Name: CHEC Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-12T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Denver, CO

Tagged: attention, focus, LIving Books

This topic has 3 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 14 years ago by Kelly.

Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

Author
Posts
May 13, 2011 at 12:18 am
Kelly
Participant
Hoping someone will have a few suggestions!
We have just started our second term of Homeschooling, in Australia, thankfully we stumbled across CM & in particular SCM almost immediately.
I have a Y3, Y1 & preschooler. Everything is going along pretty good, My Oldest is settling in nicely, It is my second child, a boy, who I cannot get to focus on the Living books, He will do his Math, Copy work & Early reading, when he has to sit & listen to a story, he cannot focus?
Lessons are quite short as suggested. He just does not seem interested.
Has anyone else had a similar problem? Any suggestions?
Kelly.

May 13, 2011 at 1:21 am
sheraz
Participant
I might suggest that you let him do something with his hands while he listens. I have seen children who can’t focus by auditory alone, but allowed to “fiddle” with something they are able to focus. He seems pretty visual – on one of her videos, Sonya suggested writing the name of the person(s) in the story and letting kids use those as visual cues to listen for in the story. If he could still listen while doing this, maybe he could make a tally mark everytime you said a certain persons name. He could be using lots of senses then. =)
May 13, 2011 at 1:21 pm
ibkim2
Participant
I’m not sure if this is the case with your son, but last year ds age 3 1/2 was in preschool and when his teacher evaluated him she was AMAZED at how much he knew and retained. I told her when he came home from preschool he told me the words he was learning in Spanish and other things. She said in the class he seemed not to be listening and focusing, while other kids sat on the rug he was always moving around and doing other activities (like working puzzles or looking at pictures in other books)…..she thought he wasn’t listening. She didn’t correct him at that age because the things he was doing wasn’t disturbing the rest of the class. But for her to know he was paying attention and retaining was very encouraging to her. Since starting CM type education, he isn’t in preschool but one day/week and I’m trying to focus more on outdoor free play than academics, but it was a good glimpse into knowing that I don’t necessarily have to expect he be still to be paying attention. I suppose narration will be the answer for you as to if your ds is paying attention.
May 14, 2011 at 3:35 am
Kelly
Participant
He is very visual, if I let him, he would spend all day on the computer, still hoping CM will suit him.
I really like the idea of putting something in his hand a word, a visual clue, getting him to mark it when he hears the name, brilliant, I think that might work thankyou Sheraz!
At this stage I don’t think he is retaining much, as narration is pretty non existant with him! He does want to move around maybe I should let him, along as he is not disruptive.
He is a perfectionist by nature, dosn’t like to fail. I think rather than failing at something he would rather not engage. The visual clue, could be the baby step he needs, Cheers from OZ!