Not So Smooth Transition...

K.,

it's hard to see them struggle. You have to be his cheerleader and encourage, encourage, ENCOURAGE! After all, it's not like he really has an option, he can't quit school in first grade! : )

Let him know that all the other students are beginning a new year, too, he's not alone, and that he is going to learn so many new things and have so much fun. Tell him the school day is longer so he can learn all those new things. It can be boring in the beginning of the year with repetition as the teacher tries to see where each student is at, but that will change. Or it can be boring because he's not focusing and paying attention to the teacher.

Tell him that he has a job, and that job is to be a good student. Tell him he needs to listen to the teacher, keep his hands to himself, and do the best he can in his school work. When he complains turn it around and ask him, "And what did you like or have fun doing today?' Run with that and put as positive a spin on school as possible. Give him a certain amount of complain time and then he's done.

If he has homework set aside a regular time to get it done each day, and if he doesn't go over his spelling words, math problems, read books, etc., to get him used to it. Encourage HIM to seek out new friends, it can be as simple as asking someone if they'd like to play together.

If you can volunteer to be a room mother. You'll only be in the classroom for parties or if the teacher has a special project she needs help with, but possibly seeing you at school will ease his problems.

And I wouldn't discipline him as of yet for the not keeping his hands to himself, but encourage him to either keep his hands clasped together in his lap or to sit on them. Let him know that part of school is behaving and that it's part of his "job" as a student.

Hang in there!

You can homeschool him:-)

That's what the first few years can be like. Don't get yourself all upset. It's great that his teacher is communicating with you and letting you know that he needs some guidance on how to act while in class. I always told my boys to sit up straight and fold their hands while the teacher was talking. We practiced playing school A LOT before they started kindergarten so they knew my expected protocol. I'd let him know that school is a serious thing, and that his education is free right now and he needs to treat it just like a job because that is in fact what he is practicing for.... an eventual career of some sort. Hang in there, be firm, dont let him get away with shinanighans.

Be a room mom, go eat school with him once every few weeks or so. Encourage him. Give him positive consequences, set up some kind of reward system. Role play with instances he is having troubles with to help him have confidence that he can maintain good behavior at school.

I second the homeschooling idea . . . it's a great way of life (we did traditional school for many years).

Good luck - don't let school turn your little guy off to learning.

There is a chance your son could be bored, and by that I mean not being challenged with the school work. Your son could be flying through the required school work before the other kids finish and the few moments he spends waiting for the others is letting his mind roam, which is normal.
Ask about any advanced/gifted testing to see if he is 'ahead' of his peers.

Invite some of the boys in his class over to play so he can meet some new friends. Make sure the work is challenging enough for him and, if not, see if the teacher can give him something closer to his level. I think it's a first grade thing. We went through this with both kids in first grade, they both eventually settled in and did just fine.