Increasing Attention Span In Kids

It is a common complaint of the parents that their children are unable to concentrate. Their attention span is short and they cannot sit to study for a long time. This is primarily because young children have a lot of energy and they do not want to be asked to stay still at any point. This constant rush of physical as well as mental energy makes them quite restless and defocused. They feel like starting something but before they reach the point of finishing it, they start to lose interest in it and move on to something else. While having lots of energy is generally a good thing but if this energy is always dissipated in all the directions then it might hamper a kid’s wholesome growth. Besides, nobody is fond of the kid who is always jumping from one thing to another and never finishes the task. Children with fleeting energy span usually cannot concentrate very well at school, and they end up frustrating teachers and parents. Although it is usually presumed that the children do this on purpose when in fact they are not even aware about it. It becomes the responsibility of the teacher at school and of parents at home to help the children with concentration problems with the help of innovative techniques. But an adult can only help in this situation when he or she empathizes with the child suffering from the wavering attention, instead of blaming the child thinking that he or she is not concentrating deliberately. Here in this article we are discussing some techniques that can help in increasing the attention span in kids.

Organize Studies: Proper organization of study material is very helpful in studies. Make a timetable how the child will complete his or her studies in a given time schedule. This will help your child to create a proper structure in his or her mind to follow through plans. This will become his or her first lesson in the field of time management. If your child will learn time management at an early stage in life then he or she will be capable of applying this to every field of his or her life. Time management is an important ingredient to become successful in life.

Set a Goal: Set up a goal for your child. Tell the child what you expect him or her to complete in an hour or two. When he completes the task in the time, appreciate him or her. This will encourage your child to achieve more than average. But be careful not to expect too much from your child. Be reasonable with your expectations. If you will force your excessive expectations on your child then he or she will end up not achieving anything and losing confidence as well.

 

Set a Routine: It is important that you set up a routine for your child from the very beginning. Your child should become habitual of doing his or her every work at the set time. If the child is taught to develop this routine in his early years, he will have a set timetable all his life. This will help your child to become more disciplined in life.

 

Study Place: The place of study matters for the children. The child who sits at a desk, on a straight back chair to study, will be able to better concentrate than one who studies on a sofa. It is better that you arrange a study table for your child. This will inculcate a good habit in him or her. This will also make your child feel like he or she is in a formal environment when he or she studies at a desk.

Study Time: Every time a child sits down to study, he or she should study for at least one hour. A child takes eight to ten minutes to get into the study mood. So once your child is in study mood it is important that he studies for a substantial period of time. If children study for a shorter period, they will lose their focus. Also, make sure that you do not compel your child to study continuously for several hours at a time. Studying continuously for many hours is not an efficient way to study as after a while the mind gets tired of concentrating on the same things and starts to wander.

 

When To Study: Some children prefer to study in the morning, while some like studying late in the night. Leave this on the children and do not pressurize them. They know when is the best time in a day for them to concentrate on their studies. Although, do not let them keep awake for too long in the night and form it as their regular habit.

Lessen Distractions: You should adjust your lifestyle so that it does not distract the child. Avoid late night music and TV if it hampers the concentration of your child.

 

Doing Small Things: Small things play an important role in the examination. Sharpen the pencils of your child and give him a new eraser and cutter. Ask him or her to have a daily bath which would help him or her to have an alert mind. Wash his or her clothes daily and get them ironed. These small things have their own role in the making of a child.

Have Light Dinner: Have light dinner yourselves and let your child do the same. Heavy dinner at night will make the child feel lazy. Give your child plenty of nutritious food like milk, cheese and fruits.