Learning Disablity at 4 (So the Teacher Thinks) How Can I Keep Learning Fun?

Hi M., I have a daughter almost 4. She has her favorite websites that helps her learn in such a fun way. Some of them are Starfall.com, discovery.com (preschool), Pbskids.org,sproutonline.com,disney.go.com and crayola.com. Most of them have such fun games that they don't realize they are even learning. Good luck, K.

I was somewhat concerned about my sons ability to focus last year and was told that testing cannot be done until at least 5 years old. I do know, although my son does recognize most of the letters, several kids in his class that do not know their letters yet. I would just use everyday objects and DVD titles to get him to recognize letters and sounds. Everything you do should include analyzing the word/sound. "You want some milk? OK. Milk starts with "M", see it here on the carton" Try this for a week or two, I bet he starts to recognize the ones of the words he loves, like his favorite dvd. Good luck

Look into the ADHD but it could also be that he's not yet interested. It may also help if you limit the sugar ingestion, sodas, bread, etc. Good luck

Dear M.,
First of all, has your son had an accessment from the local Child Find program in yourlocal school district?
It is not appropriate for a techer to stand over your son and make him do the work. If he is not wanting to do the work or to finish the work, it is very likely that he just isn't interested.
In preschool there should not be a great deal of school work that is on paper. This is all teacher led work, which is not at appropriate for this age group.
Talk to you pediatrician, and also to the preschool's director. Call the local child find program and set up and appointment for an accessment.
I wish you luck.
D.

Good Morning M.,
I know when they told me my daughter was adhd with hyperactive disorder i didnt want to believe it either. I even got a little pissy and upset that somebody told me something was wrong with my child. Then after i thought about it i had her evaluated and took the proper channels to get her the help cause why make the child suffer from something that she didnt really have any control over. Teachers sometimes know our children better than we do because they really do spend alot more time with our children. being evaluated does not mean anything bad, think about what goes on in your lil mans mind when he knows he's behind or see's the other children working faster than he is. Just remember if they catch this early on in his life when he goes into those higher grades in school he wont have such a problem.

he's not learning disabled!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! many children aren't ready for school at 4. That's why schools have always started at age 5. even in the 1960's maany states didn't require kindergarten. And kids didn't go to school already knowing their alphabets etc....
Now I know it's that's a generation ago. Even with technological advances, many kids just aren't ready for the pressure of school. I don't think your son is benefiting from the stress of having his teacher stand behind him, forcing him to work. He will express his knowledge when he's ready, not when he's forced.
If, by five and a half, he's still having problems with his alphabet, then there is something you'll need to add to his cirriculum to make it easier for him. Drill work is not easy, so maybe sign language, going around the house on an alphabet safari, or go to the zoo for a real alphabet safari!
But don't fret too much it sounds like his teacher is a bit dominearing and intimidating. I wouldn't work for someone like that so how could I expect my child to.
I've known children that knew all of their abc's by 4. Then, they had summer break, forgot it all and had to learn them all over in Kindergarten.

If the school he attends has someone who is qualified to evaluate him, I say go for it. Just because he is "evaluated" doesn't mean you have to follow through with anything special the school wants to do beyond the evaluation. As a parent, you always have options. As a teacher, my opinion is to get him evaluated now. I have seen soooooooooooo many kids slip through the cracks and not get the help they needed until they have already fallen behind in school, which lowers their self esteem and makes learning even more difficult. You may find out that he just isn't ready to learn at the same pace as the other kids (he's only 4 for goodness sake!! They used to introduce letters and letter sounds in kindergarten-- and they still do, so no big deal!) or you may find out he has ADHD or you may find out he has a learning disability. If the testing is inconculsive, no harm done and when he hits kindergarten if his teacher sees problems they can evaluate again.

Now that I said all of that... I have a big concern. Why is your child being forced to do "papers" at school when he is only 4??? I know PreK is introducing them to kindergarten, but learning at that age should be primarily hands on, and with movement and manipulatives. There should only be occasional "papers" to do!! This school's expectations seem very high and may not be the best fit for your son. It's possible that he is just developmentally delayed and in a different setting he may thrive and catch up by kindergarten or some time during kindergarten

A few things to ponder ...
1. 4 yrs old is not too young for a multidisciplinary evaluation.
2. It may not necessarily be ADHD, it may be some other type of processing disorder.
3. The earlier you encounter a learning or processing issue, the better it is for the CHILD. There are different methods of approach for different learning styles and methods that can help your child learn.
4. The longer you wait, the more frustration your child may build up and then you'll have to work to change a bad/fruitless action or method of learning.
5. Get an outside evaluation, not through the school. That way, you can choose whether or not to immediately disclose the information or ask for a second opinion.
6. Consider this evaluation preventative like a vaccine. Your child may be just fine and never be exposed to a sickness, but you still give the vaccine because the sickness is worse than the vaccine. If ignoring a possible issue can make things more difficult for your child later down the road, wouldn't you want to take the preventative measure to help them before they are completely frustrated by schoolwork??

