Comment from DD's teacher

[linda0706]

We had a conference yesterday with DD6's 1st grade teacher. All went well, she's doing fine, but the teacher commented that the entire 1st grade (not just her class) is having major problems keeping their mouths closed. The kids are getting bored easier than they used to. She said she thinks video games are starting to have a big impact because traditional teaching methods cannot keep up with the excitement of virtual reality. The kindergarten teachers are telling them that their kids are even worse than these.

She said all her kids are nice, polite, basically good kids, she just struggles to keep their attention long enough to teach them. She's been teaching for several years & said this is the first class she's had such a big problem with.

She said technology is catching up with interactive white boards and some other things but the money is just not in the budget yet to purchase them. She does have a computer in the classroom that's connected to the TV screen.

She said they're worried about the CRCT tests later this year and are kicking around ideas about how to "encourage" the kids to sit still for the required hour for the test. (March them around the playground beforehand to work off excess energy, etc.)

(Let me say that I know the teacher outside of school from Girl Scouts. I don't think she shared her feelings with the other parents.)

Has anyone else come across this issue?

 

[budbeerlady]

Sounds like DD's first grade class. They now have assigned carpet spots. The girls were doing each others hair, twirling their necklaces, etc. They were listening but while doing something else if that makes sense.

We did a party with the girls of the class, they were sweet polite little things but at the end of it my ears were burning! Even DD has it, the mouth goes 24/7 unless she is watching a movie or playing a video game. They seem unable to simply sit and listen, or sit and work.

 

[ilovejack02]

I have read articles about this and they all said that yes too much tv and video games affect attention span.
Now my child prob watches too much tv thank goodness the weather is clearing up here i cant throw him outside lol, but only recently started video games and i keep it under an hour a day and i plan on keeping it that way for a very long time.

My preschool wise book had a good chapter on how to work on kids attention spans and we do it with dh. One thing is playing the quiet game in car and I give him a list of things to look for and then he tells me when he sees them. We also practice putting our hands in our laps and being calm, I started that to help teach manners for going out to eat.

 

[emily1982]

I completley agree i support in a classrooms with 5 years olds and they can not sit quiet and listen for 2 minutes, even when you say their name and ask them to be quiet they carry on their conversation drives me potty, so normally i end up moving them away from the person their sat next to.

I once heared someone say there is a theory of because kids watch more tv etc If you watch tv, the image on the screen will change at least every 10 seconds so the view is completley different because of camera angles, so children are used to quick images of different views, so i suppose staring at someone sat on a chair for minutes is probably only something they do at school or at home if the conversation is of interest to them.

 

[mickeyboat]

Our school has Screen-Time turn-off week every year in the Spring. It's an opportunity for kids to explore other things to do with their time besides watching TV and playing video games. At a PTA meeting, we learned from our guidance counselors about the effects of TV and video games, and they mentioned the same things you did. They said this is especially troublesome for boys.

 

[JESW]

Oh yes! My dd8 is in 2nd grade and I have NEVER seen a class like hers! I volunteered for a while and I couldn't believe how these kids couldn't sit still! Seemed like so many of them were constantly in motion - from fidgeting in their seats to getting up to sharpen their pencil, throw something out, get something from somewhere else in the room, etc. I was tired just watching them! My own child was sitting listening to her teacher, but kept taking out her hair scrunchy, putting it back in, taking it out, and on and on. (I made sure to tell her to knock it off! )

Not sure what is going on, but we have been told that there are several "strong personalities" in her classroom and that is part of why the principal and counselor have been in that class many times. There are other issues (bullying, hitting, pinching, mean note writing, etc.) that have been going on and are being addressed. I had to go in and speak with her teacher as my daughter was crying every morning saying that she didn't want to go to school! There are a couple of the "queen bees" who start the bs about - "if you play with her you are not my friend". My dd just wants to play with everyone. Her school life has become so much better after the teacher re-arranged the seats in the classroom and my dd is now surrounded by boys!

I don't know what the answer is...not sure if it is all technology and such. I have known several of the kids in her class for years and they are the same ones who had "problems" back in kindergarten..

Jill

 

[MELSMICE]

I am not a grade school teacher, however, I teach dance to kids ranging in age from 3 to teen.

Each year it gets harder & harder to hold the attention of the students, especially the younger ones. I am constantly having to come up with creative ideas on keeping my class continually running so there is really no "down time" - & I only have them for one hour.

I'm not sure if the sole reason is video games, movies or what. My personal opinion is that some of it is a lack of children being taught when to listen, when to sit still and the appropriate times to talk. I'm not saying all children are like this, however, after dealing with kids for numerous years, I have seen a deterioriation in the way kids act in different settings.

 

[ilovejack02]

Not sure what is going on, but we have been told that there are several "strong personalities" in her classroom and that is part of why the principal and counselor have been in that class many times. There are other issues (bullying, hitting, pinching, mean note writing, etc.) that have been going on and are being addressed. I had to go in and speak with her teacher as my daughter was crying every morning saying that she didn't want to go to school! There are a couple of the "queen bees" who start the bs about - "if you play with her you are not my friend". My dd just wants to play with everyone. Her school life has become so much better after the teacher re-arranged the seats in the classroom and my dd is now surrounded by boys!

I don't know what the answer is...not sure if it is all technology and such. I have known several of the kids in her class for years and they are the same ones who had "problems" back in kindergarten..

Jill

Crap like that makes me want to homeschool!!!! UGHHH!

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

I have a first grader, Can anyone tell me what the CRCT test is?
Thank you

 

[linda0706]

I have a first grader, Can anyone tell me what the CRCT test is?
Thank you

Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests

A standardized test they give in the state of Georgia -- I'm not sure about other states.

