I would classify my son as being overactive. He is always doing something. He runs. He jumps. He builds. He has wars with his transformers. He CAN sit still... but would rather be moving.
In fact, when he was a tiny infant, we would lay him on our bed at bedtime, and he would kick and kick and kick and kick... and kick... until he finally let out a big sigh, and was out like a light an instant later.
He is still super-active, until his body literally gives out each night.
Tammy, a homeschooling friend of mine, once mentioned that if her son was too fidgety, that she would make him get up and run laps around the house or do jumping jacks, until he could concentrate again. Now that her son is older, whenever he notices that he has lost focus, he will get up and do jumping jacks on his own.
This is a practice that we've adopted in our house. After breakfast, when our morning school time begins, Aikman runs laps around our living room and kitchen. I actually measured it out the other day, and each lap is about 15 yards. He's currently averaging around 40-45 laps in one setting (which is growing daily!). That's between 0.3 and 0.4 of a mile!
Surprisingly, he actually ASKS to run in the mornings before he even wants to sit down.
We also play games and try to do as many hands-on learning activities as possible.
So, do you have an active child? What do you do to help them focus on learning?
3 comments:
That's awesome! I've never thought of doing that before......we'll often put in a CD and jump and dance around :-)
As a teacher with a boy heavy class (we have 9 and 6), I can say that our class is very active! And yup, we are definitely "doing" more than last year when we were 5 and 5.
Another thought about Aikman's exercises, if you have him do crossover exercises (windmills or walking opposite foot with opposite arm etc) that is a way to make the right brain connect with the left. Then afterwards the brain is more ready to learn. Maybe that would be good for being active and . . .
: )
this might explain the tossing and turning we're having st night! mine is still a crawler, but I will remember to encourage his activity! better to get it out than bottle it up. thanks!
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