If you are in South Florida, I strongly recommend the University of Miami Dept of Pediatrics which has a wonderful interdisciplinary developmental evaluation program (IDES) for cases such as this. You can call them at ###-###-#### or ###-###-#### ex 2. They evaluate children 3 yrs old and up.

Best of luck to you and your family!! It's never easy to consider your child may have any difficulties. A better diet and sleep schedule is a good idea regardless of the evaluation. That's a great place to start for all of us! :)

Your husband is SO Correct!!!!! Well done.
Your approach is perfect.
Also check out WestonPrice Foundation for eating suggestions, they are great.
I understand there is a chapter for them in Tampa too.
Maybe homeschool him- who wants their child to have a teacher who thinks she has to force a kid- ugh!
well done to you!k

It's not too soon to get your son evaluated! If he needs services, you may even end up getting free early intervention daycare services for him through your local school district. (In Palm Beach County it is by calling the school district office and asking for "Child Find.") This will give your son the best start in school and he won't fall further behind his peers. They should check vision and hearing first to rule out any issues there.

If you are able to visit his classroom, you might be able to see what a 4 year old should be able to do. My almost 4 year old daughter is starting to sound out words, recognizes all letters, can put her letters in order and print them. She has been able to recognize letters for a while. (Our favorite ABC "aide" was the LeapFrog Alphabet magnets... they sing the ABCs and allow a child to physically manipulate them... great for visual, auditory and tactile learning and for under $20... a fabulous toy that my almost 2 year old son now enjoys, too!)

The vitamins, bedtime, and diet issues are all necessary for a healthy child, but I think you should also seek out what testing and early intervention services that your son may quality for.

T.
School teacher for 15 years and Mom of 2.

Hi there,

When my son was 3, we had him tested through FDLRS for a learning disability. He was having problems communicating what he was seeing and hearing. The testing was several hours. It was good for us because my son became eligible for Pre-K assistance through Pinellas County Schools. He was in special classes for learning disabilities so that when he started kindergarten he wasn't as far behind as he would have been without assistance. This also had him set up with an IEP and 504 Plan when he started school so that they knew what other assistance he needed in his class. My son is now in the 5th grade and for the first time last year was on the honor roll. He was taken off of the IEP for learning disability at the end of 2nd grade.

I know it is scary when a teacher says that he should be tested, but in the long run it is really a tremendous help as it allows you a lot of additional assistance to make sure that your son is getting the best help possible.

Hi, M., my advice to you is don't wait a month. It can't hurt to have him evaluated now. My son was diagnosed with pdd at 31 months and I wish I had had him evaluated sooner. He is having geat progress with his therapies. I don't mean to say that your child has a diagnosis but whatever help he does need it is better to start sooner rather than later. Hope this helps. D.

Pls. remain open to an evaluation for your son. My son wound up being eligible for an at-risk preschool. At the age of 5 & a half, unfortunately was diagnosed with autism. The teachers know more of what's developmentally appropriate in kids than pediatricians! My son's diagnosis eluded two of them. Early intervention helps tremendously.

My advice to you, don't worry until you have too...My son is 3 1/2 and has speech difficulty, did therapy, etc..He still is very hard to understand. Just keep working w/him, all you can do, and try to keep thinking, when he's 18, none of this will matter...Just try to relax and enjoy...Don't take everything teachers tell you to heart either..YOU know best..

