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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Ability to focus for a 4 year old
Unregistered 07:01 PM 02-16-2017
How much focus and following directions should be expected? At my center we do worksheets with the 4s. Today I sat with one girl, showed her what to do (circle this many ducks, mimed it with my finger) and one minute later she is just coloring in one duck. Nothing circled. She can't get through the worksheet without me right there. She is not new and this is not the first time. There's a couple other kids like this in the group. Is this normal?
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daycare 07:07 PM 02-16-2017
Do you have an explicit model for them to follow?

I know your school does this, I don't like them for kids this age, but if your school had to do them. I would really slow down the instructions, be very explicit with your words and expectations, and model for them. Some kids process faster than others.

Also what are you doing to encourage them? What is your response when hey are not doing it?
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kendallina 07:13 PM 02-16-2017
Totally normal and a sign that she's not ready for worksheets. Let her play in the mud. Have her write things in sand. She'll get enough worksheets next year in school, right now she needs to run and play and be a crazy 4-year old.
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Unregistered 08:01 PM 02-16-2017
Thanks for the feedback! It's not my favorite thing either and I take all opportunities to skip it (valentine's day? No worksheets!) If they are struggling I do it with them, if I am not able to do that then after a couple of tries I say good try let's be all done and move on to *next activity* I don't make a big deal out of it. Only for the five and a half year old who missed the kinder cut off by one day!
The focus is on trying not getting things exactly right.
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ColorfulSunburst 09:11 PM 02-16-2017
if you organize the lesson in a different way she will be able to keep her attention longer and be very interested in this activity.
A person who does it must
a) know
- what and why (s)he does it
- how to do it right
b)love it
c)be able to change the lesson plan immediately if it doesn't work for kids.

You do not like this activities, because of that kids doesn't love it too.
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kendallina 03:02 AM 02-17-2017
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Thanks for the feedback! It's not my favorite thing either and I take all opportunities to skip it (valentine's day? No worksheets!) If they are struggling I do it with them, if I am not able to do that then after a couple of tries I say good try let's be all done and move on to *next activity* I don't make a big deal out of it. Only for the five and a half year old who missed the kinder cut off by one day!
The focus is on trying not getting things exactly right.
That's good to hear...I hate that some centers have young ones do worksheets. There are certainly some kids who can do them ( and some 4year olds who love them!), but most aren't ready.
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Blackcat31 05:17 AM 02-17-2017
Originally Posted by kendallina:
That's good to hear...I hate that some centers have young ones do worksheets. There are certainly some kids who can do them ( and some 4year olds who love them!), but most aren't ready.
Plus, worksheets really don't serve much purpose in my opinion for kids. They aren't at all developmentally appropriate and I think kind of restrict a child's learning and growth processes when used so early.
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Ariana 08:40 AM 02-17-2017
It really depends on the kid and agree it may not be developmentally appropriate for all 4 yr olds. My eldest would have been like the child you have. More interested in colouring the duck. My youngest is able to focus a bit more and is better at following instructions/directions.

Following instructions is important for school but has no bearing on intelligence.
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Mom2Two 02:16 PM 02-17-2017
Is it all instructions or just worksheets? I have a four year old who can't grasp concepts very well that I would expect for that age (I have three x four year old boys here). But he also does have a hard time with some academics, like even with quantities one to three when we do IXL preschool math.

I do basic K-readiness for four-year-olds here. We practice phonics/phonological orally as well as do the preschool part of IXL math and also some letter tracing worksheets. I do this mainly to make sure my 4 year olds are up with other kids when they get to kindergarten and so parents don't feel like their kids are missing out if they're not in a formal preschool.

I'm pretty sure this one 4 yo boy has some working memory problems and maybe abstract reasoning. My daughter has those same things so I kinda notice some similar behavior.

DD's memory problems were noticable when she was little, like at Mom and Tots gym and her 3 yo Sped preschool. She just couldn't follow group instructions like the other kids did.

I don't think my one 4 yo boy is as weak in working memory as my daughter, but it is kinda noticable that he doesn't grasp things as well as the other 4 year olds.

But DD didn't really get a diagnosis until she was six and she did the IQ test with the school district. (Working memory is part of the IQ score.) If your dcg has a real problem, they'll be on to it when she's in school.
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debbiedoeszip 03:18 PM 02-17-2017
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
How much focus and following directions should be expected? At my center we do worksheets with the 4s. Today I sat with one girl, showed her what to do (circle this many ducks, mimed it with my finger) and one minute later she is just coloring in one duck. Nothing circled. She can't get through the worksheet without me right there. She is not new and this is not the first time. There's a couple other kids like this in the group. Is this normal?
It's completely normal and worksheets for that age group aren't developmentally appropriate (learning should be play-based, with the children playing and socializing together). Let her colour the paper if that's all she wants to do. If you want to teach the children academics, do it through songs and pretend play. For example, have them play store and use play money, or count out the items that are being bought/sold, to teach numeracy.

I realize that you don't set the policy for the daycare but knowing what you know, you can maybe sneak in a few activities that will actually be beneficial and appropriate for the kids.
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Unregistered 02:50 AM 02-18-2017
Agree! Worksheets are not dev. Appropriate. I have a state of Ia. Teaching license and the state follows Creative Curriculum and doesn't want teachers using worksheets for 4k.

While many 4's will and are able to complete a worksheet there's just not a lot of value in them. There's a big, wide world out there to explore and learn about.

Homemade Hands-on manipulative ideas are endless and are well loved by 4's ( and I don't mean lots of those here's number 4 - count out four beads-never like those a lot).
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Tags:academics, attention span, focus, learning, work sheets
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