what to do with a first grader who's bored

[kendra]

I have to say I'm getting totally frustrated and I'm not sure where to go with this.

My son is totally bored in the first grade. I will admit that he has a lot to learn, but something isn't working. I know that they are doing a lot of coloring, and Brian hates to color. He finds it pointless and borning and I can't say as I blame him. He's also decided that he doesn't like writing because it takes too much time and he thinks that's boring. When I've talked to the teacher she tells me he's just going to have to deal with it. I understand that the teachers are constrained by the curriculum, but this is just not working for my son. Where do I go from here to help him?

[Linda]

Just a thought here....but maybe Brian isn't bored as much as he is frustrated!!!Could be It is a fine motor problem!!!If it is hard for him to do then he won't want to do it.

It is pretty common for our kids to have difficulty with their writing.Ask the teacher if an ot is in order.

[rosyred45]

I agree with Linda, Mikey always hated to color or write, he still does, but it does get better honest.

The teacher last year mention visual perseption as a possible problem for Mikey, meaning that the way he saw it wasn't processing as what it really was. Mikey has worn glasses for the past couple of years, so this helps a bit, but the frustration level was terrible.

We tried the color something he was interested in, but that was the "scribble to say it got done" answer, not neat not nice, just 3 or 4 "roller coasters" to say color was on the paper.

I do feel for you, we had to stick it out with Mikey, as there isn't so as much a way around it, he had to learn how to write.....it's just a matter of how to get it on the paper. He sees things fine---no disgraphsia or dyslexia, he just has a time when it comes to sitting down and getting it done, when there is so much more that is disatracting him.

Can I ask where the placement is in the room? Is he by himself, next to the teacher, in a busy section? Is the room brightly decorated and visually distracting?

Things like this were taken into consideration for Mikey. And we told Mikey when it came to his homework if it was that boring, he could get it done and not have to worry about it. We would sit for hours waiting for him to get it done.....

We know where your coming from

[mskris]

Is there another activity that he can do instead of coloring that demonstrates the same skills? For example, could he select the colors from a computer screen or use colored clay to identify colors if that's what they're trying to teach? I agree that he must learn to write, but our adhd kids have notoriously bad handwriting (even my ds, who can draw beautifully and has no problem with small muscle coordination had trouble writing words). Do look into occupational therapy, but then see if you and/or the teacher can get creative with substitute activities that still test skill comprehension.

I am becoming more and more a proponent of alternative means of achieving the same goal. The teachers just use the same old, same old methods instead of trying to challenge the kids...

If you can get a 504 plan for your ds, you could write some of these alternatives into it.

Kris

[bunny]

My DS had the same problem in first grade! Coloring and writing were the worst! His teacher was rewarding students for completed work by letting them color . THis, of course, was no motivation for him at all. After discussing it with her, we agreed that he could do mazes when his other work was complete. He loved to do them, so it at least gave him something to work towards.

DS is in third grade now. He still does not like to write, and is rather slow, but he's doing ok with it. The good news is that there is not much coloring .

Good luck, I know it's tough!!