Behavioral Help

This is just my take on things and you may agree or disagree, no matter, this is just what I have to say about this subject: I have read some of the responses and come to realize that some of the moms responding to this question have no idea of how kindergarten works now-a-days. It is a FULL day and the activities are NOT colors, shapes, letters and numbers, those should have already been learned in preschool. Kindergarteners are reading and writing and doing math. They take spelling tests and are expected to do at least three full pages of homework every night and some projects that will require weekend time. What used to be first grade and even some second grade work is now kindergarten. It is challenge for 5-6 year olds and seeing that these kids have a limited vocabulary "boring" is just a work that they think fits the best for what they are feeling. As for the electronics, it is all in how they are used, if you buy them shooting or arcade type games that is all they are, GAMES. The market has a TON of educational games, buy those and let them play, they will learn while they are doing something they like. And for those who do buy those other types of games, PLEASE watch the ratings! Remember that even watching older siblings, friends or relatives playing these games is just as bad as letting them play them, or try to play them.

You need to explain to him, in simple words, that even if it is "easy" he must participate and complete his work. Other wise he will eventually fail. Unfortunately not all grades are like Kindergarten, most of them do required work to be completed and their grades depend on this.
Don't ignore this behavior, I am dealing with two students who are failing and are in the process of being retained.It is a sad situation, especially because they are very bright.

Have less electronic entertainment in his life. You need to replace the battery operated babysitters with other options. What worked for my kids may not work for you, but I used things like: cooking/baking, music lessons, hikes and parks programs, bug collecting, library programs, planting a garden, Emberly's learn to draw books, roller skating, etc. Kindergarten is only a half day and he may not be using his large motor skills enough and needs that to be more interested and interesting.

Don’t be hard on a little guy. It IS boring. He needs to learn those things as they are related to his immediate experience. Feeding birds and counting how many came and flew away. Reading actual store signs, sales, price cuts - you get the idea. You can get some great activities from Paltoys cards - children learn with pleasure, not even realizing they are fulfilling "school" requirements.
Good Luck
V.

As a second grade teacher who has also taught pre-k, I agree with this:

This is just my take on things and you may agree or disagree, no matter, this is just what I have to say about this subject: I have read some of the responses and come to realize that some of the moms responding to this question have no idea of how kindergarten works now-a-days. It is a FULL day and the activities are NOT colors, shapes, letters and numbers, those should have already been learned in preschool. Kindergarteners are reading and writing and doing math. They take spelling tests and are expected to do at least three full pages of homework every night and some projects that will require weekend time. What used to be first grade and even some second grade work is now kindergarten. It is challenge for 5-6 year olds.

Sometimes "boring" means too easy, sometimes it really means too hard. You are in the best position to know whether one or the other is part of the problem.

Your son may not be ready for so much academic focus. Occasionally kids, especially boys, don't have the necessary brain development for reading until 6, 7, or even 8. The sad thing about that is that schools are seldom flexible enough to accommodate those differences. It might be worthwhile to talk to his teacher to address the problem and work out a plan that is tailored to his needs.

Make into a game if you do this we will do that eventually he will get the point. A. raised 4 and 7 children grandchildren no hills

Updated

MAKE INTO A GAME IF YOU DO THIS WE WILL DO THAT EVENTUALLY HE WILL GET THE POINT. A. RAISED 4 AND 7 CHILDREN GRANDCHILDREN NO HILLS

There's no easy answer to this one. I guess the first thing to ask is why he feels learning is boring. When I was a little girl, I hated math and science, because I was bad on that, I didn't get them. But I loved geography, history and such, because I was really good there. But I loved the hole learning experience, I understood I needed to work harder on some areas. Now that I'm a mother, I try to pass that love to my child, and the understanding that it requires work. So she loves to learn about insects, and dinosaurs, and the continents, and she loves the feeling of accomplishment when she gets something done right, like reading a book (a hole book!) or a math page, which are assigned to her, on her level (she's in preschool). We take her to museums, aquariums, the zoo, and we celebrate every tittle victory. Maybe you should try to wonder where this sense or boredom came from, to begin with.

A., I highly recommend watching Sir Ken Robinson's "How Schools Stifle Creativity." -> http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/11/03/robinson.schools.st... or http://3.ly/4vVU

Excerpt:

"Education is about developing human beings, and human development is not mechanical or linear. It is organic and dynamic.

