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Practicing listening skills?
Maybe this is a silly question, but is there a way to practice listening skills with a 5-yr old? (Preferably before I need to buy stock in hair coloring?)
We're currently in the "let's play 200 silly questions" today, but he doesn't want to listen. As a background, DS was diagnosed with a mild form of ADHD last year (the hyperactivity and attention deficit spectrums mainly). As he's matured, we've seen a great improvement, but now seem to have taken a step back in the past few weeks.
I think my breaking point was when I asked him to get me the "green towel from the bathroom sink" and he came back with the brown towel from the kitchen sink. In retrospect, it's a minor detail, but this is just part of a series of lack of listening issues we are having. (Like me telling him not to touch something in the store 5x and then physically pulling him away from the object as he continued to bang it.)
I'm nervous for Kindergarten and him not listening to the teacher - which will, inevitably, get him into trouble. Help?
My three sons!
Re: Practicing listening skills?
is there a listening boot camp that we can send both of our boys to??
I don't really have any advice, we had good listening days (yesterday) and terrible listening days (saturday) in our house. there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to them. I did want to say that I can remember reading something not too long ago that said even though kids this age ARE capable of listening and following directions, they are not capable of having enough impulse-control to always follow through with what is being told to them. So sometimes it's not a problem with the actual listening, it's more that they actually just can't control themselves in certain situations.
Jake - 1.15.08
Liam - 5.17.11
And telephone.
I agree that it is not just an issue for boys. Heather has been very hit or miss lately. One thing we have been doing is asking her to look at us when we're asking her to do something. Also, after I've made a request and gotten a "Mmmm-hmmm" response, I ask her to repeat to me what I just asked her to do. Nine times out of ten she says "I forget".
Making her stop what she's doing, look at us and focus on us while we're speaking to her has shown some improvement. Although she still has good mornings (yesterday) and bad mornings (today).
Just an FYI, make sure that the school knows that he has been diagnosed ADHD. You are entitled to services.
And please, make sure that you deal with it. DH was diagnosed as a child and my MIL dealt with it by not dealing with it. He sought treatment as an adult and it has made a world of difference. He describes ADHD as having 1000 things going on in your head at the same time and not being able to choose which one to do. Although, one of the things people don't realize is ADHD can cause obsessive concentration on a task with DH it is usually building/technical/manual things. DH often wonders if school would have been easier for him if his mom would have been more open with facing it. I hope that this didn't offend you in any way. I just have seen the issues DH dealt with and sometimes want to punch my MIL!
There are a lot of behavior modification techniques you can try, I would google ADHD listening skills or therapy for ideas.
Thanks for the feedback everyone!
I do know that this issue is for all kids (not gender-specific); I think somewhere it got assumed I meant that, and I certainly didn't. LOL
Kris - thanks for your feedback - no offense at all. We did work with his doctor (and with medication, all controversy aside), as well as with a behavior specialist last year. Within 3 months we had him off the medicine and were controlling things pretty well in general. I don't know if this just another growth/maturity spurt that he needs to catch up with, or what, but his listening just plain sucks right now! LOL
I like the game idea, Amanda. I'll have to give that a whirl! We've done the "repeat back what I just said" and, 9 times out of 10, he fails miserably!
My three sons!
Absolutely let the school know. He could get a 504 service agreement if he has a physical need or you could go through the process to get him an IEP if he has multiple learning needs. I would not walk in the door to kindergarten demanding these things but often just letting the teacher know what his diagnosis is and working together to help him be successful is all that is needed.
As for listening skills, I have some worksheets that have a picture on them to color and you read the directions to the child and have them practice following the directions. It is crazy stuff like color the biggest dog purple, draw a blue circle around the sun, put an X on the pizza. Let me know if you are interested and I will dig through my teacher bins and find some or find you some free ones on teacher websites.
Thank you for your feedback as well! We did already mark the forms for Kindergarten with the diagnosis (which his d/c teachers think I shouldn't have done, as they hadn't seen any major signs of it affecting him - their concern is him being labelled as special needs when he doesn't exhibit it). I think, however, that the past few weeks it has really become apparent. (And maybe it has to do with timing of the pre-K program at d/c ending - he no longer has the school structure and frankly, I think he's bored).
I agree, too, with not going in making a big deal out of this - I really want the teacher(s) to evaulate on their own and see what their thoughts are.
We actually do have some books with those assignments; and they did loads of them at the d/c pre-K program. One of the things the director metioned at the time was that he wouldn't wait to hear the directions and would inevitably do the assignment wrong. I think I need to start incorporating at least one "assignment" in the evenings now with school out; maybe that will be good practice?
THANK YOU for all of the feedback, ladies!
My three sons!
I am glad you weren't offended!
Children with ADHD definitely thrive when on a routine. I totally agree that if it started at the end of the "school" year that it probably does have a lot to do with being bored and lacking that routine. In my experience, kids love to play games and it often works in "sneaking" actual learning skills into their lives. I agree with Amanda that Simon Says, or Mother May I would be great games. Also story telling or rhyme games where you start a story and then he has to add to it are helpful.