Kindergartener Will Not Do His Work

I have to really wonder why every time a child is not acting the way the teacher wants them to act that there is someting wronge with the child. Not ever child is the same and everyone learns at their own pace in thier own way. Look at the whole situation.

How's his sleep? They have linked sleep problems, and lack of sleep to concentration problems. Maybe work out a reward schedual with the teacher so everyone is on his side. If he gets labeled a bad student he will fill the role.

Has anyone considered the possibility that he may be highly gifted?

My daughter is gifted, and is sooo eager to please... but not all kids who are gifted are that way. If they are very highly gifted, they may be thinking beyond their age and wondering why they should bother doing all the simple stuff that he already understands. It doesn't sound like a learning disability to me at all... sounds more like he finds the work boring and dull. Although, it is also possible that he does have some form of underlying disability that is hidden. There is a disability called dysgraphia that involves the physical act of writing. Many times the children are gifted and are able to compensate for their difficulties writing and manage to accomplish the work required of them in the earlier grades, but it becomes much more difficult (if not impossible) to do so without technology interventions when the writing load becomes so much heavier in the later grades (starting around 3rd and 4th especially). But there is a neurological issue with the brain recalling how to make the movements required to form the letters/numbers on the page that interferes with their concentration on the actual content of their writing. Usually, children with this issue have horrible handwriting, and often complain of their hand or arm hurting when doing written work.

Obviously, I am jumping way out in the dark here to even mention it.. since you didn't mention any handwriting difficulties... but I just wanted to draw attention to the fact that if he does have a disability, it may not be the "standard" type that teachers and administrators tend to bundle kids into... ADHD being the big one. It is possible that he could have something going on that is harder to see, maybe dyslexia or tracking problems, or a myriad of underlying issues that the teacher isn't qualified to figure out.

That said, it honestly just sounds to me like he is more likely gifted and bored with subject or project being required. Does he have any particular interests that he LOVES? What happens when you "work" on something having to do with that subject?

Hi M., I am a mother of 4 whose children run the scale in abilities and challnges. My oldest, who is 8, has Asperger's Syndrome and after so much we put him on a light dose of ADHD medication to allow him to filter out the noise in the classroom. Our second son who is 6, is advanced for his age and flies through his work. In VPK, he refused to do the work. We took him to our oldest son's therapist and after prodding, we found he was BORED! We worked with the school and he went to a reading group in the 1st grade while he was in kindergarten and this year his 1st grade teacher has a different set of worksheets for him once he finishes. Yet mine in VPK is right on target and loves to do "homework" with his brothers. Sometimes it is a trial and error process, but the school should have an ESE specialist observe him (advanced and special needs are both ESE) to see if they can offer suggestions. Also, my doctor has all my kids drink a supplement in the morning with their breakfast and have a very high protein breakfast of peanut butter toast and a banana to help get them through. I hope this helps.

His I.Q. is higher than the teacher's. :-)
Have him evaluated. Seems like he is not being challenged or just immature. Good luck

Don't get too worked up over the ADHD subject. A little boy, who can quietly entertain himself for hours without being a distraction in class is not likely to be a case of ADHD...it's simply the knee jerk reaction that everyone has when a boy doesn't conform. :(
Given that he does the work quickly when he's willing to do it, and he has no problem doing the work at home for you...I'm betting he needs more of a challenge in the classroom too.

a lot of moms on another blog I frequent would quickly say that it's unnatural to expect all 5-year olds to respond to academic type work (i.e. worksheets, etc.). Kids learn through play, and it may just be that your son would rather learn from hands-on, play-based types of activities, and the worksheets just aren't doing it for him. Likely because he is only 5. You might want to put the teacher on the defensive (like she did to you!) and ask if your son has a similar problem doing play-based learning (i.e. math using blocks) or if it's only when he's plopped in a chair with a bunch of worksheets. If the answer is no, i don't think a disability is your problem. Your son may grow into the academic work in a year or two. And he might always prefer hands-on learning. Good luck!

Try YokaReader.com- she helped us, and now I'd like to report- no problem best, k

First of all, they usually won't test for gifted until first grade (or sometimes at the end of kindergarten) but each school district is different so you can ask. I personally don't think refusal to do any work has anything to do with being gifted, though. It would be different if you said he zipped through the work and then was disruptive because he's bored, but you said he isn't disruptive. Which brings me to my 2 cents, which may not be the popular thing to say, but it's my opinion... If he literally just SITS THERE and refuses to pick up his pencil and do his work but is otherwise not disrupting the class, this sounds to me like the teacher's problem to solve, not yours. Sorry if that upsets anyone, but it's the way I feel. I'm glad she is calling to inform you of what is happening during class, but is she expecting YOU to come up with the solution???!?!? ESE (Exceptional Student Education) covers the range between learning disabilities and gifted and everything in between (including a combination of both!) Though they usually don't test for gifted in K, they certainly do start to document and figure out interventions and the teacher can speak with the ESE specialists at your son's school for ways to work with him. For example, you said you know he knows the material even though he won't "do the work". Much of kindergarten work involves doing things out loud and using manipulatives-- is he refusing to read and answer questions orally or just refusing to write? Has his teacher expressed to you that she knows he knows the material? Is she willing to look into modifications to accomodate him, like ask him things orally if he refuses to write his answers?? Sounds like it's time for you to meet with the school staff to nudge the teacher into figuring out what SHE can do to best teach your child.

