If you feel like you can’t concentrate on one thing for more than a few seconds without being distracted these days, you’re not alone.
In today’s world, where we are constantly bombarded with information and being told to hurry through packed daily routines, developing focus and concentration skills is becoming increasingly important.
Focus is the ability to concentrate on one thing and say no to everything else. It’s like a laser beam that helps us decide where to direct our attention and efforts. On the other hand, concentration is the ability to stay on a task until it is done. Both focus and concentration are like muscles that must be developed over time.
So, how can we develop focus and concentration in our children? Below are tips to implement at home:
In the play space
- Provide an organised, uncluttered space for your child to play.
- Manage energy, not length of time. Identify the time of day when your child has the most energy and is least distracted to spend time in their play space.
- Turn off background noise, such as the TV to limit distractions.
- Offer a limited number of toys, making it easier for your child to choose what they want to work on.
- Adapt the play space to meet your child's needs and preferences.
- Encourage autonomy by providing easy access to toys, enabling your child to choose what and where they want to play.
- Incorporate nature into your play space to facilitate concentration.
- Display toys in trays and baskets to define the physical boundaries of each activity.
- Be mindful of your role in breaking your child’s concentration by interrupting with praise, asking too many questions, or hurrying them to the next task.
In a toy/activity
- Offer passive toys that require your child to problem solve or be creative.
- Break up larger tasks into smaller ones to avoid making an activity too challenging.
- Provide everything needed to complete an activity together in a tray or basket to set up your child for success. This eliminates frustration from missing pieces and confusion over what's required for successful completion.
- Offer self-correcting materials to provide immediate feedback on whether your child is making progress towards their goals, which helps them stay engaged.
- Isolate one skill per toy/activity, so your child can master that skill before moving onto more challenging skills.
- Display activities in a portable tray or basket
The more opportunities you provide for your child to build focus and concentration, the stronger those muscles become. Through implementing the above tips, we can help our children build these critical skills to thrive in an increasingly distracted world.
