How to Speed up a Slow Poke Child...

Lots of praise-she will probably become very successful and not become a basket case doing it! She's slow? Get her started earlier! She sounds introspective-a sign of great intelligence. It's not about speed-it's about the enjoyment she gets from the work, the quality of the work, and retaining the lesson learned. She's really little and building her knowledge. This is a cool article:

http://hbr.org/2012/01/positive-intelligence/ar/1

While she is working on her homework, what do you observe?

Does she understand the instructions?

Is she easily distracted?
Distracted by the TV, by your phone calls,by outside sounds, by the pets?

Does she seem to keep getting up and doing other things?
Getting a snack, sharpening the pencil. going to the bathroom.

How does she do if you sit in the same room as her?

How does she do if you sit with her?

Does she talk nonstop while working on the homework?

IF you work with her, how much does she need you to show her the task? If it is math, do you have to sit for each problem?

When she completes a problem, do you need to show her the next problem?

I used to tutor at our daughters school.
There were many children that did well standing up to do their work..
Or the bouncing balls that they could sit on while doing their work helped.

Other children did better if the homework was broken down into smaller parts.

We would cut the homework into sections (ask the teacher for 2 copies of hand outs.)

Or we would use a "guide" to only show 1 problem at a time in the book.

We would use a guide to allow their eyes to follow the text on the page.

When you pick her up from school, what is the schedule of what happens when you get home?
Snack?
Downtime or directly to homework?
Outside play or TV?

Each child can be different.

Our daughter was starving when she got off from school. She would have snack.. and then down time doing whatever she wanted. TV, Nap, Play outside, or read.. Then she would get her homework started. She did best if the TV was on..

She did not need me to be in the room with her, but some of her classmates, did best if their parents were close by.

FYI, in High school, she had her TV going, would be on the computer and talking on the phone!!! All while working on her homework.. She says even through out college she could still do this.

But some children cannot have any distractions at all.

I would study your daughter or ask her teacher what she is observing.

Best advice received from my dwadling daughter's first grade teacher. Accept that she moves at a different pace. She was otherwise a joy, just not a morning person, and always late.

This became a gift from God when she was late on 9/11 and just missed being at one of the towers.

Peace.

This is normal for many kids. Their temperaments are slow motion. It helps to roll with it. You can't change it tho you can affect it. Allow more time. Break up the time into segments. Make a list, with pictures, of what has to be done in the morning. At first help her stick to the schedule. For example a list would include getting dressed, eating breakfast, brushing teeth etc. Walk her thru the schedule, exercising much patience, as she learns the routine. Allow time for her slow pace.

You can encourage a faster pace by turning the getting to the next step a game. Light hearted cheering. Saying let's see how fast you can get your teeth brushed. Can you get into the car before I do? Keep up a running patter that keeps her on task.

Once you get her moving she'll have developed a routine which will keep her going. It does take a few weeks of concentration to develop a pattern. And will take intermittent attention to keep it going.

Most of all recognize this as her temperament and don't try to change her. This is the way she is. Also take into consideration that school is new and it takes awhile to become used to the new schedule and develop a routine. This is especially true of school work.

Try not to nag or complain. Be upbeat and supportive. Do not expect to be able to tell her what to do and then leave and expect her to do it. She needs your support as she learns to focus.

She's only in the first grade. Relax and go with the flow as much as possible. What she's doing is normal. She will pick up her speed somewhat as she gets used to doing her work.

Yes, do talk with the teacher and ask for suggestions. I suggest that where your daughter is at is not all that unusual for a first grader.

I have one kid who can do homework, read a book in the middle of the living room with TV on, kids rough housing, baby crying, etc.

I have another kid who needs no distractions. Homework is done at a cleared off kitchen table, no distractions, no radio, no TV, no baby crying, no little sister talking. She also sits in the front of the class because other kids distract her.

poke them with a hot stick?=)

i think she probably mores J. as fast as some other kids in her class so you'll be fine. unless you have a kid litterally in slow motion (exagerated tv form) i'm sure other kids are laid back like her too! Mine is included in that and she gets done class work J. fine so far in first.
Now homework is annoying BUT i find the quieter and less distracted and proper sitting area she has the faster it goes. (at a desk in back of oom with tv off and no interesting things around=normal speed, in kitchen where the puppy is or snacks=slow motion)

My son is the same. He's now in 2nd Grade, and we regularly had extra homework in 1st Grade as he didn't complete his work during classtime.

I say - if she doesn't want to have extra homework - she'll move a little faster....

but - my son has always just been one speed. His teacher last year said "That's just how Charlie rolls." and she was exactly right. He's very even pitched, low needs and mellow. It'll serve him well in some situations, and is challenging in others - just like all temperment types.

My son just has to do extra homework. That's "how he rolls". :)

ugh with my kids it drives me crazy i only have so much time in a day and it some how needs to get done. just this morning my son was moving in very slow snail speed and slowly getting in the shower. it usually makes me frazzled and using my "mom voice". i often find i need to just slow down myself. but what has helped with my very small ones is for me to wake up earlier. thus i wake them up sooner allowing more time and for me not to get aggrivated. while this helps with getting in the car (and snail speed getting out ) i set goals with one of them getting to lock the car door so they will run before the other one gets out. a friend of mine noted that her child needed a shower in the morning to help her terrible grumbly mood. so there might be a little nitch or goal setting for her. like if she completes her work at school she gets a gummi bear (one) or a sticker for her goal chart. These silly small things really matter. Remember when you got a gold star sticker and it made your day? at this age i would think once the chart was filled she could get a reward, ice cream, lala loopsy mini, drink from sonic, play ground of her choice day. I think she needs motive. Or she might have a slight learning disablity that is making it harder for her which takes her longer. Dislexia even a slight amount can switch words making her re read over and over. causeing the delays. Talk to her find out what the real issue is. Talk to her teacher what she thinks about it and first talk to other parents to see if there kids are also bring home lots of work. She might be assigning too much for them. Good luck. Go mom for helping your child !!!