How to Help Children Focus
Learning to be attentive, focused and on-task develops throughout a child's school years. Two-year-olds are unable to focus on a game for more than a few minutes. High school students, on the other hand, are expected to focus on one topic for a 90-minute class period. Age is only one determinant of the ability to focus. Other issues include learning styles, surroundings and possible biological or mental health issues. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and sensory integration disorder are examples of the types of challenges facing some children in regard to focus.
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Instructions
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Helping Children to Improve their Ability to Focus
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Determine what hinders a child from a level of focus appropriate to their age or developmental level. Pay attention to the child's learning style and decide if they learn visually, orally or kinesthetically. Consider environmental distractions such as noise, temperature and activity. Think about biological or psychological disruptions that might include hearing loss, sensory integration disorder, ADHD or life stresses such as moving recently or a new sibling. Ask questions of other people who interact regularly with the child and determine if the issue is situational or global. For complex issues, consult with a therapist, physician or social worker.
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Provide tools, strategies and enhancements to help the child improve focus. There are multiple ways to assist a child's ability to focus. New access to information may mean providing both written and oral instructions. Alterations to their learning environment may require a quiet place away from others to complete their assignments. Modifications to their surroundings could mean less visual stimulation at their desk. Assistive devices could be specialized pencils to improve handwriting. Medical interventions could be a hearing aid. A self-imposed workaround might be a unique memory system that helps a child learn their spelling words.
Other examples: Earphones, to block out noise, are given to a child easily distracted by sound. A child with ADHD might be given permission to stand when doing written assignments.
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Monitor a child's improvement or lack of progress. Once modifications are implemented to help a child focus, their impact should be regularly tracked. Changes may occur to increase or decrease a child's ability to focus. The techniques and approaches put into place may need to be altered or eliminated. Maintain ongoing communication with others who interact with the child regularly to fully understand the child's continuing needs.
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