Suggestions needed for an active 1st grade boy

[4JMJ]

We are doing 1st grade for ds, who will be 7 in a few days.  He struggles with pencil and paper type stuff, not because he doesn't "get" it, but because it seems like he doesn't have the patience for it.  He gets frustrated very easily.  I think if he were in traditional school, he would be an easy target for an ADD/ADHD label (I don't think he has these issues, just think he is a very active guy!)  He is intelligent and is growing in his ability to read, understands his math concepts, etc.  He sees his 2 sisters (10 and 8) doing some subjects on the computer and gets upset that he does not have this (we do Teaching Textbooks for math for the girls and SOS for LA, but both of those start in 3rd grade).  I hesitate to get him too involved with computer lessons, because if he had his way, he would be on the computer 24/7.  I'm not sure exactly what to do to create a better program for him or what exactly I'm looking for, but if anyone has recommendations for resources or ideas for active, early elementary boys, I would really appreciate it!  :) 

[newcastlemama]

My son is the same (he is  6 1/2). I do very short lessons so he can focus on doing his best. I do one handwriting page and one to two math pages (Signapore) per day. That is the daily stuff then sometimes we will do a nature journal together or make a story (he draws the pictures and I write what he says). He likes *doing* things so I am signing him up for a hands on science class and he is excited about that. I have noticed there are building classes for kids too...maybe try and find some more active learning experiences for him.  (Experiments, building things, sports, nature study, crafts, games he likes ect)

Ds spends A LOT of active playing/doing outside and inside. He really likes to help my dh build things and do house projects. My dh has the same personality still so he has an active job and a lot of active interests.  I figure ds will grow up and need the same and I just need to find ways to accomodate his personality.

Maybe you could do a trial run on the compter with your ds...like 20 minutes of math games a day or someting and see how it goes for a week or two. My ds has a hard time with screens too so I totally understand (he gets really irritable when he has too much).

[lmonter]

I have a 7yo boy.  Very similar - active, can't sit still, always doing something.  I try to just incorporate things he can fiddle with.  For math, I have 1-100 numbered magnets, pattern blocks, dominoes, a balance scale, baking.  For writing, the grocery list if he's going with me, cards to his auntie, signs for everything in the house (ugh, everything!), or letter magnets or the dry erase board.  I have no idea why writing on the wall is so much fun, but all thee older kids love it.  I have to do read-alouds before bed as he's winding down...  Right now he spends a lot of his days building and creating (tinkertoys, trains, blocks, all kinds of things), helping me around the house, helping hubby around the house, getting along with his siblings and so on.  He gets a fair amount of time to be a kid.  :D

[4JMJ]

Thanks for your input, very helpful!  :)

[Mere]

Originally Posted by newcastlemama 

My son is the same (he is  6 1/2). I do very short lessons so he can focus on doing his best. I do one handwriting page and one to two math pages (Signapore) per day. That is the daily stuff then sometimes we will do a nature journal together or make a story (he draws the pictures and I write what he says)....

Ds spends A LOT of active playing/doing outside and inside. He really likes to help my dh build things and do house projects. My dh has the same personality still so he has an active job and a lot of active interests.  I figure ds will grow up and need the same and I just need to find ways to accomodate his personality.

That right there pretty much sums up my ds1 too.  Lots of energy, not a lot of attention span.  I can work with that though.  For him, the key is ROUTINE.  We do 15-20 minutes of sit-down homework every day, and the 'schedule' is posted on the wall.  As long as we don't deviate, all is well.  It's amazing what a 6 year old can learn in 20 focused minutes :-).

I should mention too that 15-20 minutes is really his optimum amount of time right now.  We do practice reading out loud, but we do that at night, before bed.  Gotta break it up!

[Momma Aimee]

have you read "hov to get your child off the refidator and on to learning" -- it is short -- i read it ILL -- http://www.amazon.com/How-Your-Child-Refrigerator-Learning/dp/1883002702/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294862488&sr=8-1-spell -- it has a lot of great suggestions for ACTIVE LEARNING -- ideas to make physical games out of learning.

another idea is a ball chair -- http://store.schoolspecialtyonline.net/OA_HTML/ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?item=90296&minisite=10206 or http://store.schoolspecialtyonline.net/OA_HTML/ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?item=72885&minisite=10206 allov for movement vhile seated and can be enough to help the 'fidget' get out

[newcastlemama]

Thanks for these suggestions...I saw that book online the other day and thought it could be helpful.