Hi M.!
I saw that you work full time, so this may not be an option for you. A lot of children are not ready for "school" at such a young age. I own my own business which allows me to stay at home with my 4 children and homeschool them, granted it does get a little hectic at times. But I put it in God's hands and we get through it. My oldest who is 7 was ready for so called "school" (learning her letters, colors, numbers, etc.) at 3. My 3rd child who just turned 4 in August is no where near where my 1st was at this time and with each one. He just has no concept of the questions and you can't expect them to do everything perfect and understand everything you're trying to teach and to even stay on task. Their attention span is so short and their their learning is different in the way they learn and the time frame they learn varies with each child.
I personally would not force your son in school right now, he's just too young. If you can't teach him yourself, (which I know it's very hard working full time, but it is doable), pray about it, ask God which is the best way for you and your son. If you want to keep him in preschool, then maybe you can change preschools to a more flexible teacher.
I doubt he has a learning disability. That's just an excuse that teachers use. They do the same with children on the more active side, so quick to say the child has ADHD and put them on medicine when really what they need is a different method of learning and the classroom setting is a "mold" that not everyone fits into and the pressure tends to lead to burn out.
I hope I have not offended you. I have had lots of trial and error with my own children and have really studied about how children learn so that I can optimize their learning to the maximum and I have also put it in God's hands and He has really shown me wonderful ways to make learning fun and go at the pace of the child.
I really hope you can get this worked out and it can be a fun journey for the both of you!
Take care!
V.

I would speak to your pediatrician about what to do ASAP. I grew up with a sister who had a learning disability (among other issues) and she required additional assistance at school. Maybe your pediatrician and/or your school district could get you involved with a special resources teacher to work with your son.

I'd hate to see a little one get saddled with the ADHD diagnosis at such a young age.

Until you are able to get some professional guidance, maybe you could keep an eye open for things that really capture his interest --trains? fire trucks? police cars?--and try to bootstrap learning into his likes: ie, if he likes fire engines, talk with him about the letter "f" and that fire trucks are the color red, and red is spelled r-e-d, etc. Maybe you'll discover a system of learning that works just for him!

Hang in there and don't get discouraged. I wish for the best for you both!

I agree with Melanie..the sooner the better.

It is better to get him evaluated early, so that if there is a problem you can help him. If you wait then it will be harder on you and him. Most people who evaluate very young children are very good about not labeling them. That is what you want to avoid.

My son was evaluated at 3 1/2. He had/has sensory issues. Between his school and occupational therapy, he is now doing great at age 6 and he does not have a label put on him!

Your son will change alot over the next year. Does he have a late birthday? My son was born in September. He is 6 and just started Kindergarten. I would suggest holding him back a year, which is common with boys.

Up until last year my son would not even color or write. He is just now getting in to learning. They all have their own pace and timing.

I did put my son in Montessori school as they work with the child as an individual and not as part of a unit. They do have time during class when they all do things together, so they get the best of both worlds.

I suggest you check out a local "Fully Accreditated" (key words when searching) Montessori school if you can afford it.

Good luck and hang in there!! You will have to be his advocate...not every teacher is knowledgable in this area...do your home work where ever you send him.

Also check out these books to see if there are other things that might be happening that you may not be aware of:

The Out of Sync Child
Sensational Kids

Good Morning M. - My son had the hardest time in Pre-K, his teacher talked with me daily about his behavior issues. I did not know what ADHD was then (2002). I just felt sure that I had an unruly/hyperactive child. Well the behavior continued and in 1st grade that was the teacher that pointed me towards getting him tested. I still think 4 is too young to get a diagnosis and if you have the RIGHT DR it will make all the difference in the world. We had a rollercoaster ride with meds it was horrible. All I can tell you is routine repetition!! Every child has a different learning style. My son learns from auditary teaching, but to this day cannot sit still if his life depended upon it. He will be 10 next month and barely made it to 4th grade. You have to stay ON TOP of the school systems or he will fall through the cracks. I am a single mom now and have 3 children and work full time so I know how it is.

Good luck

M. F

Hi dear, take advantage of the free local library and community centers...anything that will open your son's mind. How about art? A coloring book with words will help.
Sometimes the diet is too loaded with sugar, preservatives and little nutritional value. Talk with your pediatrician, also. And best wishes

I have a learning disability (processing) and they didn't find it till I was in 3rd grade, when I dumped everything I'd learned. (reading, writing, math). I got pulled out of class and missed even more. I'm now 30 and going back to college, and it's raising it's ugly head again.

Don't throw away the info that the teacher is giving you. It's better to have a helpful and interactive teacher, then have a teacher that doesn't care or doesn't want to deal with everything. TAke it with a grain of salt, and keep an eye on him.

At 4, your son should be on set schedule (school has already started), to make everything easier for getting up in the morning. I could cut out all junk food, fast food too. The extra and processed stuff in them can help contribute to whatever is going wrong.

