Troublesome Kindergartner

Audrey - posted on 01/24/2010

Ask your child's teacher to implement a behavior plan for him. I work with ESE kids that have emotional and behavior disabilities. Each of my kids have an individual behavior plan that is tailored to fit their needs. For example: your child's teacher might try setting a timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off your child is rewarded if he met all of the expectations set by his teacher before the day started. In my class the expectations stay the same. I use stickers as rewards in my class. At the end of the day all of my kids that earned all of their stickers get to go into the treasure chest. I also ask that their parents reward them in some way when they get home. Over time the time on the timer can be increased and eventually done away with.

Kirsten - posted on 01/24/2010

Can you spend a day or two in his classroom to observe his behavior? Or at least try to find out from his teacher what preempts his bad behavior. If he's bored and acting out then there should be some activities and special projects that the teacher can give to him to help keep him from getting bored. Maybe he's being set off by another kid and the teacher could just separate them. I think that you need to get more information about what is causing this behavior.

Julie - posted on 01/23/2010

It is difficult to know just how extreme his behavior is without watching him! However have you talk to the teacher about what is going on before he gets into trouble, is he bored does he need extending? are others hypeing him up? I am also wondering if he eats lots of 'junk food'? If his behavior fluctuates? Does he get angry? Is he hyperactive? My son has problems with food colouring, preservatives, and silicilates (in lots of citrus fruits etc) these things change him from being a fun, cheeky, busy,happy boy who can concentrate and do well, to an angry, destructive, cant sit still boy.He was 6 when I worked this out he is now 16 and I am glad we sorted it out when he was young! These additives can make children overactive without being angry, good luck I hope you can work out what is going on,maybe your first stop is a nice conversation with the teacher and ask her if she can explain in more detail the situation.That is always my first plan of action.

Andrea - posted on 01/22/2010

I would be curious as to how the teacher communicated her expectations to your son. If as you said he is extremely intelligent it could be that he is bored, in which case again the teacher is accountable. It is easy for teachers to simply put the more difficult students on "time outs" etc. but if this type of consequence is not explained well enough, or is done too often it looses its effect