I have a big ball ds could sit on too...great idea!

Originally Posted by Momma Aimee 

have you read "hov to get your child off the refidator and on to learning" -- it is short -- i read it ILL -- http://www.amazon.com/How-Your-Child-Refrigerator-Learning/dp/1883002702/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294862488&sr=8-1-spell -- it has a lot of great suggestions for ACTIVE LEARNING -- ideas to make physical games out of learning.

another idea is a ball chair -- http://store.schoolspecialtyonline.net/OA_HTML/ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?item=90296&minisite=10206 or http://store.schoolspecialtyonline.net/OA_HTML/ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?item=72885&minisite=10206 allov for movement vhile seated and can be enough to help the 'fidget' get out

[Smithie]

My DS will be 7 in May. He has actually been dxed with ADHD. 

I expect (and get) about three worksheets a day, plus copywork. I read to him and give him a math lesson every day. School takes slightly more than an hour each day. I have a magazine holder full of our selected stuff, and once we work through the subjects in his chosen order, we're done. Until we work through the subjects, we're NOT done, and there's no playtime or TV time or computer time or lunchtime or anything else but his butt in a chair at the kitchen table. 

Maybe it would help to big-picture this for your DS? "Public school kids spend 8 hours a day on school stuff. Your school stuff can be done in about an hour if you just sit down and do it. Or, we can spend four hours. It's your choice." My DS finds this explanation extremely compelling. I've never had to spend four hours at the kitchen table yet. 

As to the older siblings and the computer, well, he's welcome to use the computer for school once he's at the 3rd grade level, eh? My DS uses the computer quite a bit, and learns a lot via Brainpop, but "school" in this house is strictly a books-and-paper business. I'm sure that will change as he gets older. 

[elizawill]

my son is exactly like this too. he'll be 7 at the end of march and is in grade 1.  here are a few things that actually help my son.  he hangs upside down when he reads (off the couch, upside down).  we use flashcards for math (we use saxon, which has worksheets and manipulatives too, but flashcards really work well with my busy boy).  lastly, he colors while i read to him (for some reason this helps him a lot with retention, as he's able to focus his mind and really hear me).  anyway, school takes an hour for him & he does pretty good. hth.

ETA pbskids.org is fun & educational...it could be a great motivator if he gets some work done and you let him play games afterwards?  just a thought.

[Mere]

Some of these posts reminded me of something; addition flashcards were best learned by my 6.5 yo when he was jumping on the bed . 

[cappuccinosmom]

So funny.  I should try letting my 5 yo jump on the bed while we're learning.

This morning he stretched himself across the armrests of one of our dining room chairs, and held himself board straight while we were practicing spelling words.

There is a reason he has a six pack and I can count all his ribs, front and back.

OP, so much good advice here.  I agree with all of it.

Let him move!  Let him find positions and situations that help him focus--you might not be able to focus hanging upside down or jumping up and down, but it seems that's just what some kids need.  Find ways that he can learn using his whole body and his hands, or at least incoroprating movement into his learning by adding it in between book/paper work.

[jewelsJZ]

My almost-7 year old is the same way.  And he loves the computer.  What I noticed with my son is that he has a longer attention span at the computer than if we sit at the table or wherever. So while I do require him to do math and handwriting a couple of other things that are not at the computer, the rest of our time is spent learning on the computer. We use Progressive Phonics on line (free and silly, he loves it), Brain Pop, Jr., Starfall, Google Earth (geography), carefully pre-screened videos on YouTube and whatever else I find that is interesting.  Reading Eggs is another program we tried, it's like a game. 

Maybe him saying he wants to do more school work on the computer is good information about how he learns?  Just a thought. And you get to decide how much time he spends on the computer. My son gets to spend as much time as he wants on the educational sites I mentioned. If he wants to do other stuff, he has to earn it by completing all his schoolwork for the day, having a positive attitude, and using his skills when he gets frustrated. 

[4JMJ]

Thanks so much for all these great suggestions, going to start using them right away!!