DEAR TEACHER
– by Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts
Helping all parents make their
children’s educational experience
as successful as possible
Time to Define ADD & ADHD
Q
uestion: When I was younger,
children were diagnosed with
ADD (attention deficit disor-
der). Now my grandson has been diagnosed
with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder). What is the difference between
ADD and ADHD? — Clarification Needed
Answer: ADHD is now the preferred
term for the biologically based neurologi-
cal condition that was known as ADD until
1987. Before then children were diagnosed
as ADD with or without hyperactivity.
There are commonly three types of ADHD:
(1) Inattentive (easy distractibility) but not
hyperactive or impulsive (2) hyperactive-
impulsive (both hyperactivity and impul-
sivity) but not inattentive and (3) combined
(inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity).
Instead of using types of ADHD, some just
describe a child’s symptoms.
It is important to understand that
ADHD is still the diagnosis even if a child
is not hyperactive or impulsive. Children
who have a pronounced inability to pay at-
tention can and do have ADHD and need to
get help. A diagnosis of ADHD needs to be
made by a trained clinician.
Popularity of and
Addiction to Minecraft
Question: My son has been abso-
lutely addicted to Minecraft for some time
— playing it for hours at a time. Most of
his friends share this addiction. Why is this
game so popular? What are the positives
and negatives of playing this game? —
Gamer’s Parent
Answer: There is no question that
Minecraft is extremely popular with chil-
dren. It may be because it is an extension of
things that children like to do: watch tele-
vision and play computer games and play
with LEGOs.
Fortunately, there are a number of
positives from playing this game. Video
games like Minecraft can enhance problem-
solving skills. You have probably also ob-
served how intently he focuses on the game
— building attention skills that are so im-
portant in school. Another positive is all the
planning that must be done to build projects
successfully.
Of course, there are negatives to devot-
ing so much time to Minecraft. It can take
away from valuable social activities, play,
and exercise time. Many educators believe
that limiting play to an hour a day is prob-
ably a reasonable amount of time in the
summer.
How Children Learn to
Start Writing
Question: My child in pre-kindergar-
ten just scribbles, even his name. However,
some kids in his class try to write words.
How do children learn to start writing? —
Scribbler
Answer: Fine motor skills are the ones
that children use to color, cut, paste, paint
and begin to write from the first day they
start preschool. Other skills requiring fine
motor abilities are tying shoes and fasten-
ing buttons.
Fine motor skills are definitely harder
for some children to learn because they re-
quire more practice to develop than other
motor skills. Teachers realize that children
entering school are still developing their
fine motor skills and do not expect them to
paint like Rembrandt or write their names
like John Hancock.
Children have their own time clocks
that dictate the development of their fine
motor skills. How adept they become at us-
ing these skills, however, depends on how
much they practice using them.
Reaching and grasping are fine mo-
tor skills that newborns quickly and auto-
matically acquire. Even 2-week-old babies
reaching for an object make contact 40
percent of the time. Over the weeks and
months, fine motor skills develop as chil-
dren use their arms, hands, and fingers to
reach, grasp, and retrieve desired objects.
By year one, children can pick up objects
with their thumb and forefingers and are
manipulating the objects to study them
more closely. Between three and six years,
small muscle coordination develops rapidly
until children have acquired the basic fine
motor skills that allow them to color, copy,
cut and write.
Your son will develop the skills nec-
essary to write. Encourage him to write by
creating a fun writing center with all kinds
of markers, crayons, colored pencils, and
paper. Also, having beads that need to be
strung or pegs that have to be put in holes
will help him to strengthen the muscles in
his fingers.
The Social Skills
Kindergarteners Need
Question: How do I know if my
daughter has the social skills needed to start
kindergarten? — Worried
Answer: Social skills are an absolute
must for success in school. They are a bridge
for all the other learning that takes place.
Use the following Social Skills Checklist to
see if she has most of the skills needed to
start kindergarten. My child usually:
Approaches others positively.
Expresses wishes and preferences
clearly.
Asserts own rights and needs ap-
propriately; gives reason for actions
and positions.
Is not easily intimidated by bullies.
Expresses frustration and anger
effectively without escalating dis-
agreement or harming others.
Gains access to ongoing groups at
play and work.
Makes relevant contributions to
ongoing activities.
Takes turns fairly easily.
Shows interest in others.
Negotiates and compromises with
others appropriately.
Does not draw inappropriate atten-
tion to self.
Interacts nonverbally (smiles,
waves, nods) with other children.
Parents should send questions and com-
ments to [email protected] or
ask them on the columnists’ website at www.
dearteacher.com.
June 2018 WNY Family 53