In the Classroom, Blazing a Path From Fidgeting to Focus

THE PROBLEM Every year, Roberta Valentine, an elementary school teacher in New York City, encounters a few students who cannot concentrate for more than a few moments. As a girl from her class once said, “Sometimes if I have to sit still for one more minute, I just can’t stand it.” The child who is distracted cannot learn and may distract others, said Ms. Valentine, who has taught first to fifth grade for 20 years.

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It occurred to her that she might have stumbled upon a way to help children tell others something interesting about their distractibility, rather than simply trying to hide or suppress it.

By SUSAN ENGEL

Full Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/03/education/03lessons.html?_r=1&oref=slogin