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Talking in Class

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Dear Dr. Medoff,

I have a grandson, age 14, who talks incessantly in class. All his teachers complain about it in his reports. Do you have any suggestions about what I can do? From, Zora

Dear Zora,

There are many different reasons why your grandson would be talking so much in class, and finding out the reason can help lead you to the solution. It may simply be a developmental issue. Around the ages of 12-14 (boys tend to on the later end of that continuum), adolescents experience growth in their brains that lead them to develop new thinking abilities. These newfound abilities enable them to question accepted social practices and challenge the adults in their lives. Your grandson may be rehearsing these new skills; he may simply need to be reminded that he must to be respectful in class, and be given a few tips to be able to do so.

Another reason why kids talk too much in class is because they are bored. Students are most often bored when the class is either too easy or too hard. Talk to your grandson, the teachers and the school counselor to find out whether your grandson is placed in the right class level. If the class is too difficult, find out what you can do to get your grandson the assistance that he needs.

Kids who talk too much in class may also be looking for attention and recognition. Make sure that your grandson gets lots of positive attention at home, and find ways that he can get it at school, such as encouraging him to join a sports team or club.

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6 Comments

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Other readers' comments on this article:

children do not have enough time to socialize in the fourth grade. they are required to be silent before school, in the cafeteria and in the classroom. When do they learn to be a part of society? It is all about high stakes testing and no fun. No wonder they hate school. They are treated like prisoners.
Posted by Anonymous on Feb 21, 2010 11:37 pm
my 4 y/o grandson has recently developed a panty fetish. he gathers all mine and my daughters panties and takes them to his room. im lost as what to do about this. he's not wearing them , he really just looks and plays with them- i have no clue!!
Posted by suzi coggins on May 17, 2010 7:38 pm
Hello Suzi,

Your question has been added to JustAsk, and you may review responses here:
http://www.education.com/question/4-year-grandson-collecting-playing/

Please use JustAsk for any future parenting or education questions you may have, to receive instant notification when your questions are answered by members of the Education.com community, including Experts. Thank you!
Posted by Denise Graab on May 17, 2010 7:54 pm
My 6 year old granddaughter has been reprimanded on a daily basis in her first grade class for talking. School has been in session since late August and it is now late November. Her teacher has moved her desk so she sits apart from the others. I am wondering about isolating a child this age, ( 6 yrs 3 months) in class. I am worried that the school will try to label her attention deficit. Is this normal behavior for a young child? She is quiet in church when she is with us and usually while in the car. Her grades are very good and she seems very bright. The teacher has no problem with her work except , here again, she got a time out for starting an assignment ahead of time. She loves school, it is in fact her favorite thing to play at home, she is always the teacher.. I worry she will start to NOT like school with all these reprimands and isolation tactics. I understand teachers must have control, but something just does not seem right to me.
Thank you
Posted by cindybaker on Nov 19, 2010 11:26 am
Cindy, our 5 and half year old grandson is getting a time-out almost every day for talking to others in his first grade class. It has been a week. He, too, loves school and is doing excellent with reading, math, music and art work. I'm searching for tips on line and find your story here about your granddaughter. Is she a advanced child? Is she bored of the lessons that the teacher teaches?

I think he might be bored. But when I asked him, he said no. He said he is learning new stuff from the teacher.

What's wrong with our grandson?
Posted by Sophia on Dec 7, 2010 5:23 pm
Hi everyone!

To get questions answered about talking in class (or other tough parenting and education questions), feel free to visit our community forum - JustAsk. To post a question, please visit: http://www.education.com/question/ask

JustAsk is a great place to get your questions answered by our team of experts (including child psychologists, pediatricians, teachers, etc.) as well as other parents who have been there before.

Hope this helps!

Alex
Community Team
Posted by Alexandra Blickley on Dec 8, 2010 12:54 pm

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