Children in the twenty-first century do not have the same attention span as children in the previous ten or twenty years. According to educational studies, children focus on a single task for 10 to 18 minutes, 7 to 8 minutes, or even 2 minutes. With everyday temptations such as mobile phones or other modern toys, it is frequently difficult for them to focus on their learning.
With home-based learning in place, these techniques would be beneficial to both parents and teachers. If you see your children losing focus on a frequent basis, here are some tips to assist them improve their attention span and the overall outcome of assignments.
- Create breaks to check attention
Teach your children what it means to ‘pay attention’ and how to do it. During the school day, practise attentive conduct in non-threatening, non-critical situations. After that, take breaks at regular intervals. Have a signal go off during the work period using a timer or a phone app, and have your children note if they are paying attention. This can assist a child in training his brain to recognise what attention is like and how often he is inclined to disengage.
- Shorter time frames
If your child can’t seem to remain on topic no matter what you do, it might be time to split information into smaller time intervals. Keep in mind that children can focus on one task for 2 to 5 minutes every year of age. For example, if you have a class of six-year-olds, you can expect them to pay attention for 12 to 30 minutes. Use timers to have the child who is having trouble paying attention exhibit his work after a set amount of time. This divides the workload and helps the child to continue working without getting overwhelmed.
- Remove distractions
When children are working on a tough assignment, clutter in the classroom or on the desk might make it difficult for them to keep their mind focused on the job at hand. Remove any superfluous clutter and visual stimuli from their workplace. If the child is learning from home, try placing him in a comfortable and conducive space where he can concentrate on online lessons. This reduces the child’s reasons for failing to concentrate on the work they are doing.
- Communicate with your child
If you observe your child avoiding work or appearing too preoccupied, ask him to assess the level of difficulty in the task on a scale of 1 to 10. Ask what could be done to make the assignment a 2 or 3 if your child says that the activity is an 8 or above. You may gain valuable insight into what you can do to assist your child in reducing his level of frustration.
- Creative ways to do tasks
Every child is different. There are seven learning styles that can broadly fit each individual. Identifying which type the child is would greatly benefit his attention span. For kinaesthetic learners, implementing movement would likely make them more focussed towards the task. Try numerous methods to ensure that the child has adequate time and exposure towards the subject in the manner that suits him best.
