8 year old not concentrating ( I think )

[CheshireDing]

DD (8 next month) has just started in year 3.

She is definitely a drama lama and theatrical with it (i.e. a tiny scratch becomes the end of the world).

She was told off today (her words) for doing the wrong piece of work - apparently DD says she forget what they had been told to do. She then also got told off for going on about some scratch on her leg (I think she was probably going on about this rather than just getting on with her work).

We have done her spelling homework tonight, there were only 5 words and it took an hour due to her drama (think lots of huffing and puffing and "oh and I can't do it" like Kevin the Teenager).

She loves English and will sit writing stories for ages at home off her own back. She currently seems to be stuck in the mindset that she is stupid and can't do it , but then when I am sat trying to do the homework with her she isn't even looking at the word, just being all dramatic instead.

I need to find a way to make her believe in herself, she can do it but she is constantly knocking herself down. I also can't work out whether she was not actually listening in class or didn't understand and didn't want to ask.

Do I keep insisting she does the spellings or just leave it after e.g. 15 mins of whatever ? I don't know how best to deal with it and how to get her to focus at school (I think she probably starts looking out of the window etc).

Any wise words/help really appreciated.

No advice but I'll be following neither interest.
My DS 9 is similar. Took us over an hour last night to do a multiple choice easy piece if work. He is very capable but all the drama surrounding having to sit and actually do it was really beyond ridiculous.

Last term teacher told me he will sit and look out of the window rather than actually look at what it is he should be doing.

Yep I do think there is a high chance mine is doing that Atlasta

I even got her hot chocolate and snacks ready but she still arsed about.

They have a spelling test once a week but if she doesn't practise the spellings then it will knock her confidence even more.

I just need her to get on with it (but HOW to get her to do that is where I am stuck)

How I dread the weekly spelling test!
It's a battle to get DS to practice. We have tears and tantrums and I'm ashamed to admit I've often been reduced to tears and bribary.
DS does quite well 8/9 out of ten however the day after the test he has completely forgotten the spellings. He just doesn't seem to properly take them in if you get my meaning.

Rule out the easy stuff - get her eyes tested if it's been a while and if you have any concerns about her hearing, get that checked out. DC don't often say they can't see or hear, it seems normal to them.

With spellings, we found an app useful. We had one called squeebles where you type the words in every week, and DC earn points by doing tests and spend them playing a game and buying accessories for their characters. I'm sure there must be others.

Sympathy though, Y3 is a bit of a step up and it can be hard work.

Sounds like my y3 with maths.

With spellings forgetting is what happens which is why tests like this can be a bit pointless.
But you should only need to be pointing out the irregular bits of the words.

Perhaps try to make her homework more of a game ? For example - give her the 7 (or how ever many) letters of the word (if you own scrabble, fridge magnets etc) and get her to rearrange within a time-limit (kitchen timer). (This will reinforce how the word 'looks')

Or go through the words as a race against her father (or whoever) ? Winner gets a prize (small obviously).

These are my suggestions - you will probably have more. Spelling practice is very boring if done in the normal way.

I do know that with my DD - homework took a lot longer when she was tired. If so, I just tried again in the morning (not always possible I know) and she would do it much quicker.

I've removed the battle over writing spellings completely this year with my younger child (writing's horribly hard going for her anyway) - I just set up the week's spelling list in spelling shed and she practices them that way... quick 5 minutes when she first goes on the iPad on an evening and she's done!

And yep I have a Y3 drama merchant as well so I feel your pain on that one - she's had a paper cut this week which has obviously been the end of the world.

Ready to be flamed down here, but as you recognise your DD as a drama queen, are you willing to tolerate this behaviour throughout her childhood? Given that she will happily write on her own, is she attention seeking when you are with her for the spellings to get more of your time? Is she then alsoattention seeking in class? If 5 spellings took an hour of her and your time, how about emphasising ' let's do your spellings, shouldn't take long, I know you can do them, then we can have some fun time together'. And spend the rest of that hour with her. She needs to understand that this attitude to work will not help her as she grows up

I think you need to encourage your DD to take some responsibility for her learning.

Does she want to do well in the test? If so, ask her what she thinks she should do to give herself a good chance of doing well. Ask her how often she thinks she should practise her spellings, and to decide which days/times she will learn her spellings in the coming week, including a limit on how long she spends at each session. At those times, remind her, and offer to sit with her if she wants you to. If she doesn’t do it, don’t rise, don’t plead, don’t bribe. Let her face the next test and the consequences it brings. Review and repeat.

How about something like the Big Life journal? Taking a bit of control of feelings and learning, and working with you (getting attention) for flipping into growth mindset?