Tips for Expanding Attention Span of Kids

Many kids often struggle to pay attention, but when given a job they view as challenging or complex, they are even more apt to give up before really trying. If you observe a kid regularly losing concentration during difficult tasks, here are some strategies that help increase that attention span and improve the overall outcome of studies.

Incorporate Physical Activity

Kids who struggle with attention often do finer if given short breaks for active play. Picking a break to bounce on an exercise ball, breakage of learning into chunks and outdoor play times, or providing a quick stretching or jumping jacks break in the classroom can all aid the attention-challenged pupils to stay focused. Starting with 15 minutes of active play before a challenging task can also help a child stay more engaged.

Practice "Attention Breaks"

Teach?a?child?about the?meaning?of paying attention and how it looks. Ideally, practice attentive behavior in non-threatening, non-crucial times during the school day. Then, at periodic intervals, have practice attention breaks. Using a timer or an app on the phone, have a signal go off during the work period, and have the child mark whether they were paying attention. This can aid in training a student's brain to realize what engagement looks like and how often they are provoked to disengage.

Withdraw Visual Distractions

When a kid is troubled with a difficult task, clutter in the classroom or on the desk can make it hopeless to keep their brain where it needs to be. Withdraw unneeded clutter and visual experiences from the workspace. This gives the kid fewer excuses for not focusing on the work.

Memory Games hone concentration

Memory isn't a muscle, but it can help improve focus. Memory games help hone that concentration for children in an amusing way so that they can concentrate when something challenging is presented. Have daily times in the regular school day where the children play memory games or work with the attention-challenged students outside of regular class time to play concentration games. Add memory games to classroom electronics to encourage this type of play during free time.

Memory games?encourage children's natural behaviors and do not have to be complicated. Even a simple game of red-light-green-light, I-Spy, or Simon Says forces a child to concentrate. Memory matching cards or the game Concentration can also be used to increase attention.

Understand Consistent Inconsistency

Instructors and parents should realize that the inconsistency of children with attention problems does not indicate a poor attitude or lack of motivation. It is a part of their biologically based attention dysfunction and is beyond their simple control.

Use Signaling

The instructor and parents should have a private way of signaling pupils when they are tuned out. For example, a light touch on the shoulder served as a gentle reminder to get back to work. Also, the pupil’s instructors and parents may need to signal him when something crucial is about to be expressed. Looking right at him, his instructor or parent could say, "Now listen very carefully. I am about to give you important instructions about tomorrow's test."

Reject Frenetic Work Patterns

To assist pupils in refraining from running through their work, instructors and parents could avoid making messages such as, "You can go out to recess as soon as you finish your assignment" or "You can watch television when you finish your homework." Offers such as these may unknowingly encourage pupils to work too quickly and carelessly.

Practice attentive behavior in the classroom.

If we say that paying attention is an intrinsic characteristic of all human beings, it isn't. Paying attention is something that is learned. It can likewise be taught. Parents and instructors should take time to teach kids how to pay attention and what it looks like. Throughout the day, teachers should take breaks to practice attentive behavior. Use an electronic timer, stopwatch, or hourglass and have your child or students practice focusing on an object, discussion, or other activity exclusively for just a few minutes. Then have the pupils ask themselves if they could pay full attention during the time. Having attention breaks where pupils focus on paying attention is a great exercise that will help improve their ability to focus and attention span.

Turn lesson into a game.

There is little that keeps a kid's attention better than a good game. The same kid that can only concentrate for a minute or two on math will have no difficulty staying fully engaged for 15 minutes with a game they enjoy. When achievable and appropriate, change, of course, a task into a game. Games are most effective when played with other kids. In a classroom setting, sometimes it's most effective to create small groups of students who play a game together rather than with the entire class. For instance, pupils can work in small groups to complete math assignments. Each group competes against the other groups in the class. Each pupil in the group is appointed a math problem. While each pupil is primarily accountable for completing their assigned problem, the other pupils in their group can help with the problem. The group that finishes their math assignment first wins a prize.