Your son might not be interested in school, but paper type work is done is school now-a-days. By the time your pre-schooler starts school. They are "required" to know how to spell their first and last name, can count up to 10 or higher, and know how to say his alphabet, and when ask which letter is this. He should be able to say it.

I'm not saying it's right by any means. I think kids are being pushed and pressured way to soon. Going into pre-k, is completely different than when I started. You were taught your abc's and 123's in pre-k, not to already know them.

Like some of the other mom's have suggested, I would try to get the local project child, or whatever it's called in your area involved to just check. They would also be able to tell you if he's just not interested yet. Every child hits a point where they want to go to school to learn, but it's all different.

But if he does have the starting of some kind of learning disability, it's better to catch it earlier, rather than later. My daughter is also starting to exhibit sign of having a processing disorder. They didn't want to do anything for her till the 3rd grade, and I pushed. I'm glad I did, because she ended up being VERY behind. Even though my husband and I worked with her at home.

Good luck

Hi M.,

We had a situation similar to yours last year when my daughter was in Pre-K. For seven months her class worked on letters and corresponding sounds. At a conference in Feb. I was told for the first time that my child was having this problem. One of the first things I did was to get a variety of workbooks we could do together and a few alphabet books to read at night. She was having the same problems; we would work and work and work and 5 seconds later she couldn't tell me what we just did.

The second thing I did was to sit down with my daughter and talk to her about why she thought she was having this problem and this is what she said "Mama, this stuff just isn't interesting. It's not that important to me."

So... we then talked about why she needed to make it important. We talked about how she needed to know how to recognize these letters and sounds in order to move up in school, etc.

I worked with her every day for 2 weeks and she could recognize all her letters by sight and knew all the sounds.

The first thing they wanted to do was test her for ADD/ADHA. I spoke to the guidance counselor and told her that she would not be tested at this age in any way, shape or form. That she was too young to be labeled as having or possibly having a learning disability when she hadn't even had a chance to really get started in school.

Needless to say, we did not let them test her. We helped her learn to focus and pay attention when she needs to, but everyone needs to remember that kids at that age have a short attention span anyway. The teacher is probably even making the situation worse by singling him out and drawing the attention of the other kids to the fact that he is having trouble..

Good Luck!

Hi M.; I was a kindergarten teacher for 38 years so may be a little old fashioned in my ideas. BUT I do not think it is important for a 4 year old to be learning the alphabet. That used to be a kindergarten skill. At four there is so much they can learn by hands on activities. I do not believe in making them sit except for short periods at a table doing kindergarten/1st grade work. There is so much for them to learn by exploring in fun activities. If he is hyper it may be because he is to young to be forced into doing activities that he is too young to be doing in the 1st place. I, like you think it is important for them to have good nutrition and that plays a big part in hyperactivity. I am a Herbalife Supervisor and we have great products for children giving them the best nutrition. We have children getting off meds for hyperactivity after getting the good nutrition we can provide in our products. Right now during the month of October all children's products are 50% Off. I am making no profit off this because I am so concerned about our children today that I want to do what I can to help them on the way to better health. You can check out my website at sldnutritionmall.net and/or e-mail me at ____@____.com are welcome to give this information to others who may be interested. Also if you have questions about activities to do with your son at home or whatever I would be glad to help you in anyway I can. Good Luck! S.

My son has Adhd, When he was 5 we played ABC GO-fish with uppercase and lower case just start with a few a letters.We also played abc hunt I would show him the the upper case then have him find the lower case or vice versa! Learning should be fun and it should never be forced! I don't know what school he is going to but maybe that needs to be switched! Not sure where you live but check into learning Adventures Pre-k My oldest daughter went there and my youngest is still there! They are like a second family and they let the kids learn at there own pace! As being evaluated wait a year or two. Do it when you feel it is your last resort! Good luck! Make learning fun!