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

Thanks. I thought i was missing something .

 

[Aurora63]

I teach first grade. I agree that at times it is hard to keep their attention. We try to find ways to do it, and to make it work for us. For example:

Short whole group instructional periods...i.e., 20 minutes at most, followed by activities that promote the lesson (could be seat work, computer program, literacy centers, etc.)

Clear communication of classroom expectations at any given time. I have a bulletin board on my wall with changeable signs (velcro on the back for easy changing). If they are allowed to talk quietly, I put up a sign that shows students talking. If not, the same picture with the no symbol across it (big circle with red line). Similar signs for movement in the room, what to do if you need help (do I raise a hand, or ask a friend?), etc.

Constant reminders and enforcement of rules, routines, and procedures!!

Consistent application of rules, routines, and procedures!!

Alternate ways of teaching topics. For example, often when teaching math I use an opaque projector (allows you to display opaque objects on a screen) to show how to use manipulatives to do the work. Most of my class enjoy this and sit in rapt attention (they especially get excited seeing my hands magnified 100 times!) If a lesson doesn't work out for some of the kids, I look for other ways to teach it, often involving movement or auditory ways.

I could go on and on. There are ways to use their lack of attention to your advantage. OP, your daughters teacher is probably right, most traditional ways of teaching don't work so well anymore. I could never expect my first graders to sit in rows silently doing work (at least not for long periods of time, like I remember from school). But then, they are only six and seven. I don't remember sitting still very much at that age!! But yes, attention span is a definite issue.

 

[Teacher03]

Third grade teacher here, and I agree. My class wants to constantly be entertained and thinks all subjects should be "fun." I am as creative as I can be with my lesson plans, but not every lesson can compete with the excitement of video games. All I can say, is TGIF! I love my job, and I love my class, but today was a tough one.

 

[Evil Genius]

wrong thread!!!

 

[yeartolate]

Perhaps they are all gifted.

 

[mt2]

Also with TV, there are more commercials than when I was a child. I remember reading an article about this.

Between the evening hours of 8pm and 11pm there is an average of 52 minutes of commercials shoved into these 3 hours. I wish I could remember what magazine this was from. I was in a Dr office.

It wasn't like this when I was a kid.

I'm sure it is a combination of things TV, video games, fast paced movies, etc.

I know that my DS watches too much also. Yesterday, we sat down and played a board game (Magic Kingdom) 3 times. He loved it but he sure was wiggly.

I taught Pre school (3's) for 2 yrs. They do have a difficult time doing the work pages that required to sit for 15 mins. It finally worked in Feb when the kids knew what was expected of them. I was hard though.

 

[KarenB]

Yes, I am seeing it where I work also. They are great kids, but they are always in a hurry. I constantly explain to them that there is no reward, prize, or special treat for being the first one done and that finishing fast does not mean you are the smartest person in the class. At first, I thought that I was not challenging them enough, but what they are completing isn't even 100% correct. I like to really investigate problem solving examples in math, but they seem to just want to quickly get the answer then be done with it instead of having any type of discussion about HOW we got the answer. **sigh**
Karen

 

[Feralpeg]

IMHO it is a problem and will only get worse. The high school kids I teach are not interested in reading. They say it is boring. I've even tried showing movie versions of classic books. Too boring. These kids are so use to immediate feedback from video games and movies that it is extremely hard to stimulate their minds in a classroom environment. Many of the students are very poor readers because they won't read.

I'm also seeing a huge trend to violent media. If a movie is not extremely violent, the kids are not interested. The other day, I was telling a few of my students about a movie. I was told they weren't interested unless it was evil and contained a lot of blood. These are freshmen and sophomore students. There favorite movies are SAW and Hostile. They would rather play Halo and kill things than anything else. This whole trend scares me.

 

[gshanny]

I work in a grade school as a tech aide. We just got into our brand new school this past October. I already have teachers asking me if we can get different chairs for the KCA's coming up soon. All the chairs in the labs are on wheels, they spin, and the seats can adjust up and down with a lever. The teachers are constantly trying to get the kids to stop spinning. I have to ask them to stop banging into the counters. I have had to get onto a few of them that like to push off from the counter and have almost ran over me as I was walking behind them. I HATE those chairs.
It is a long day when we have testing. I feel so tired when they are done each day. To try to help the teachers keep them focused is hard, especially in the lower grades. Necklaces, belts, hair, rings, etc are so much more fun than a test. When the lower grades come for regular lab times many times we have to have more than one thing planned to keep them interested.
I feel for the teachers. I only see these kids for maybe 30 minutes at a time outside of testing. The teachers are the ones who get more of the restlessness. Lab time is usually fun so they stay focused a little better.

 

[tjlovespooh]

I haven't read all the posts so perhaps someone else has already mentioned this but ...
Being a teacher (K-2) I do agree that attention spans are virtually non-existent with the majority of the class. I do agree that TV/video games probably has something to do with this. But I also want to add that toy manufacturers are constantly adding tv/video media into children's lives at earlier and earlier ages. I mean come on does a 6mo old really need a video game system Of course not, as a matter of fact AAP recommends that children under age 2 not view TV programs, their little brains need to develop through human to human contact/conversation! Unfortunately kids toys, babies toys, are all electronic now. I was hard-pressed to find my 14mo old a Christmas gift that did NOT take batteries! I think that has a lot to do with why kids can't stay attentive in school.
On a strictly personal note, DS has never watched a single TV program & I read to him constantly. That being said, he will sit and listen to as many as 4 or more stories at a time! Many of the kids I've had in class are incapable of getting through one