My son is 3 1/2 years old. His preschool teacher has some concerns about his comprehension.?

Question

He does not misbehave,nor are there issues when playing with other children or by himself. He speaks very well and has a great vocabulary. I was surprised and concerned at the feedback from the teachers. I have observed the behavior that drew the response from the teachers - he doesn't pay attention to instructions, he gets distracted, his mind wanders and he doesn't follow through on the activity or assignment. He eventually does get it done, on his own terms. What steps can I take on my own to explore whether this is truly a comprehension issue or some other issue worthy of attention and action....or whether this is an overreaction by the teachers to typical 3 1/2-year-old distractions and behaviors?

Answer 1

He is 3!!! Almost all kids are like that. But if this behavior continues, and you get the same feedback when he is at 6 and 7, he might have ADD, or ADHD. Your doctor can do a test for you. AD(H)D is not really a big factor in kids lives, but can be frustrating at times. Have patience, and keep in mind that for now, he is just a normal kid.

Answer 2

Your question is a good one. Review the information in Cocastar...'s answer.  She is correct about three-year-olds having a short attention span and how the classroom should look.

I would consider having his hearing screened especially if he's had lots of colds, allergies, or ear infections.  If he talks well then he hears well but he may not be hearing the teacher over the normal classroom noises.

Is your son one of the younger boys in the class?  Is he in a class with other three's or, has he been enrolled late in the year with a group of four year olds?  This is sometimes done in preschool programs that have attendance based grant funding.

Did the teacher actually use the word "assignments?"  I find that a little disturbing in a pre-school setting.

I encourage you to visit, www.naeyc.org to get a good understanding of what a pre-school program should look like for three-year-olds.   Also look for lists of developmental skills and age appropriate activities for three's.  Do they match up with what's going on in your son's class?

I'd make notes (as you have done) about the teachers concerns.  Do you see the behaviors at home?  Does he follow your directions?

You have said that your son gets things done on his own terms eventually.  That's inconvenient for us teachers, but it doesn't mean there is something wrong with your little one.  He's 3 1/2 not 12.  

I assume that if he's attending pre-school now, he'll also be attending another group next year.  You have time to educate yourself this summer.   If you hear these same sort of teacher concerns in the fall,  then I'd consider calling in an early childhood interventionist to observe your son and and see whether a complete evaluation is appropriate.

Has your son had a pre-school developmental screening?

Ask the teacher about this if you don't know.  A screening will tell you if your little one has the skills he should for his age.  We screened our kids within 60 days of entry into our program.   It helped us to know where some might need a little extra attention.  There are games and activities you can do with your son at home that will help him learn to focus on the task at hand.  Your son's teacher should be able to help you with this.

Answer 3

I would definitely be concerned and aware. There are guidelines on this sort of stuff along with appropriat ages for attention span, etc.  He could be showing a lack of interest b/c of boredom or perhaps it's difficult for him. It could be a control thing.  It could be comprehension as well.  A good thing to look at is does he perform the task efficiently and appropriately with one on one attention.   If he does it with one on one attention, you could propose smaller groups to the teacher.  Work with him at home on firm tasks...things that are easy for him, and then try harder. Always end on a positive though!  I think it's important to listen to the teacher's advice as they do often know what they're talking about...but do not be completely submissive, you are right to find out more on your own. good luck.

Answer 4

I have twin three year olds (2-17-04) they almost never do things the first time I ask!  I thinks the teacher just wants easy kids that never have to be asked twice.  I think she should teach older kids, wait I have a nine year old that I some times have to ask twice, well maybe high school, no way they ignore the teacher.  maybe she should join a cult.  no seriously if you have concerns about the development of your child talk to your Dr and he will tell you the "mile stones" that they look for to make sure that your  child is on track.  with out knowing more about your child I can't say for certain, but if you are not worried than there probably isn't a problem

Answer 5

I have had several children at both three and four that do this. This does not mean that they have a comprehension issue that is "bad". They are still exploring their world and need time to grow in this direction. For those children in my class I would give them shorter instructions and encourage them to follow through with a task. You might want to get professional advice on this for your peace of mind but I wouldn't worry about this. Now that you have been made aware that this is going on you can guide your child in a positive way. You want him to be creative and to be curious.

Answer 6

Teachers need to actually think............were they themselves like this at age three? Probably so. To me kids should start going to school at age 5. Three to me is still too young for school. Not all 3 year olds can sit down and comprehend everything that you are teaching them. As long as the child is learning and not acting out, such as hitting and hurting another child. Let them be kids as long as you let them. They grow up too fast now a days and you wish you could go back when they were three. Just make sure a three year old can count, go to the potty, know the colors and the alphabets, ...........The school emphasizes  too much and kids can't quite take it all in at once.

Answer 7

take him to a childhood screening - they are free and offered throughout the county in different areas.  There will be professional teachers and specialists there to answer your questions.

Answer 8

You have to listen to the teachers, ask them if an evaluation would be helpful, and with what type of practitioner.

Answer 9

i've had a student for a few weeks that seems to have that problem as well. what i might do is print or buy a coloring book with some big pictures, like farm animals, nothing too small or too detailed, and have him color. if he gets distracted being just with you or by himself, then there may be a small chance his fine motor skills need a little improvement.

