Chatty Kindergartner - disrupting class, not finishing assignments, Any ideas on how to handle situation...?

Question

Teacher has sent note home saying 6 yr old ds, is talking too much at inappropriate times. He is only in kindergarten 3 hrs a day, M-F. (He has always been very good at following RULES and directions. I believe he is excited to see his friends.) I have been giving him a gentle reminder each morning before getting on the bus of how important it is to follow the classroom rules...
I have previously talked w/ him about Doing his best, Using his listening ears, Eyes on speaker, Raising his hand to ask a question, Following directions the 1st time given.
Any suggestions on how to move forward and help encourage more appropriate classroom behavior would really be appreciated.

I'm wondering if this just a short phase or the start of a character problem if not handled and guided appropriately. Please share any similiar experiences and what worked or did not and how long is a reasonable time to expect a change. I am confussed, I thought Kindergarten should be a fun experience

p.s.
wk1 - Teacher had reported she tried moving him closer to her desk, and he will then just talk w/her. "he is very social."
wk2- Teacher began to send daily chart w/ smile & frowns. One day all frowns, Next all smiles, Next half & half.... DS seemed disappointed w/himself said he would do better tomorrow. ... Rec'd written report " was acting out for attention ", said he could not do task, wanted room parent to sit w/ him one on one to read story, "used loud voice in library and hummed loudly when asked to get in line."
(This is not the boy I know.)

DS response to why humming?... "I like to humm, it is fun." (( He does not humm routinely at home.)) When ds 3or4, I taught him to humm, if he was scared or uncomfortable as he learned to sleep in his bedroom alone. He only needed to do this a couple nights, and only a couple times as if he was scarred going to the bathroom at night on his own. (nightlight is also affective. humming not an issue.)

ThoughtsIdeasPls

Answer 1

Coordinate with the teacher and ask her to send home a behavior calendar. Have her send a smiley face if he behaved that day or a frowny face if he didn't.

Put a calendar on the wall, and have your son copy the face onto the calendar. If he gets five smilies in a row, he gets a treat of some sort. (A Dollar Store treasure box will get you EVERYWHERE with a child this age....just pick up 10 or 12 items and put them in the "treasure box"...then he gets to pick a new toy for every week he behaves in school.)

Answer 2

Please do not begin freaking out that this could be ADD or ADHD, I doubt it is. I have 3 sons and all of them were chatty in kindergarten, they are little!! I would try a reward system, tell him that for every day good day that he has at school (you will need teachers cooperation) he gets a sticker on a chart, on Friday if he has 4 or 5 (you decide) he gets a treat! Maybe he gets to choose what is for dinner, or you take him for ice cream, he can pick the move, or go to the playground...something.
I worry that today so many teacher are so quick to complain about a child this young having self control issues, of course he does he is so little! The control will come, 2nd grade seemed to be the magic age.
Good Luck! and do not get discouraged, stand up to the teacher if you have to.

Answer 3

I too had a very social child. He delighted in visiting with everyone around him. We did not have the problem of not finishing assignments, mine finished first and then visited with everyone else. I am sorry to say that we never did find a way to keep him quiet in school, but what we did find is that his personality did not seem to bother every teacher he had.As he got older he did learn to keep his talking down a bit. Some sent notes regularly and some just took time from recess from him. he was never a bad child, just friendly? Folks are sometime too quick to blame ADD. My child made good grades, ended up Validictorian of his class and graduated 10th in his class from Law School. Your son is young and enjoying his time at school. I would hesitate to make too much out of his talking. Just try to give him rewards for good days and do not be terribly harsh when he visits a little too much.

Answer 4

I definately agree about not getting him tested for ADD. He doesn't seem to have problems with following directions. You can always get him tested for ADD/ADHD LATER (ie in a few years) I have seen way too many doctor liberally hand out Ritalin just to make parents happy. It is disgusting. And the medicine can often have very damaging effects on the children - they are tired and depressed.

I also agree about looking at his diet. Sugar and artificial additives can have a lot of effect on children (and adults!) in terms of concentration etc.

Why don't you spend a day in the classroom to see exactly what is going on? It sounds like you are doing a good job with reminding him about rules etc.

Answer 5

You just explained my kids. Both my kids were like that my daughter more than my son. Is there any way you can sit in a day to see how he in your own eyes. It could be adhd or just over active. It depends on how he lives at home too you never know where it comes from. This is what we do for my kindergartner that talks all the time, just gets up out of seat and wonders off, answer's questions out of the blue, and seldom finishes a paper. make sure they get enough sleep, no bananas in the morning, no red dyes, reward for good behavior, ask them questions let them feel like u care and want to help and let them feel like the leader. one thing is your child being challenged enough in class or is it to boring for them? another thing is like my kid says if i talk then the kids will like me because they talk back. As far as kindergarten goes you have to think back to your days in school. kindergarten was preschool, now it goes kindergarten is 1st grade. more work less fun.

Answer 6

It could be ADD... I know that when I was in kindergarten I displayed some behaviors that were similar. While kids sat around for story time, I'd be at the window making bird calls. I'd call out during class, not listen to directions, and instead do my own thing. Now I'm 16 and have been officially diagnosed with ADD.
It could just be a phase, though. Try rewarding him if he obeys rules, so he'll learn that listening and being obidient is a good thing. If this continues, you might want to get him tested for ADD. Don't hesitate to go get him checked if it does continue though... My parents never did anything about it and I struggled through the first two years of high school without treatment and not even knowing I had it. =( It's not an easy thing to cope w/ at my age.

Answer 7

Wonderful ! you are working with the teacher. I think separating him from the other children until he gets his work done, like moving him by the teachers desk. You may have to come up with your own reward. I'd rather see him get his reward in school, like letting the kids have a chatty corner they can go to when they finish their work. That might not work for the teacher. It takes extra effort to watch that group while the others are working. I don't favor the testing for ADD or other problems . It sounds like a child that just likes to talk which is quite normal. I'D bet he grows out of it. How many children does the teacher have in her class? She may need an aide either to help children finish work or help with the children who finish first.

Answer 8

Has the teacher tried putting him in a different seat? Maybe if he had different neighbors he wouldn't talk so much?

Or she could try isolating him instead of being at a table with other children?

What disciplinary action is taken at school? Are there any consequences to his choice to talk?

Answer 9

hi there..i had the same problem with my son....you will be happy to know he is 8 now and wonderfully behaved in class...it was a lil rough for a couple years (disrupting class and all) but it gets better....i believe my son was just really immature...i just kept talking to the teacher she had great ideas too...at home we did a behavior chart to reward him for good days at achool....we tried taking stuff away at home.....but the reward system worked best...good luck and i promise it gets better...:-)

Answer 10

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