10 Tips To Help Your Child Focus
Dr Nicole White
We are well into term one at school now. This is often the point when we can start to see cracks appearing - the novelty of returning to school is fading, the workload is increasing and kids (and parents) are getting tired. It is usually around this time that I start to see an increase in kids presenting with trouble concentrating at school. If you or your child’s teacher are concerned about your child’s learning , I encourage you to talk to your GP so that appropriate assessments can be undertaken to find out what might be going on.
In the meantime here my top 10 tips for kids having trouble maintaining attention in the classroom.
1. Sleep
Make sure your child is getting enough rest. If your child is having trouble falling asleep at night or waking often through the night then they are likely to be tired the next day. This will definitely impact on their learning ability. It is important that they have a regular night time routine with minimal stimulus and certainly no screens in the 1-2 hours before bedtime. Your GP may be able to help with some safe medication options to help establish good sleep routines.
2. Ensure that your child is well fed
No one learns well when they are hangry! Make sure that your child has something substantial for breakfast and has a nutritious lunch and snacks packed for the day at school. If the lunchbox is frequently coming home untouched then you should raise this with your child’s teacher. Particularly for those in younger grades the school will often have someone on duty who can check that your child has eaten enough.
3. Ensure that their work area is uncluttered
This should be relatively easy to achieve at school. At home ensure that their homework area is free from toys, clutter and other distractions.
4. Make sure that your child does not have a problem with hearing or vision
If your child is having trouble focusing in class it may be a sign that they are having some trouble with their vision. If they have not had an eye test in the past 12 months then now is the time to organise this. It may also be worth having a hearing test for your child – your GP can arrange a referral.
5. Having regular movement breaks during learning time can help
This can be achieved in the classroom by getting children to hand out class materials or periodically run errands within the school. Not only will this give your child a chance to burn off a bit of energy and refocus but can also give them a sense of responsibility which can help to build self esteem. Talk to your child’s teacher about whether this might help.
6. Break down tasks into manageable pieces
Kids who are having trouble concentrating will get lost in multi-step or complex instructions. Providing instructions in smaller chunks will provide them with an opportunity to complete tasks and have a good sense of achievement. Checklists can also be useful for this purpose.
7. Straight to the front of the class
When sitting at the back of the class, your child can see what everyone else is doing and can be easily distracted by the actions of other students. Moving them to the front of the classroom can eliminate the distraction of others and also place them closer to the teacher which may help them to focus on the instructions provided.
8. Appropriate Instructions
Instructions to children should be given in simple, easy to understand language. It is important to ensure that you have your child’s attention before giving directions and asking them to repeat back instructions can also be useful. Giving instructions verbally and also in writing can reinforce instructions and the use of colourful highlighters can help them to recognise important tasks.
9. Provide positive attention and recognition whenever possible
Kids who have difficulty concentrating may often be getting in trouble in the classroom. This can lead to low self esteem which can lower their motivation to do their best. Recognising their efforts and providing encouragement can go a long way to inspire them to keep trying to do their best.
10. Seek Help
If these simple strategies don’t help and there are ongoing concerns please talk to your GP. There are many things that can be done to figure out what might be going on with your child and to find strategies which might make things better for them. Not every child with trouble concentrating has a diagnosis of ADHD (attention-deficit-hypereactivity-disorder) but some do. The diagnosis itself is actually not super important but making it can help to identify areas of weakness for your child and to find ways to improve things for them .
So take a deep breath, only 5 more school weeks until holidays! If you are concerned, please make an appointment.