Hi, M.. Hon, I wouldn't worry about ADHD just yet. It sounds like your son is #1, bored, and #2, has the typical attention span of a 5-year-old boy. If he had ADHD, he would probably have much worse impulse control and would probably be at least a little bit of a behavior problem.

A lot of kids with supposed behavior problems or attention problems are simply kids who are bored and are not having their learning styles accomodated.....

It could be an immaturity problem on top of that as well. He doesn't have a sense of duty or responsibility to finish the work. If he has absolutely no problem with the work itself, then he's probably bored at doing the same things over and over again. My son was like that, too, learned things very quickly and then wanted a challenge instead of repeating the same things over and over again.

Here's what I would suggest. #1, instead of giving him a full sheet of work to do, the teacher should draw a line across the page and tell him to do up to the line, then he can get a reward or switch to something else. Then, later on or the next day, or whenever it's convenient, he can finish the rest of the page. That way, his short attention span (again, no need to call him ADHD yet) will not have to be taxed, and he can feel good about what he does accomplish instead of always being told he's wrong for not finishing.

I, personally, think that it's crazy how pre-schoolers and kindergarteners are expected to sit and concentrate the way older children are expected to. These kids aren't old enough for that! Some of them can cope with such a boring environment, but it's not the right environment for everyone. Having the wrong expectations of a 5-year-old poisons him against school altogether and makes him less willing to try anything or to compromise his needs for the sake of the class -- since everything about the class feels bad because he's bored!

One thing I would suggest is finding a way to have him evaluated for his learning style strengths. If he's not a visual learner, then he's going to need to rely more on his hearing or physical, tactile senses in order to be successful.

For instance, if he's permitted to say the questions out loud while he's doing the work, then he might enjoy it more than relying only on his sight, which is not the most interesting sense to him. Or if he's allowed to mold things with clay -- for instance, instead of always having to write the letter "C" ten times, maybe he can write it 5 times and make a "C" out of clay, or cut one out of paper; this will satisfy his tactile or movement needs while teaching him the alphabet.

I'll be the other kids would learn better, too, if more of their senses were stimulated instead of feeling chained to a desk with a pencil and boring piece of white paper!

Ask his teacher about learning style theory, and why is it that she doesn't try to accomodate all the senses of all her students. See what her answer is; these days, all education majors in college have to learn about learning styles, and all of them are supposed to incorporate such things in their classrooms daily.

Please keep us posted on how he's doing. I will say a prayer for a better situation for him in the classroom.

Peace,
Syl

Sounds like boredom. Really. Who wouldn't want to play all day?
Ask the teacher to "put him in charge" of one or more "tasks"...we used to look forward to pounding the erasers to clean them (the old days). Is there a class pet that needs tending?
I'd check out Montessori method, also. It works wonders for children.

I agree with Victoria W. Have him tested for gifted. Children are gifted in many different ways and react in many different ways. Boredom in school is not good. Finding and addressing the issue now, in K, is not too early...whether it's gifted or something else.

I would look into having him independently evaluated to determine his proper placement... He may be doing this because the material is boring. I would definately also try to consider looking into his diet.... I know how upsetting it sounded when your childs teacher mentioned it, but I just read a real eye opening book that was loaded with info about many unsuspecting ingredients in the foods we often buy that many many kids have negative reactions to, such as being distracted, unable to focus, unwilling to cooperate etc. It doesn't point fingers or mean you are a bad parent, it just let's you know what some of the common culprits are and how to avoid or limit the foods ( or fake foods) that include these ingredients. The book is called NDD ( Nutrition Deficit Disorder) by Dr Sears who is very trusted and well known. I really recommend it either way.

Best wishes, hang in there. I've done reading on education and most say boys are not built to sit in classrooms and focus for long periods until I think age 8 or so! Hopefully he can get a teacher that is willing to work with him without getting frustrated and angry with him. He's normal. All kids develop differently.... Don't stress!!

Hi M.,

I'm so sorry that you're having to deal with this situation and hear so many speculations of what might be "wrong" with your son. I, too, have a child that would not complete his work in kindergarten but he was disruptive on top of that. Same thing happened in pre-k so I wasn't surprised. His dad and I are both teachers and we worked with him all the years leading to his "formal" education years. We noticed that he wasn't struggling with his work - just seemed to know it. Our son doesn't like to write. He can, is neat when he wants to be, but left to his own to do writing he's messy.

