The wiggles can be one of the most frustrating aspects of teaching a child. But like the strong winds of the ocean, these wiggles can be harnessed and used to fuel lifelong learning. Many of the facts my wiggler has learned while doing her best wiggling have sunk deep into her brain, farther than I could have forced them if I hadn’t been prepared for such movement. There are a handful of things we can do to harness this energy.
No chair
One particular day, my wiggler had such big movements, she kept falling out of her chair. So out of complete frustration, I took her chair away and made her stand up at the table. Being only 7, her height was perfect for the height of the table so it worked. It also showed me that sitting is sometimes the hardest things to do simply because it isn’t what her body is ready to do yet. What I planned for a punishment turned out to be a very positive solution. One of the beauties of homeschooling is that she doesn’t have to be confined to a chair for her school hours.
Sticky Notes
If you have the space and the ability to deal with the sound of bouncing toes, try using sticky notes on the wall as fact practice. Have your wiggler jump high and either slap the right answer or stick the answer in the right place. This is a fun activity for any kid on a day of bad weather, but it also helps the wiggler get some of that energy out while putting those facts deep into his brain. If you’re super lucky and have an older sibling that needs a little refreshing on the same facts, have her write the facts on the sticky notes before it gets slapped to the wall.
Tactile Learning
Head to the kitchen cabinets and find an inexpensive flour or grain, pour it into a casserole dish and let your wiggler draw her facts in the interesting texture. Many people use this for young learners to practice letters, but this is also helpful for older children to practice math facts, spelling words or to simply keep fingers busy during read aloud times or other moments where she must sit and listen. Modeling clay, coloring repetitive images, braiding friendship bracelets, gently brushing a sister’s hair or back massages all help the wiggler listen well.
Frequent Breaks
Know your learner’s limits and allow her frequent, short breaks. Use timers to remind her to come back to her school task. Having timers tell her that the break is over helps take the focus off of you being the bad guy. Also, try to cut long assignments to appropriate lengths. My wiggler is ahead on her math coursework and can use some of her built-up time to cut current assignments in half on her wiggliest of days.
Foam darts
Using foam darts can be a great test prep. Line up the answers along a counter top or the footboard of your kid’s bed and shoot them down. Use whatever toy is interesting to your learner in creative ways. Line up the army guys and knock them over with bouncy balls. On a hot day, head outside with water shooters and use the same idea.
Space
Sometimes, the wigglers just need a little more elbow room around them so that their movements don’t bother those sitting close. In our situation, my wiggler sits right next to me at the dining room table. On those days when she is super wiggly, I slide her down to the end of the table to give her (ahem…myself) more space to not bump elbows (ahem…not drive me nuts).
In closing, remember that these wigglers have a huge amount of energy and movement for a reason and we need to teach them the right time and place for using that energy. Help them learn simple tips of calmly breathing, closing their eyes and settling down when necessary and that respecting those around them are also life skills important to growing up. Try to keep a balance of what is enough wiggle and when they are allowed to let loose.
Lindsay Banton is a caffeinated mother to three great kids. She never expected to homeschool, but has found that it is a wonderful addition to their lifestyle and wouldn’t change it for the world. In addition to homeschooling, Lindsay works alongside her husband in campus ministry at a large university in Connecticut. She grew up in Virginia but has settled into life in New England, learning to love the long winters, cool springs, green summers and gorgeous autumns- and has built a boot collection to meet all the demands. She is currently blogging at www.oaksreplanted.blogspot.com.