http://liveloveserveteach.blogspot.com/2014/10/tricks-and-treats-for-teachers-blog-hop.html
This blog is written by Jova Crawford and she addresses the topic of kids that can't sit still or focus but have not been diagnosed. She gives suggestions as well as some recess tips that will help these children get ready to learn. Interesting!
Hi Debbie I enjoyed reviewing this webpage also. I love to gain more interventional strategies to help me in my classroom. I find it so hard to get them to learn when I can't get them to sit still. Sometimes my circle time is a big circle of wiggles and nothing else. With the Halloween season approaching they are not able to sit still for anything. These tips shared here is truly a blessing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mary, I to am dealing with the Halloween wiggles but tis the season and new ideas are always welcome. When we sit in our circle We recite a fun little poem and example would be Five Little Pumpkins but we whisper. It helps them settle down and get ready. Debbie
DeleteHere is an email I received from Joya Crawford also: Joya Crawford
Delete1:22 PM (2 hours ago)
to me
Hi Mary!
I got your email about being interested in more strategies. Here are some more I've used successfully. I hope these help. If you are looking to target specific behaviors please feel free to email me and I'd be happy to help you brainstorm some ideas.
1. Chewing... I know chewing gum is frowned upon but think about snacks. Encourage the parents to send in chewy snacks like fruit snacks (the healthier ones) or crunchy snacks like carrots with ranch dip or celery with peanut butter. Peanut butter is a good one because you really have to work hard to chew and swallow peanut butter, add celery and it's a win-win.
2. Music... In my blog post I mentioned letting those students wear headphones to block out distractions. You can also let them listen to music in their headphones. You can always play classical for them or here are some I've used both in my classroom and with my daughter:
http://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Effect-Music-Children-Volume/dp/B00000212Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1414266785&sr=8-2&keywords=sensory+music
I have all of the Mozart effect cds and LOVE them!
3. I'm sure you've heard of letting kids sit on the balance balls instead of sitting in a chair. That's not always possible. I discovered these and they work great. There are two sides so the student can choose the "poky" side or the non-poky side. This allows the student to wiggle within reason and get feedback. You do have to set some expectations about not wiggling so much we fall out of our chair. This helps a lot. You can ask certain parents to purchase this or if you work in a really poor school like I always did, I just bought 2-3 and had them on hand.
http://www.amazon.com/Stability-Cushion-Diameter-Balance-Included/dp/B007LX6MPG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414267020&sr=8-1&keywords=balance+cushion
4. Heavy work... Think about ways to incorporate heavy work into a child's schedule. For example, I always moved my big easel away from the wall for morning meeting, group time, etc... It was on wheels but it was big and reasonably heavy. I had those certain students move it into position for morning meeting or group time and then back to the wall again when we were done. If we needed to pass out dry erase boards for math or fluency I'd give certain students heavier stacks of them to pass out to the other students. We also sometimes did reading from our classroom library book baskets. I'd have these students bring the book baskets out to the tables and put them away again. Have these students stack chairs and move them where they need to be at the end of the day and maybe come in a couple minutes early and unstack the chairs and put them at the desks.
5. Fidgets... this is my favorite that I've found so far. Gives kids something to do with their hands. They can move their hands but still pay attention to you.
http://www.amazon.com/Play-Visions-Stretchy-Mice-Cheese/dp/B0018KJTBC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414267508&sr=8-1&keywords=mice+and+cheese+fidget
6. Quiet corner... If you have an area under a table or in a corner where they can go and put some big pillows on them this really helps. The pillows are weight that calms them. This might be a good place to read a book or listen to music too.
7. Send them on an errand... make an arrangement with a fellow staff member so they will know that this students might need a break and will get it by delivering an important message or bringing items to them.
8. Depending on how old they are see if they can help in the cafeteria for a few minutes before or after lunch. Wiping tables, pushing the broom, moving the trash cans, etc...
These are what I can think of off the top of my head. Like I said, feel free to email me if there are specific behaviors you would like to brainstorm ideas for. Hope this helps!
Joya :)
~liveloveserveteach
Thanks Mary, I love Joya's ideas. What do you think? Debbie
DeleteHello Debbie
ReplyDeleteI agree that this website had some good ideas. I do like the idea of giving the students a to- do list on the playground. This will make sure they are doing different actives at recess. I do not think it is possible to send the child out with a parent or another adult. Not all classrooms have parent volunteers. I think the idea for headphones is a good idea. There are headphones that are specifically designed to drown out noises that we use with our special education students. The one thing I do not agree with is the smelly markers. I agree that they do smell great, I just do not think children should get in the habit of smelling markers. Not all markers are supposed to be smelled and they may not be able to distinguish smelly markers from regular markers.
You have a good point Diana and I would agree. Safety must certainly be our first concern. As far as the child going out on the playground with a volunteer. If a child is having big problems in the classroom and this could be a solution. Working with your team of teachers to find a solution that will help a child learn is important. It sometimes takes a village to raise a child and that is what makes a teacher special. We are all working toward the same goal. Educating children ! Thanks for your input. Debbie
DeleteHi! This is so true that children cannot sit still and learn completely. Being focused is very important to child development, and the teachers need to be able to tell if the child is focused or if they need to have some more hands on activities. Thanks for sharing this website! It definitely will be helpful.
ReplyDeleteI found this to be also interesting since I have been given one year olds who have not yet been diagnosed because they are still growing and being evaluated. It is hard in the morning when I pick them up from the other classroom as they are already here some at seven and others even earlier. They arent in any activity during those times and I have to get them to interact with one another as well as stay still for various activities. What I have found very helpful and thats when they are very alert is our stroll around the neighborhood. None of the other one year classes do this and I find it to be great for them. Your blog really has me exploring more ideas on how to be more effective and how I can make the classroom inviting every season and even every month.
ReplyDelete