Look at the activity – is it interesting, does he understand what is expected of him, and add anything to the activity that he loves.
Teach him a more appropriate way to request a break.
Plan out two things:
(1) How you will respond when the child does take part in the large group activity or uses his replacement behavior. Find some ways to reward his appropriate behavior.
(2) How to respond when the turning away happens. This could be to remind him of what how to get his break, or it could mean adding something else to the activity to get his attention.
Prevention
Teaching Replacement Behavior
Response