Having the ability to focus is a good predictor of children’s school performance. If they can pay attention for longer, the chances are they’re more likely to learn more and be more successful at school. However, concentrating doesn’t come easy to most children, especially while they’re very young, and should be cultivated by the parents.
If you’re a parent who wants to increase your little one’s attention span, there are definitely useful tactics you can use.
Read on for some top tips to try out:
1. Get them moving: Physical activity is a great way to help children concentrate. Even a short burst of exercise can help increase their attention span. They’ll expel all that pent-up energy and they’ll want to do a quiet activity next. You can take walks, go swimming, or do another activity they love. For example, having fun family time at a local trampoline playground is always a great option.
2. Limit distractions: Make sure your child has a quiet, distraction-free place to work on tasks. This will help them stay focused and avoid getting easily sidetracked. Keep phones and tablets away for the time being.
3. Give them breaks: Don’t let your child work for long periods of time without a break. This can lead to fatigue and only make it harder for them to concentrate. Instead, allow them to take brief breaks every 20 minutes or so.
4. Encourage healthy habits: Help your child develop healthy habits like eating a nutritious diet and getting enough sleep. These things can make a big difference in their ability to focus. On the other hand, calorie-rich foods and drowsiness from a lack of sleep will make them sluggish and cranky.
5. Help them find their learning style: Some kids learn best by listening to the audio, others by reading, and others through hands-on activities. Find out how your child learns best and then provide materials and activities that cater to their learning style. There’s a variety of learning materials out there to help you.
6. Be patient: It takes time for kids to develop focus. Don’t get discouraged if your child isn’t able to concentrate perfectly from the start, especially if they’re still a toddler. Just keep working with them and offer encouragement along the way.
7. Promote brain-stimulating activities: Activities that challenge the brain can help improve focus and attention span, so encourage your child to do puzzles, read, or play memory games. These activities can also be super fun in addition to being educational, so make sure the child perceives them that way.
8. Avoid punishment: Punishment is a poor motivator. If you criticize your child when their mind wanders during an activity, you may discourage them completely and increase their their anxiety about doing the activity. They’ll also be even less likely to concentrate after a scolding as they’ll likely be upset.
9. Praise and reward: Rewarding the behavior you wish to encourage is a much more effective method than punishing unwanted behavior. If you guide them in a positive way, by praising them when they try hard and reach improvements, they’ll get the motivation to go on.
10. Be understanding: It’s perfectly normal for children to get sidetracked at times. This is a normal part of the brain development trajectory and it gets better as they grow. Be mindful of their current developmental stage and don’t expect the impossible. Take one step at a time and cherish the small leaps they make.
With patience and consistency, they’ll pay off and you’ll soon see clear improvements, and their teachers will too.