Hi M.,
That is such a tough situation. No one wants their child to be labeled with a disability. All children have different learning modalities and learn at different rates and stages. And yet sometimes early intervention is key as in the case of autism. I would suggest reading books by Cynthia Tobias (for yourself). You are also wise in trying to keep learning fun. There are so many more interesting ways to learn than traditional methods. Tobias' books will help you to determine which ways would be most effective with your son.
Music is a wonderful method for learning. especially if your son is an auditory learner. I loved the music put out by discovery toys. I can't think of the name of it now, but the phonics song is great! It starts off apple, apple, a (short a sound) a, a . . . and goes through the entire alphabet phonetically. You can also make the letter shapes with clay, rice or sand or even yarn and have your son trace them with his finger. That is called kinesthetic learning. Another fantastic resource is called workjobs, for hands on classification and math activities. Also read, read, read, aloud and make up fun language games. (I have many other ideas . . . if you'd like more email me at ____@____.com).
Back in the day, my very bright, insightful and verbal 4-year-old was apparently too immature according to his teacher to graduate to kindergarten. It was a tough decision, but we decided to keep him in pre-school an additonal year. The following six years he homeschooled and returned to the classroom in 5th grade because I could no longer keep up with him. (Not only was he at the top of his class, he was also one of the older, more mature and more prepared students). Tommorrow he begins his doctorate program at U.C. Irvine! (He's 24 now and married). Who would have thought? God has a plan for each child, our role is to discover their gifts and to encourage them to develop them and use them for his glory. May he bless this journey for both.

Please let them evaluate him! It is such a help to know where to focus your efforts to help him and the sooner you know what is going on the sooner you can begin move in the right direction. With any learning challenges the longer you wait the further behind your child gets. My son had problems focusing in kindergarten and we were fortunate enough to have a wonderful teacher who worked with us to find out what was causing it instead of treating him like a discipline problem. When we had him evaluated it turned out that he was gifted and just so bored that he that he was not focusing on what was in front of him. As soon as we knew this his teacher had him start working in a journal as a reward for finishing the classwork and the results were amazing. So please use the all the resources the school has to help you with this. It sounds like he has a caring teacher who is willing to help so take advantage of this now because you may not have that next year. My prayers are with you.

Hi, M.. Well, I have mixed feelings about what seems to be going on. First of all, a lot of children do not learn to read at all until 1st grade -- that was traditionally when kids were expected to read. Schools have tried to speed up this process for some reason. I would not worry that my 4-year-old doesn't read words yet.

On the other hand, he should know all or most of his ABCs by this time. So that is something to be a little concerned about.

I, personally, have not met any 4-year-olds who could just sit for long perionds of time and do one thing, so the teacher may be putting unreasonable expectations on your son.

I would try to balance out what is normal for a pre-school boy of 4 with what the teacher is telling you. All kids learn at different rates, and unfortunately,that clasroom sounds more like a kid factory than a kindergarten. It sounds like she is expecting all the kids to learn in the same way and to behave exactly the same way and learn at exactly the same rate. That's an impossible ideal. It's not going to happen, not for 4-year-olds, not for kids of any age. Not even for adults!

If he were my son, I would try to get him into a different preschool environment before putting a heavy label on him.

What you might try, also, with what you're doing with him at home (WONDERFUL WORK, BTW!) while you're singing with him and showing him the letter on the page, give him a 3-dimensional model of a C -- get those magnet letters and let him TOUCH a C. I'll tell you why -- it sounds like he's what they call a kinesthetic learner, which means that he needs to move around and touch things in order to learn best. He needs to associate what he sees with what he touches and hears, all at the same time. So give him a letter C to hold, show him how it's the same thing as the letter C on the page, and sing the song. This might help him to remember. Do a letter C dance -- you know how cheerleaders spell out letters with their bodies or arms?

This is basic learning style theory, which every teacher is supposed to study before getting a degree. It's very sad she seems to have no clue about it.

I hope my suggestions are helpful, and I hope your son has wonderful learning experiences all his life.

Peace,
Syl

I agree with getting him checked out early and I also agree that he is 4 and "papers" aren't very appealing to 4 year old boy!We used Leap pad or leap frog learing videos and songs and my daughter learned how to read right around her 5th birthday from these videos/songs! They are fun, "guilt-free" tv! We got them at Walmart.

I'm no expert, but I think 4 is too young to be given a label..... There's so many factors that can leave the teacher thinking your son is a little behind. (Boys mature a little slower......premature babies mature a little slower....muscle tone, etc...) I took over a kindergarten class a few years ago and had to deal with the school labeling a little boy as having a learning disability. He was a premature baby.....

He may just need a little more time. It's a huge transition to go to school.

Maybe you could set up his own little 'school area' at home so he could practice 'focusing'. (a little desk from Ikea) Or- a video that teaches letters with a combination of audio and visual elements. (He can sing the song, but can't recognize the letter........maybe he's an aural learner?) If I type in 'learn your letters' in a google search tons of games and activities come up.

Good luck! These days it seems every kid (especially boys) 'have ADD.' I don't buy it........

Hi M.!

