What are your teacher tips for working with severely out-of-control 6-year-olds?

Question

I am tutoring small groups of reading delayed children. One boy breaks my heart. He's been bumped around foster care, has facial scars and "flinches" when I move too quickly around him. I suspect he was a "crack baby."

I want desperately to keep him in my reading group but he is in contant movement. He's fine one-on-one, but even in groups of 4 or 5, things start to come apart. Lack of focus, need to move, etc. I've tried sitting him right next to me, giving him reassuring touch on the shoulder, lots of eye contact. This doesn't help much. He wants to be good but he just can't help himself. If he's bumped out of my group, he gets no help at all. They stick him in front of a computer where he doesn't learn.

I love this little guy! He's connected with me as well, and when they have tried him in other groups, he sneaks back into mine anyway. If you have any tips at all for how I can help him rein in, I would so appreciate it!

Answer 1

First of all , little boys need to move. I listened to a Doctor speak at our ISD last year about Brain Development and he yelled and danced around and twirled and said that is what makes little boys brains work.

Sometimes letting them jump for 5-10 minutes will stir things up and help them listen. Also ... if he has gained some trust in you, give him a title of some sort .. example .. ok Billy, you are going to be my group helper today. We need to make sure everyone hears this story and I would like you to pick out your favorite sentence in the story .. listen carefully and if you hear the whole story you get a sticker. If you get 7 stickers you can choose a free pencil (or some sort of reward)

Reward charts do well for small children, especially ones that want to please you.
I am glad you are not wanting him to get sent to the computer. When children are removed from the class, they fall behind. Some don't fit the "mold" of the model student.
That is something us teachers need to overcome. It is difficult to know how to handle all situations, but we set the example for the rest of their lives.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

Honestly, the only thing I can suggest is to find a way to work with him one-on-one. He may also be highly kinesthetic, meaning he needs movement in order to trigger the learning centers in his brain...hence the getting up and moving around. At this age, he's likely not able to rein it in and still learn...he will either move to gain the stimulation needed to retain the information, or he'll concentrate so hard on sitting still that he won't hear a thing you say.

He sounds like he has a very unstructured home life, which could translate into his focus being very limited and vulnerability to distractions very high. If he is not presented with structured learning time at home, he likely has no idea what to do with it in school.

I would really suggest talking with his teacher or whoever's in charge to see if there's a way you can have some one-on-one time with him - even 10-20 minutes - to work on his skills. At that age, he won't be able to focus for any longer (and expect fidgeting and movement), but it may really do wonders for him.

This is what I did when I was an in-class tutor at a home for boys who were taken out of their families by child protective services...many of them were crack babies and abused. I was there specifically to provide individual pull-out for reading and math (6-8 year olds), and this is what worked, by far, the best.

Hope that helps!

Answer 3

YIKES!!! seems such as you have enable her get away with this for to long! you're appropriate, this has no longer something to do with separation stress, that is all approximately her desiring her way or no way. properly, time to get annoying and not supply in. for occasion, whilst going to a cafe, tell her earlier you get there you anticipate her to act, sit down the place instructed, and use interior voices. enable her be conscious of you will get rid of her to the bathing room if she does not behave. and then do it. in case you may not calm her down in the bathing room, pay the examine and flow away. do no longer supply in and beg and plead together with her. that is a element of the interest and what she needs. in case you have been talking a pair of two 365 days old, i might recommend you to coach her and wait and notice. yet this youngster is 6 years old, there isn't any reason she can not behave. If she does not advance, get a psychological assessment for her. perhaps it relatively is a psychological difficulty.

Answer 4

Try hands-on activities, like puzzles, drawing/coloring sheets. Incorporate a discipline system like pulling popsicle sticks from those who are not behaving. At the end of the day, those who have at least 3 out of 5 sticks remaining gets to choose from a treasure chest of little plastic toys. Hope this helps!