How can I help my daughter to catch up with her class?

My 5 y o is in Kindergarten and her teacher told me she is slow. This is a gifted school. She takes a long time to do homework. She talks and plays with her pencils and everything else, even starts conversations about things not even closely related to the assignment.
If you ask her anything she knows the answer. Where she lives, her home number, name of her parents and siblings, colors, numbers in english and spanish but when it comes to writing and listening she doesn't focus. She watches everyone do their work and then is left last and refuses to move until she is finished. It is becoming frustrating to help with homework. I have heard from her pre-k teachers that she is not focused. What can I do to correct this early. I believe she is very smart but how can i get her teacher to see this and how can i get her to focus and pay attention to the task at hand.

Parent Answers to "How can I help my daughter to catch up with her class?"

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I think this is the different characteristic of children in which one is really quite and being a good kid while others are nautty and not being serious about anything. I like the answer of the mom who treat the child with motivation of getting toys of his choice. I am also working on my child same way and it is working. To have it diagnose ADHD and be on the meds for that for life is not something any parents like to go. perticularly i don't want to.... Please try to motivate him with something he like and its not that hard to turn a little child around. all the best.

When my Albert (age 7) was in kindergarten's I had the very same problem your having with my boy. I was getting really frustrated to say the least. I saw that he was having trouble focusing on reading and doing what he's supposed to, so I got tuff with him! I told him that homework was a way of life and he could't't escape it. I then told him, Let's make a deal, I'll work, take care of you Alexander and Mommy, and you do homework. But, I'll buy you toys if I see that you read 3 books in 1 week. HE WAS ECSTATIC!! It worked!!! He woulds read his 3 books in a week and I would go and buy him a cheap 2-3 dollar racing car. It was a good investment for my child. He then went on to read books by himself without me even prompting him (6 months after) But, it's your child and he deserves the extra. Don't let nobody tell you different, He's your child and you have to tolerate and find a solutions to their problems! I'm here if yo need to talk. E-mail me at blpz86@aol.com

Thank you, I feel a bit relieved.

Was your daughter required to have any IQ or other testing done prior to her admittance to this gifted school? My son's gifted school insisted upon an educational evaluation, and the psychologist who did the testing already noted his attentional difficulties. He is highly gifted, but he does have ADHD, and frankly, the description of your daughter's behaviors sounds very similar. Off-task conversations, and anything to distract from completing written work and other assignments, were problems his teacher frequently mentioned. We'd actually heard the same complaints in his preschool, and hoped that his placement in a gifted school, where there were smaller class sizes and more hands-on activities would help. I volunteered enough in the classroom to recognize that while he was very bright, he really didn't focus as well as other kids, and eventually we consulted another child psychiatrist who confirmed the diagnosis. The term for gifted kids with learning or attentional issues is "2e" and you can read much more about them, and strategies to help, at community.greatschools.net/groups/16042

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How can I help my daughter to catch up with her class?

Parent Answers to "How can I help my daughter to catch up with her class?"

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