Honestly I think your son is just not ready to learn his letters. Every child learns at their own pace on their own time. He might also feel intimidated by his teacher standing over him demanding answers from him. Personally I don't like the fact that she expects a 4 year old to behave and learn in a particular way and if not, then the child has a learning disability. That is not always the case.

As far as learning the letters goes, I would definitely try an easygoing/fun approach. He is already getting drilled at preschool so I would be looking for a fun way to learn letters. I also totally recommend the Leap Frog Letter Factory DVD. My son has loved those DVDs since he was 3 1/2. They are such a fun, easy way to learn letters, and for later-- word recognition, reading, etc.

Also, starfall.com is a wonderful resource. You can sit with him and play on the "Alphabet" section. It showcases each letter and it shows different words that start with the letter. Lots of fun!

Good luck and kudos to you and your husband for refusing to let someone set a label on such a young child.

Directly from the DSM-IV on ADHD:
"Infants and preschoolers usually have very short attention spans and normally do not persist with activities for long, so that diagnosing this problem in younger children may be difficult. Some parents may have a low tolerance for developmentally appropriate inattention."

You don't have the low tolerance but the teacher certainly seems to.

I am not quite there yet but my son is 3, I use some fun stuff from Discovery Toys since he was one. You can check it out see if there is anything to help you www.DiscoveryToysLink.com/LisaRyan Good Luck!!

You can have him formally evaluated for Auditory Processing Disorder at age 5 but in the meantime find a good pediatric occupational therapist to work on his core strength and vestibular system. So many children have sensory processing issues these days. Do it at 4 so learning disabilites can be cut down as he gets older.

You answered your own question...." talked and aggred that he is to young to be evaluated for anything and we are going to make sure he eats more healthy has a bed time, takes vitamins and just work hard with him with his letters"..this is the best thing to do...Your son is in preschool, he is a boy and he is still a baby, give him a break. It's way too easy to medicate claim disability for everything these days. Your son will learn what he wants to learn in time...

It may not be ADHD, it may be Asperger's Syndrome, or he may be on the Autistic Spectrum. The sooner you find out, the better off he'll be and won't struggle in school, like it sounds like you did. You may think he's too young, but there are services available at all levels and resources to help you work with him. You need to assess his learning style and where he's lacking abilities, in order to help him. Talk with the special education staff at your son's school and they will be able to give you some great resources to work with him.

Also, lot's of reading together, if he'll sit with you, will help. Label everything in the house with the first letter bigger than the rest...the Table, the Refridgerator, the Chair, etc. The more he sees them the more he'll recognize them. But beyond learning, he may need other services that you'll need to establish and work with the school. Talk with your pediatrician about the teacher's concerns...the teacher may be wrong, but wouldn't you like to know for sure?

It doesn't hurt to get him tested. If they don't find anything then you have peace of mind. I got my kid tested at 4. I wish that I would have gotten my son tested earlier. Pasco County has a great program for preschoolers that helps them when they are behind. The quicker you get him help the better...

Sesame Street, song videos with letters and numbers. Also get his eyes checked out. Everyone thought there was something wrong with my nephew and come to find out not only did he have problems with his eyes he had hearing problems. also. The school over looked both issues when they did their routine checks at the school. My neighbors little boy sounds like your boy. He would not pay attention, he would not sit still for his Mom. I started working with him and that helped a lot. Then she also put him in tutoring which really helped. He also may not be burning enough energy up and just plain restless. When I was in school they had to let me play a little longer than the rest of the kids because I had excess energy. It worked and I did great in school. People are to quick to judge and to quick to want to put children on medications. I was a single Mom and worked. From that experience I had I can tell you he may just really need more attention from you. I had two little girls to raise on my own and they turned out great. You have to put your personal life to the side and spend your time focusing on your child. It's hard but well worth it in the long run.

Leap Frog DVDs helped my son (who has been labeled adhd as well - although I am not too keen on their screening methods and diagnosis). The DVDs are inexpensive (about $10 each at Wal-Mart) and teach phonics as well as the letter.

I am not big on labeling children as they all learn in different ways, but if his teacher thinks there is a problem and you have noticed something you should have him tested. He is not too young to be evaluated. I was concerned about my son’s speech development before he turned 3 so I had him evaluated and he was fine. My son just spoke at his own time. Maybe your son just needs to learn in a different way. Having him tested will help you learn the best way to help him. He may not have anything, but you will not know until he has been tested. You need to start to eliminate what the possible problems may be so that you can best help him. Proper nutrition and sleep are important but they are not going to help him if he has a learning disability.