Like all living forms, we flourish in certain conditions and shrivel in others. Great teachers, great parents and great leaders understand those conditions intuitively; poor ones don't. The answer is not to standardize education, but to personalize and customize it to the needs of each child and community. There is no alternative. There never was."

With love,
L. (MAMA to 2 year old Dylan Orion....29 September 2007).

Hi A., great questions! First, as the mom, it is not your job to engage him in the classroom. It is the teacher's job to engage him. You have already prepared him for school, it is now the teacher's job.

Your job now is to encourage him to do his best. It is your job to encourage him to continue to be brilliant. It is your job to teach him understanding that there will be situations in his world that "bore" him. It is your job to feed him well so that he can make great decisions daily. It is your job to love him and honour the space that he is in AND guide him to be all that he can be.

Talk to the teacher. Let her know you concerns and keep the lines of communication open with the school. Let your son know you are involved and that everyone "talks". He will see how everyone is involved and interested and invested in him. He can not cognitively understand it now, but he sure can feel it.

Does that help?

B.
Family Success Coach
aka "Super Mom"

Hi A.,

Problems in Kindergarten are a wake-up call that your son already knows what is being taught, and is, in fact, bored; or that he is struggling, and is calling this "boredom." You say he doesn't want to learn - does he already know the material? If not, all the motivational talk in the world is not going to work here. He needs a basic assessment by an educational therapist or pediatric neuropsychologist. Regular pediatricians know very little about learning problems, and all they will do is administer a questionnaire to you, rather than exploring the issue with your child and doing testing that will pinpoint the problem.

If the teacher agrees that he isn't focusing in class, you have the right by law to ask for an IEP - an Individual Education Plan. Ask for this in a letter to the teacher and the principal. The district does the testing and makes recommendations for how his issues can be addressed in the classroom. Learning issues must be addressed in the classroom. The school needs to be your partner in this for your son to succeed at school.

And yes, some schools are better at this than others. Nevertheless, this is your first step in making sure your son is engaged and excited when he goes to school.

Hope this helps! Feel free to contact me if you need a referral.

Warm regards,
S. Eiges, M.S.W.
____@____.com
###-###-####
www.LAschoolscout.com

Maby he is just still very young and immature, not ready for school? Or maby, you should have him tested for learning disability or ADHD? Does he already know his numbers, shapes, letters and colors maby he is very bright and needs more stimulation and more of a challange than what is being offered in the classroom.

He could either be too smart for his own good and is seriously bored with what they are doing and needs to move up OR he could be developing behavioral problems right now. I would talk to my pediatrician and ask what is going on with him before I began to disapline. That is usually what I hear other mothers concerned with when they find out that their child is super smart, already knows the cirriculum so they move them up a grade.
I would make sure of what is going on by seeking a professional.

Hm,lol! Seems like you are trying to do his teacher's job! if you don't think it's worth it talking to his teacher would do any good I would look for another school or homeschool.Kindergarten should be fun not boring .If it is boring it is not your child's problem,it is the teacher's problem.

You betcha it's boring! It's not a computer, Wii, PS, Xbox game. It's not learned on any handheld game system. Nor on an in-your-face noisy fast moving TV show or on a big screen movie theater. It's not learned on a video game machine at the pizza shop. Nope!

Instead, he has to listen quietly, sit in his assigned place, wait his turn, walk in line, raise his hand, do tasks with a pencil and paper, only play for short periods of time, eat and go to the restroom when allowed, etc.

The classroom can't compete with the excitement of electronic entertainment. Teachers hear it all the time. "This is boring..." Nevertheless, there is no substitute for hard work when it comes to learning the basic skills needed for a satisfying life.

Successful students spend less time on electronic entertainment, they read- or are read to- more, they earn short periods of entertainment after completing homework and getting good reports from school.

Turn OFF the games, TV, movies, handhelds, computers, etc. Spend time reading together, play some sports, enjoy being out-of-doors. When the focus moves off electronic entertainment, the boredom will fade.

Dear A.,

If he already knows what is being taught, yep, maybe things are boring. Maybe he needs a more challenging curriculum. Public school used to have testing programs for more advanced students, but with all the budget cutting I am not sure what remains of that.
Many years ago I was moved up to the first grade classroom, only for reading, while still in kindergarten. That could be an option.
If your son does not know what is being taught...well, then that is a whole different matter. Active kids find sitting for long periods of time very difficult. No Child Left Behind has taken away a lot of developmental kindergarten activities and replaced them with first grade academics. You might see if the curriculum at your school is developmentally appropriate. Any other kids in the class having similar issues? Good luck.