Smoothing the Way online

My preschooler will be 4 in August. I think he'll be a kinesthic learner as he can rarely sit still for long. His nickname is the Engergizer Bunny....he keeps going, and going, and going!
I need some advice regarding read-alouds with him. I want to be able to do read alouds with both him and his older brother, but right now he's so disruptive. I've become so frustrated with this that I've resorted to putting him in front of the TV to watch a DVD while I read aloud to my 8 year old. I keep hoping that some day he'll want to "quietly" play with legos or "quietly" color while listening - like I seem to read about in homeschooling books, but it is not happening. Does this day ever come? Do I just need to take a week or two or longer to train him to sit still or play quietly, possibly disciplining him for being disruptive and not listening?
I want him to be a participant in the learning environment while I'm doing school with his older brother, but my frustration with his disruption has caused me to separate him and I don't really like this.
Any insight would be appreciated.

Hello!

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to respond. I thought I had set all forums to notify me of new posts, but apparently I had not.

I have several suggestions.

First -- If you want him to "someday" sit or play quietly while you read, then you want to begin training toward that now. But stay within his abilities. Choose some reading material that can be finished in 5 minutes. Have him participate in THAT part of the read-aloud time. Then set him free or use the DVD. After 4 or 5 weeks of doing this on a regular basis, you should be able to gradually increase the time. When you reach his limit, you will know it. Don't take his behavior personally -- take it as a signal.

Second -- Read material that engages him. And be engaging in the way you read it! Make the story come alive and he will stay with it longer. We love A.A. Milne's Pooh stories -- even a 2-year-old will sit still for those. Mother Goose is another good one -- catchy little rhymes that you can repeat when he's NOT sitting still.

Third -- and most important... He is only 4! If you push him to be too much a part of the learning process at this stage, by the time he is 6 he will hate school and everything like it. Set sound/movement boundaries -- "Sweetie, brother and I are doing school right now. You need to play more quietly. After we finish math, you and I will play a game. How does that sound?" You certainly want to train him to be respectful of the school going on around him -- but don't expect him to be able to participate in any meaningful way. If you are playing a game with older brother that he wants to join, find a way for him to join. If he comes around to look over your shoulder as you are looking at a science reader, scoop him up onto your lap and let him see. Then when he pushes away, let him go! He will give you very clear signals about what he can handle at this stage. Don't push for more!

I keep a cabinet full of manipulatives, counters, pattern blocks, dominoes, puzzles, etc. close to where I do school with the older children. The toddlers and preschoolers may play with those items while we are in school, as long as they stay within eyeshot. It makes them feel like they are "doing" school. AND it is building some readiness skills. I do NOT work with them on these items except occasionally in a very playful way. I follow their lead completely. I never push a 4 year old to do "five more minutes" or "one more page". When they are done they are done and that's all there is to it.

Hope this helps!

I had an energize bunny. Many tactics worked at different times. Swimming or water play was the best way to wear her down before trying to settle down to some quieter activities. We had to keep many short those early years.
Sometimes, books & music on tapes in the car while traveling around town were effective. The first singing she did, was along w/a tape in the car.
I ascribe to the school of building attention span by getting on the child's eye level to communicate and then have the child repeat instructions back...short ones of course.
When we lived in tiny apartments when she was a preschooler, she often jumped on a mini-trampoline while I read briefly to her. After bath & before the need to go to sleep, I would get onto her bed w/her and all the lights off except for the reading lamp was another method that worked for reading and picture book sharing.
Be delighted to share more upon request.
Wish you the best of God's blessings as you do Hid divine work of homeschooling.
Becky Rankin