Hi, I’m wondering if any teachers have found a way for a child to learn how to hear the call to come in from recess. Our school’s teachers use whistles and each time a whistle sounds the kids look up to see which teacher is calling her class in. My daughter never seems to hear it and she finds it embarassing. She doesn’t know how to relax and enjoy her recess and yet be responsive to the teacher. The teacher now just looks out for her by calling her name or sending another child out after her. Megan usually is doing something creative when when she doesn’t “hear” the teacher’s whistle like building a sand castle. Once the teacher and students were in from recess deep into a lesson when the teacher realized that Megan was missing. She found her on the playground playing in the sand oblivious to what was going on. Is there any way to make a child more independent when it comes to transitioning?
Re: Child left behind while the class transitions
I’m an adult with ADHD and learning disabilities and I identify with the problems that both of you describe. One of the problems that I have is not always hearing when I’m doing something else. I worked in a hospital as a social worker and often wouldn’t hear when I was being paged.
If recess is every day at about the same time, perhaps a reminder watch would be helpful. You can get one at ADD Warehouse, which is on the internet. It also might help at the end of the day to alert the child who doesn’t remember the end of the day routines. Perhaps he could be trained to take out a reminder card with pictures or words that tell him what to do when he is alerted by a reminder watch.
I have a problem learning both new faces and new names. I remember that when I was in high school I had trouble keeping track of the boys because they looked so much alike. (This was in the 1950s when there was less variation in styles). I wonder if the child who isn’t learning the other children in class is having a perceptual problem which interferes with him being able to differentiate them.
Megan’s Mom, I know what you are talking about. My son didn’t know the names of the other students in his class in 2nd grade and his teacher kinda made fun of him. It was the last week of school and he only knew 1 or2 students names. He told me he didn’t have any reason to know their names so he didn’t bother. He is 11 now and still only knows a few kids in our home school group by name.
He was in montessorri sp? and they would call me constantly because Michael would get stuck at one station and refuse to leave!
Michael was 1 of 12 students in kindergarten class and the teacher would have the students put their chairs on top of the table before they sat on a mat for reading. She told me Michael never even noticed that the kids at his table put their chairs on top and left. She thought it was funny but it really isn’t.I wish I had some advice for you but I really don’t. I think some people are just that way and we have to love them for all their great qualities and overlook some of their absentmindedness. Good Luck, Jan