Reluctant learner

[Amanada B]

My son is 5. I am having a very hard time getting him to sit down and try to learn to read. He can only sit for about a minute or two and gets restless and tries to walk away. Will his ability to learn get better soon or is this ADD? He can play with lego for along time, is not wild but just does not want to do any type of "learning" such as learning the alphabet, numbers or writing. May I ask your opinion. Is this common? Do I need to worry?
Will he have hard time in Kindergarten? Thank you.

[Michael Levin MD]

ADHD is a descriptive diagnosis based on observation and not on independent tests. Because of your son’s age and no experience yet of kindergarten structured environment, I would postpone decision about the diagnosis. Instead, you will find out how he learns and participates in activities at school next year and talk to his teacher. Meanwhile at home, you may couple together educational activities and lego/video playing. He might be allowed to play lego for as many minutes as the number of words he reads or writes, or give him 10 to 30 minutes of games for every page read…etc. It is known as Primak (sp?) principle: not only your child will be more likely to do acad. work, he will be also less interested in lego (after all, he has to earn it) Try to find other motivational tricks, be consistent and persistent, do not show emotions when he throws little tantrum and refuses to do work - instead use broken record technic. For more information on that read the book Win the Whining War & Other Skirmishes: A Family Peace Plan by Cynthia Whitham
(at the Amazon.com www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0962203637/qid=1055717994/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-0889835-1425519?v=glance&s=books )

If, indeed, he has ADHD as you may be able to tell in the future, it is probably the overfocusing subtype (a.k.a. predominantly inattentive) These children have more difficulties shifting attention in contrast to most common hyperactive type who have more problems sustaining attention on any task. Regardless of the subtype, ADHD is developmental condition that disappears with time despite erroneous assertion of some writers that the disorder lasts well into adulthood. Adult ADHD is a different bird and a subject of a separate discussion.

[Tracey]

I just wanted to reply to the topic of reluctant learner. My 7.5 year old daughter is a reluctant learner. She seems to qualify under the definition "inattentive learner" rather than ADHD. I pondered the ADHD for some time but the more I observe her, the more I see that she can indeed focus intently on something that she is passionate about/interested in. For instance, she is highly creative and will spend hours drawing. You can barely break her concentration when she is involved in her art. However, when it is time to subvert her attention to say, Math, then I have the inattentive learner that slumps in the chair and stares off into space. I call it selective learning. I do my best to encourage her to pay attention. I agree with Dr. Levin, sometimes you have to use incentives, especially when dealing with a child that is extrinsically motivated. They need that extra push to see that the results are worth the effort. Luckily, my daughter is interested in reading - although she was not an early reader. She was 6 before she began to "catch on" with reading skills. Don't give up. Give your son time. Don't press him to sit for long periods. At age 5 If you can get him to focus for 5-10 minutes a day you have succeeded. Good luck.
Tracey

[Michael Levin M.D.]

A quick note: ADHD is a misnomer. This is not a disorder of attention (as ability to concentrate) but a disorder of regulation of attention. By definition, Attention-deficit is inability to initiate, maintain, and shift attention on cognitively challenging tasks not of child's choosing in comparison with children of the same cognitive and chronological age.

[gwenz]

Hi,
My niece had the same trouble with her daughter. Although happy to spend hours at play she would not sit still for more than a few minutes with her mum to try to learn anything. She started school this year and has totally changed. Although Mum still can't get her to do anything her teacher is making major breakthrough. It seems all she wants to do is please her. She is now reading basic books, writing sentences, learning sight words and is loving to learn. Yet my daughter from three years of age couldn't wait to learn. If anything she was the one who asked me "Mummy can you teach me to read" and I didn't know how to go about it. I actually found this site by accident a couple of years ago and she loved the lessons and did so well in them. She loved the mini stories. I guess I was lucky because she did want to learn. By four years of age she knew all her letters and sounds and was reading and starting to spell. It's almost like once she realised she could do it I couldn't hold her back. But one thing I did make sure of was variety, and never to keep her longer than she wanted to. I tried making it fun. And we would learn whislt she helped me cook, we'd go on hunts of the house to find things starting with a certain letter, even writing letters in flour. And I found praise went such a long way. She is now six, started school this year and is reading two years above what is expected of her. Her spelling and writing are so advanced, and I'm so proud of her. She has my love of books. I think reading to her from the day I brought her home from the hospital paid off. I remember reading somewhere you should read to them everyday and I really still now try to do that and she still loves it as much. I know I've rambled a lot here I just wanted to say about my niece who has changed incrediably since starting school and my daughter who loves to learn. Sometimes all it takes is a different approach, lots of variety and above all making it more fun than learning. Good luck