". If he doesn't understand it at all, he may be very discouraged and not want to try it.

In general, a way to improve health and concentration is improving diet. Does he eat breakfast every day? If not, he should. Studies have shown again and again that children who eat breakfast concentrate better during the day than kids who don't. Make sure he's eating a lot of protein- and vitamin-rich food, and don't give him soda, chips, or any other junk food for a while--you may be amazed at the difference it makes! Try to get him to eat balanced meals and healthy snacks, along with a lot of water. Again, sugar may be sabotaging your efforts. Good luck with this!

Answer 7

Quick Tips for Work and School

Whether you go to work or school, when it comes to getting and staying organized, many of the same principles and productivity systems apply.

1. Get your beauty sleep.

The people with the highest productivity are always those who catch their full forty winks each evening. Determine what time you have to wake up in the morning in order to arrive at work or school on time. Then, backtrack a minimum of 7-8 hours so you know what time you should be in bed, and sleeping.

2. Never work alone--pay attentions on the social-network.  

The social-network is fatal factor for your work present and future, the social-network is the your connections in the society, it can be your parent,friend,classmate,colleagues etc.Good scoial-network can improve your efficiecy, not only on the work itself but also good for your entire future career path.(job-hunting, recruit, professional personal development,life and work advice etc.http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGkmPLtLlH0m...

The Free Insiders Referral Network of Jobs - insidersreferral is such tool for your to build such useful network.To expand and enhence your social-network and make it more useful, just go and check it up.

3. Planning power.

It doesn't matter if you're a student, or a high-level executive in a Fortune 500 company. You must, I repeat, you must use a planner--print or electronic, whatever works best for you. When you learn of a meeting, appointment, event or any other task, immediately jot it in your planner, and get it off your mind. Just remember to check your planner each and every day, so nothing is missed

4. Goals are golden.

Set at least 3 goals each month, and you'll have a clear, manageable path to stay on throughout your school year or your work tenure. Be sure those goals are specific and measurable. A school goal may be to stay at a B average or above each semester. A work goal might be to convert 5 prospects to customers each month. Evaluate your results at the end of each month. Reward yourself for goals met. Don't beat yourself up for goals not met--just commit to reaching those goals the following month.

5. Cut the clutter.

In school, you're going to get inundated with notes, tests, school announcements, permission slips, report cards, reading material and more. In work, the same thing happens with memos, invoices, customer account files, mail and so on. Keep the paper under control by

   1. weeding out the old and outdated every single day and

   2. keeping the papers you do need to keep in one area such as a filing cabinet or a binder with pocket folders. Be sure folders are always clearly labeled.

6. Fuel up.

So many people think they can get more done by skipping breakfast or lunch. But how could you work if you have low energy, or a hunger headache? These important meals provide you with the energy you need so that you can produce the highest quality work. These two meals don't have to be difficult or time consuming. Breakfast can consist of a yogurt, some fresh fruit and some cereal. Lunch can consist of a tuna sandwich with an apple, or a veggie salad.

7. Same place, same days, same time.

When scheduling, consolidate similar activities for the same place, same day and same time. If you do so, you'll always know exactly what's expected of you each day. For instance, make all of your prospect follow-up phone call in your office with the door closed, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, at 3:00PM. Or, do your homework in the library, Monday through Friday, from 4:00PM to 6:00PM.

8. Broccoli first, brownie second.

When eating dinner, most people eat their broccoli way before they eat their brownie--in other words, they save the best food for last, since they know it's the most luscious reward. Same goes for your work. Do the hardest, most grueling, least-loved work first. Then, do your easiest, more-likeable tasks last. Once the hard stuff is out of the way, the easier tasks and projects will be a breeze.

9. Pound perfection.

You can't dedicate 100 percent of your time and effort to 100 percent of the things in your life--you'll end up frustrated, tired and unfulfilled. Striving for perfection is an obstacle that prevents you from getting things done. It's rare that anything is going to be done perfectly. Instead, strive for excellence in everything you do. You'll end each day feeling good about yourself, and with more completed projects.

10. All work and no play makes Jack--exhausted!

While you're going to be busy working on tasks and projects, being involved in activities, and running back and forth to meetings, classes or events, that's no excuse for not enjoying your life. Always make the time to do the things you love to do--painting, having fun with friends, scrapbooking, going to the movies, etc.

When you have both work (or school) and fun activities planned, you're living a balanced and full life--and isn't that what living is all about?

Answer 8

My son has this issue, and we had him tested for ADD.  With the help of controlling his diet and a very small dose of medication, he is doing great in and out of school.  Good LUCK!