How To Teach An Active Child That Likes To Play A Lot
1- Choose the right time. Usually after morning free time, around 9:30/10am until lunch works well.
2- Make it a daily lesson(s) at the same time every day.
3- Give a clean-up warning of 5 minutes about 10 minutes before the lesson time. Then help them put away all the toys. This acts as a transition activity that they can associate with lesson time. Small children need this kind of warning and transition because they can't tell time.
4- Persistance, don't give up, it takes several weeks. If you give up they won't get the message. Keep telling yourself you are doing everything right but it takes time. Be confident and firm in voice.
5 - You have to make the lesson appealing. Connect the lesson to their everyday lives. Use simple words. Use a 'fun' tone of voice. Sometimes you can try to make it into a story or song. If you can follow the lesson with a relevant worksheet/coloring page/or activity then they will absorb it more. Try to use all their senses. You have to be really really creative and think hard. At this age it's best to learn by playing, easy worksheets in large fonts, arts and crafts, flashcards, songs, stories, etc. You can encourage writing by getting various crayons, markers, gel pens, chalk on chalkboard, paint, watercolors, colored pencils, gluestick and glitter, dry-erase markers on dry-erase board, stencils, clay, magnetic writing boards, small notebooks with a cute picture on the front, extra large writing paper, etc.
6- Patience when it just doesn't work sometimes. I find that mondays they are out of the routine and give me a hard time to start the lessons but the other days they are fine. Sometimes i just give in and let them play while i say the lesson anyways. Occasionally they will look at me and i'll see that they are listening, especially when i say something interesting that is easy for them to understand. Sometimes i get them to stop playing by taking them to the computer and letting them listen to Qur'an or use the Arabic learning software i have.
7- Even when you give up, don't. Like they say, if you can't beat them, join them. So join them in their play. There are many lessons than can be taught through play. All toys have colors, shapes, things to count, names of the objects where you can try to sound out the letters, and sometimes even stories from the Qur'an and other lessons about God as the Creator. You can even use this kind of play as an activity for certain lessons when you don't have a worksheet prepared or feel like the kids need a change. So instead of a worksheet on circles and squares, i will take out the shape sorting toy i have and give them turns sorting the shapes and naming them and noting the colors, how many squares etc. And ask them what objects around them are square shaped.
8- Pray on time. Patience comes from prayer - talking to Allah and asking for His help. It is easier to be patient when you know that Allah is on your side. Patience comes from a peaceful soul and your soul needs frequent connection with it's creator.