  If not, then he may just as well be a normal preschooler that has alot going on around him that he wants to explore.

Answer 10

I've clicked on this question a few times and had trouble answering it because it's a more dynamic question than it first seems.  I hope I can answer it well.

This does not seem like a comprehension issue, at least the exact way you're describing it.  It seems more like a focus issue.  And I use the word "issue" very loosely here.  But if we're identifying a problem, or whether there is a problem, we have to be sure we know what we're looking for.  So the question is more does he have an issue with his focus?

I think this depends more on the classroom environment he is in.  If he is in an environment where the teacher is guiding all his activities, I think that's a problem with the environment.  If he's in an environment where he has long, uninterrupted work cycles, the observations of the teacher may be valid as they are able to compare him in a normal environment and see what is happening.

Here's the key - the purpose of the 3 year old age is largely to help a child develop that focus.  Does the teacher simply assume the child should have focus or is the teacher observing that the child is not focusing, despite the activities he is doing?  In other words, is the teacher saying, "He has no focus," but is the classroom designed to help him build that focus?

Too many times, some teachers just dismiss these problems as being a problem rather than help the child calm his mind and develop focus.  If that's what is happening, you may be better off to look for another school.  If, on the other hand, they are working with him to develop his focus and he is not responding to it, it may be helpful to look at other techniques and see what is happening.

At 3 1/2, it's not a big concern right now.  This may just be a maturity issue and he'll grow out of it in a few months.  It is something to keep an eye on over time, though.

I kind of rambled.  I hope I helped some.

Answer 11

I agree with what Poor Pearl said. I think you should be open to what the teacher said, but I would get another professionals opinion. I would find out the skills that your child is required to master and learn at his age and incorporate mini lessons or play sessions that foster the growth and mastery of such skills. The teacher should be able to provide you these skills like what kind of comprehension skills the child should have or master at his age.  For example, some kindergartners are required to know  and recognize all their upper and lower case alphabet letters before proceeding to first grade with a 100% success rate.

I know in some universities, professors and students provide services for free or for very little money for children like speech therapy. Maybe a nearby university might be able to provide you the services you need to help measure your child's level of comprehension and to see if what the teacher thinks is valid.  

Good luck. I hope this helps.

Answer 12

It could be typical but my son used to have this the pediatrician had me give him commands one at a time and then increase them ex: go upstairs and get the towel ,go upstairs and get the soap and washcloth keep increasing the number of things eventually it will increase his capacity to remember it really helped my son who is 28 now he was diagognosed as immature in kindergarten but always intelligent.

Answer 13

I agree-- HE'S 3 1/2!!!

I seriously doubt he has comprehension problems, since you say his speech and language development is good and has a good vocabulary. A child with language-based comprehension problems doesn't develop in a typical fashion the way your son has. Atypical kids and kids with hearing loss will also become a behavior problem out of frustration.

Since he eventually gets it done, I doubt he has ADD, either. Why on earth is he in a preschool doing academic assignments, anyway? Age 5 is the absolute earliest that academics should be introduced. A child's brain hasn't matured enough until then to be able to do work assignments.

Kids need to be kids and to explore the world around them, become socialized, and learn to play cooperatively and with imagination.

If you still aren't convinced, have a hearing test done by a qualified audiologist, and find another preschool that won't push a child into tasks he isn't cognitively ready to perform.

Answer 14

Kids at this age do not have long attention spans. How long are the teacher's lessons? If they are more than 20 minutes, they are too long. Does she move in intervals between sitting down and standing up?

Young preschoolers should have some time sitting and occupying a task, then move to something physically active. Their brains are still developing at the fastest rate of their lives and they need to get up and move to keep their hearts pumping.

Also, how much time is the teacher standing and directing? Does she give the kids a chance for some free play? A child can sit and listen to a teacher, but then need a chance to have the freedom to make their own choices in a guided but, free way.

I hope this answer helps. Next time you observe this teacher, take a look at the clock too!

Answer 15

Heavens to Betsy, the child is 3-1/2!  Tell the teacher to get an extra hour of sleep at night so she can deal with the behaviors of normal, active 3 year olds!  Whatever happened to the old advice:  a kid's attention span is as long as his age in minutes.

This might not be the right teacher for him.  I tell my staff to create a reason for the children to get up and move around.   Don't hand them their supplies:  let them come to a designated spot in the classroom and get their own.  This breaks up the boredom/inattentiveness of the child to let him move about.  The teacher is relieved of the stress of trying to force kids to sit that shouldn't be sitting all the time.

Our local public schools offer a free screening called Child Find.  They will test your child in many areas to see if he is "on track" for his age.  Call your local public elementary school for an appointment.

Answer 16

when i was around his age, i had comprehension issues as well, and i think i did the same thing as your son.  since he cant read yet, (maybe?) you can tell him a short story or sentence and ask him what happened, and hopefully he'll give you a good comprensive answer, and if he has no idea he may have comprehension issues.

good luck :)

Answer 17

If you haven' already done so, I would suggest you have his hearing tested by a professional. Chronic ear infections are not unusual in the early years and can have an effect on hearing.

Answer 18

HE IS 3 1/2. He is still a baby in my eyes. its typical for a 3-5 year old to do that. Im 15 and still do it.