My son is 5 and in Reception. I would like to stress that I love him more than the world and think that he's essentially a very good and sweet boy but... he's driving me and his teacher mad!
The problem is basically that he doesn't listen, and often doesn't do as he's told.
We are quite strict with him at home so it's not a case of spoiled brat, but he just. doesn't. listen!
For example, it sounds like a silly thing but when I took him to school this morning I said 'put your book bag in the box' (where they go). The fact he even needs reminding when all the other children come in and just do it automatically is telling, but then I promise I told him five more times, ending up getting quite cross with him. He was stopping to pull things out if his book bag and look at them, playing with a chair, messing around with a friend etc.
Everything I tell him, I feel like I always end up having to get cross with him before he'll actually do it. He's VERY distractible and I do know, for example, that if I ask him to do something I have to ensure the TV is off as he's incapable of ignoring it. Even when you talk to him he's looking off round the room, or you'll be telling him off and he'll suddenly break into talking about something else he's just seen or thought about. It's at a level where I'm even wondering if there is some reason behind his inability to concentrate.
He's not hyperactive, it's more of a dreamy lack of concentration. Anyway, the teacher has mentioned a few times that it's very hard to get him to do any work and this morning she pulled me aside and spoke to me quite seriously about it. It's a very gentle Reception class so we're not talking about hard graft, but he'll literally sit there with a piece of paper and mess around and do nothing while all the other children are drawing the teddy bear or whatever, and (like me) she said she can only get any effort out of him if she gets cross. :( I'm so upset.
So as not to drip feed, he's a bright boy as he can read and write already (was reading pre-school) so it's not like he's finding the work too hard.
There's also a bit of back chat - the teacher said he can give you a hundred different reasons why he thinks he should be rolling around the floor not sitting up nicely at group time, and this is the same as at home, he's got an answer for everything but doesn't just do as he's told.
I know he's very young, but this is an issue both at home and at school - it's distractibility and lack of concentration in the extreme, coupled with a bit of an attitude about it all. :(