We had our son tested privately for ADHD and IQ. The neuro-psychologist said that he was borderline ADHD and was highly intelligent. He didn't qualify for gifted class because his attention span kept him from completing necessary portions of the test. She said that he was bored, not because of the amount of activities going on in the class, but because in his mind he rationalized that he knew the work and didn't feel that he needed to do it - bored. Teachers do not like to hear that because they do not like to think they are not providing the stimulation to the student to keep them motivated. It's kind of like a slap in the face.

Teachers are not allowed to suggest diagnosis' for students. They can tell you what happens in class and let you decide what YOU need to do. I also agree with another responder that this seems to be an issue for the teacher to find a solution to. If a student is not doing their work, as a teacher, I would inform the parent but also give the parent technics I was using in class to motivate the student to do his/her work. This is the RIGHT thing to do. Don't accept any less.

Your next conversation might include questions to the teacher about what she is doing or has done to remedy the situation in class. Teachers have somewhat of an advantage because when they report an "embarrassing" behavior in class the parent is sometimes thrown off and not able to think. This is why I recommend that the teacher give technics already used.

I'm sure you have had thoughts of what works for you at home to get him to do his work. Write down what you do at home, inform the teacher of what you do and allow him/her to make the modifications needed for your son to be successful in the classroom.

Again, I'm sorry that you're faced with this situation and feel like you have to "defend" your son. This shouldn't be happening to the extent that it is. Being called 6 times in one month . . . At some point the teacher has to take responsibility for what is going on in the classroom - and I say that as a teacher. You need to be strong, listen carefully and respond, not rudely, but with a matter-of-fact tone as to how you'd like to see the situation handled. Don't be afraid to go beyond the teacher if need be (i.e. school counselor, principal, etc.). YOU are your child's advocate and YOU know what's best for YOUR child.

All the best!
K. Woodlief
www.LovinLifeHome.com

It sounds like something psychological is going on within him that leads him to refuse to cooperate with work tasks. It may involve how he feels in the school environment or something else, but it's not ADHD or any impairment or disability based on what you describe. See if there's a way to help him communicate about how he feels about his surroundings and the people there.

i am the mother of 5 the grandmother of 10 and the great grandmother of 6. did ou ever consider the possibility of the fact that the teacher just has not found any thing that has the childs attention??? no one young or old has the same interest in life. im from the old school and if dr spocks book is what you are reading please remember his son committed suiside as a teenager. and the add and ect in the days gone by we found things to interest each one of our individual children that they were interessted in. and we chose to feed them balanced diets with out preservities ect. fresh fruit and fresh veggies are great. good luck and GOD BLESS

Did you ever think he might be bored in class? Some times children that are quick to learn get bored very easily and do not show an interest in doing the work. Try him at some higher lever projects and see how he does. I know I got into a lot of trouble in Kindergarten and first grade. I would want to talk all the time instead of doing my work. Thank God my second grade teacher loved me and figured out what the problem was. She started me on third grade math and third grade reading and I did great. I no longer got in trouble in class. By the time I finished second grade I was almost to a fifth grade level. But then when I went to third grade I was bored out of my mind again and getting into trouble. I continued to get into trouble until I got in sixth grade. Again my teacher realized I needed more work and harder work. Once he figured that out I did great. So you see, I am thinking maybe seeing your son has already had some schooling me may just be bored. But then again it's just a thought....

i'm glad I read the responses: get him tested for gifted!
it is your right.

next: does he have responsibilities at home? chores? they are important! he must now start to have a list of things he needs to do and then a system of rewarding what he does, like tickets, stickers, points, etc. then he can 'cash in' what he's earned for things like computer time, tv time, etc.
if he does not do what is expected of him then no:
tv, computer time, etc.
(don't use food)

It sounds as if he is bored to tears. He may or may not have ADHD but you would see more symptoms than just a refusal to do work. He may need a different school environment. I would have him assessed by a psychologist and you can request that from the school or do it privately. Most insurances will cover this with a co-pay. (been there)He may also need stronger consequences. ex. No work NO play. Try using the when you then you statements. When you do this worksheet then you can .... Find out what works at home and then keep an open line of communication with the school. And find a teacher who LIKES working with your child, if they have issues at all with him and all you are getting is negative feedback, move him to another class. Good luck to you and your hubby and son.

In the beginning of the school year, my son's teacher asked every parent to provide a workbook book a level above them, preferably chosen by the child, to keep in their desk. When each child is done doing their work, if the others are not, they are suppose to take out their workbook and do anything they want in it. They are only allowed to work in it when they complete their supplied school work. It's suppose to challenge them and keep them occupied while the other complete their work. She did this across the board since she said some kids get some concepts faster than others, so it prevents those who got it to get bored, and allowed to her to give those who are taking a little longer the appropriate amount of time to get their work done.

At the end of the day, my son is always proud to show me if he got work done in his extra workbook. And its beginning to show me where his interests are, where he's more advanced at things as he's working at a higher level, and of course, where his weaknesses are.