Behavior in Kindergarten - Pompano Beach,FL

Talk to your son about how he's feeling about being in kindergarten. Does he like his teacher? Is it mostly a behavior issue (like acting out) or a following directions issue?

Does he get enough sleep at night to be well rested during the day? Are there certain times of day when he's more likely to misbehave than others? Is it when his blood sugar level is high or low, like right after or right before lunch or snack time?

I'd suggest scheduling a meeting with his kindergarten teacher. Let the teacher know that you want to help your son get started in school on the right track, and maybe you can get some advice that will help.

Working together, you'll find a solution. It's only his first week, so hopefully things will improve with time, if you and your son and his teacher work together.

I hope this helps! Best wishes with kindergarten and beyond...

3 moms found this helpful

I would talk to the teacher asap and see what is going on. Whatever it is you and the teacher need to work together to fix it. It will make you and the teacher feel better if you are both on the same page.

2 moms found this helpful

Kindergarten is new to him. I bet he's acting out. I hope in a month or two you will post that he is on yellow/orange or better yet green :) Has he been to VPK? Kindergarten is all day without naps (at least it is for my daughter). Give him some time and I hope the teacher doesn't give up on him. Talk to the teacher the sooner the better.

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Wow on red 4 out f 5 days?? Jeez. You might want to find out what a child has to do to go red. I would think if he is giving the teacher a hard time she would put him on yellow, which is a warning. I find the teachers reaction, honestly extreme. IMO

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On red? Does that mean separated from classroom activities?
Is that jargon in that classroom? In that school district?
Have you had an opportunity to observe in the classroom?
Is the teacher, perhaps, rigid?
Are the other children compliant?
I wonder if your child and this teacher simply have a "personality conflict".
How was his behavior before kindergarten?
Did he have any preschool experience?
Have you had a conversation with the teacher?
Does her description of his behavior seem reasonable to you?
Is your son angry?
I wonder if he expected kindergarten to be different than he found it to be.
I wonder if you -- or someone -- can get him to talk about
what's really going on with him, and that behaving that way in school
isn't going to "work" to get him what he wants/needs.
At his age, this kind of conversation would have to be done
with extreme delicacy. He probably doesn't have the vocabulary
to express just what is going on . . . but some insight
can probably be teased out of him with the right approach.
S.

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His behavior is telling everyone around him that he is not developmentally ready for Kindergarten. I would have him seen by an occupational therapist, a developmental optometrist and auditory processing evaluation. His motor coordination systems are not connected in a way that will make learning smooth and easy so he is acting out. Check it out and e-mail me if you need further guidance.

I would keep an eye out on the behavior at home, if he continues to act out when you do specific homework, that may be a clue. Ask the teacher to tell you not just what your son is doing, but what was happening when he did it. Sometimes, children who act out at school have difficulty with something specific in the curiculum. Can he sit for circle time, but gets under the table when they have to use a pencil? Can he write his letters, but spits on his neighbor when it is numbers? Does he act out with all desk work, or just some? These are important questions, since you do not have a definant child at home in the general sense, you would already know that you had a problem when you sent him to school, and this behavior would not be a surprise. It is a shame, many teachers do not see the pattern until you make them look. They assume that behavior is deliberate and willful if they can see that the child has moments when they can control it. Say, a child who has a visual motor issue, and acts out when the task calls for paper and pencil tasks like work sheets, but can colur a picture without having a problem so they assume that the bad behavior is voluntary and willful. It may just be the reaction of a child who is having a very difficult time with one process or another.

M.

My guess is that he has been made to go passed words he doesn't understand- makes anyone very cranky. Ask him is there a word he doesn't understand, our daughter often would say, and if she didn't know we'd ask what she been studying, and then I'd ask her words, it was always there. After clearing up the word, then she'd always brighten up.
Check out Yoka Reeder for more, or send me a msg, and I can get you more.
Meanwhile I'd take him out of the class. That's just me- but my goodness to do this to your son's behaviour in 5 days- I sure would not want him to be there 10 days. Can you see that the change came with this- then protect him, and get him out of there.
Leave him there and they may start telling you to put him on drugs- be careful of what is done to kids these days. And there goes his life.
And from my experience- from mis- understood words.
Protect him.
Best, k

My daughter is almost 5, but has a November birthday, so she just started VPK. She is having trouble sitting still and listening at circle time. Her teacher and I think it is because of the new expectations of VPK. Circle time is longer and requires more listening to the teacher and other classmates. This is challenging to my daughter so she acts out. The teacher made all the difference by figuring out a technique to help her. She invited my daughter to sit in a hula hoop during circle time. She informed her classmates that this was her space. My daughter can even ask for the hoop at other times when she thinks she might need help. There were no problems after implementing this plan. Perhaps you and your son's teacher can find a creative idea to help him with whatever is frustrating him. I wish you all the best.

Give him a little time to adjust. They also getting used to a new routine, new teacher, new kids and in many cases a new school. Kindergarten is also a huge jump in expectation level for behavior. It will take some time to get it all down, but they do. Just keep in close contact with the teacher and let him/her know that you are there to support them and follow through at home.

please please please put him to bed early, it' won't fix everything but if he isn't rested or nurished it will be even harder to get through a very very long day. find out what is happeningi and when.

Mom. I teach young pre-K children and am curious, is this your son's 1st taste of being in a structured environment outside of the home? was he ever in preschool, if so the structure at school should not be new to him. What are the issues that cause him to be on red at the end of the day? is he not listening, talking too much, hitting or being mean to others? You and Dad need to sit down asap with your son and tell him that his poor choices and behavior at school need to stop today. Let him know when you or Dad drop him off at school that you both expect good choices and behavior is expected of him each day , tell him his teacher is the "Boss in charge at school" and he needs to listen and follow the rules that she tells the children. THen I would set some consequences that are age-appropriate for his behavior at school, they need to be understandable and firm. Tell your son what he will lose if he comes home on red again. I would start by taking away privileges if he comes home with another red, like no TV, or video games for 24 hrs or whatever means a lot to him, you may tell him you are taking a favorite toy away for a few days etc. He is getting too old for time outs and the discipline at this age needs to have meaning to him. Be sure in the talk with your son at home you fully explain the consequences 1st before they start so you he knows what happens if he gets another red at school. This is only fair way to do it Mom. If you are not familiar with a green, yellow, red behavior system, being on "red" usually means the child was given at lest 1-2 warnings to stop a particular negative behavior by the teacher and they did not stop so the red happens. You need to let him know school is important and serious business and that he needs to be on good behavior there. If there is no inprovement after your parent/child talk in the next few days call and make an appt to meet the teacher after school to address your son's behavior problems, but do it without your sone being present. In the mean time I would send a note to the teacher tomorrow telling her of you and your husbands plan to talk with him about behaving better at school. Tell her that you welcome a mtg next week to get her suggestions if things don't get better by the end of this week. She will appreciate your being proactive and understanding that his behavior needs to improve and that you and Dad will take the steps to better it. Mnay young children test the waters their 1st few wks of school until Mom and Dad and teacher have a talk and they realize that school is not a place to misbehave. Hope this helps and good luck to you and him Mom