Situation 1 – Raven

While singing routine “good morning” songs, you notice a kid running about non-stop inside the room as if someone is
chasing him. You instantly remember that Raven has difficulty finishing his seatwork and cannot seem to wait for his turn when
lining up to wash his hands before recess.

Why? (Identify problems/difficulties of the child)

Three major problems are present in Raven’s case. One is his nonstop running; two; his difficulty in finishing his work; and
three, he cannot seem to wait for his turn.

Raven non-stop running is due to hyperactivity. As such, he needs to use up his excess energy before he can settle himself
to calmer, sit-down activities. Hyperactive children get to be more excited when there are too many loud and fast around them.

His difficulty in finishing seatwork is that he gets easily distracted by movement, sounds, and colors around him. He may
have been feeling comfortable but is not able to express what he is feeling. Sometimes, the seatwork itself may have been too
difficult to match his level.

His not being able to wait for his turn is again due to hyperactivity and impulsivity. His body prompts him to keep on
running. To stand still is not natural for him to do.

What can you do? (intervention/teaching strategies)

To prevent the non-stop running of children like Raven, the following may be suggested:

● Give time before the start of class for the child to play in the playground (mostly in the swing) as part of his routine.
● Start with fast and active songs and end with slow and calm songs.
● You may ask the child to stand beside you, or the teacher, to serve as the song leader. This will make it easier for the
teacher to keep the child busy and productive.
● If the child is still excited, help him use his energy in ways that are more useful, like calling him to paste markers on the wall,
to open and close doors, to take off markers that are needed, to return objects to their proper places after an activity is
done, and similar classroom tasks.
● Praise and thank the child for his effort.

To attend the problem of having difficulty in his seatwork, the following may be suggested:

● See to it that only necessary objects are found around his working area
● Avoid using too many colorful pieces of paper around his working area.
● Check if the task to be done is indeed within the child’s level
● The child may be given a short break (stand up, walk around the room once, change position) in between the task to be
done. As the child matures, the breaks may be lessened.
● Praise and thank the child for his efforts

As the problem of the child not seeming to wait for his turn, suggestion may be the following:

● Place the child in the second or third position in the line so that he may not have to wait for a long time. As he matures, he
may be placed at farther positions to train him to wait.
● Give him a concrete idea of how long he will have to wait. Tell him gently to do so, for example after five counts.

Important reminders (summary)

Hyperactivity and impulsivity are not within the child’s control. Scolding by asking him “sit down” may not work. Help him
have control over his behavior so that he may sit down when he must. Let us remember that a clean and clear working environment
will already help the child focus on what the teacher is saying. A calm and modulated voice helps the child to calm down. Be true to
your promise especially when you want to let him know the rewards he may have after finishing the tacks. Praise and thank the child
for his participation.