Ask the Child Psychologist

Talking in Class (continued)

Here are some other ideas to consider:

• Have a discussion with your grandson first. Make sure it is a calm discussion, not a lecture or accusation. Tell him that you want to help him enjoy school more and learn what he needs to know. Ask him what he thinks about the teachers’ comments. Does he agree? Why does he think that he talks so much? What can he suggest to reduce the talking?

• Contact the teachers about seating arrangements. Your grandson should be seated where others won’t distract him. The best place is in the front of the room, near the teacher. It is also helpful to be seated away from friends and near more quiet, serious students. In classes with open seating, encourage your grandson to make good choices about sitting where he will not be tempted to talk.

• Find out from the teachers if there is a way your grandson can express himself more in the classroom, such as passing out papers or writing on the board.

• Have your grandson keep a piece of scratch paper or a small notebook handy. If he has something he wants to say, he can write it down and communicate it when the time is right.

• Give him alternate ways to get out his energy, such as bringing a stress ball to class and squeezing it when he feels the need to talk.

• Have him monitor his own talking. Sometimes kids just don’t realize how disruptive they are. Ask him to make a tally mark for each time he talks without being called on by the teacher. Go over these marks together and talk about what can do to decrease them.

• Come up with short-term and long-term goals and rewards. Aim to reduce things like daily/weekly tally marks or teacher complaints, and decide together what small reward he will get each day or week. You can also ask teachers if it is okay if you email them once a week to get a number on a scale of 1-10 about his talking. Low numbers can be rewarded. In terms of a long-term goal, discuss what reward he will get at the end of the quarter if teachers report improvement.

• Is the talking a new thing this year or has he always been talkative? Does he interrupt others and get distracted in other situations, not just in school? If the problem has been going on for a long time and seems to happen in other situations, there may be a larger issue, such as an attention disorder. Consult a doctor or psychologist. These professionals can also offer individualized strategies to help your grandson control his talking.