Children might have a short attention span and are more likely to surrender before trying if you give them a challenging task. If you think they’re regularly losing focus during complex tasks, learn about some tricks that might help you improve their attention span. That will develop the student’s ability to finish the tasks assigned to them.
Incorporate Physical Activities
Those with a short attention span will perform better if you give them short breaks for physical activities. Incorporating physical activities, including quick stretches and outdoor playtime, is the best solution you can use. You can also shorten a task and divide them into different parts or ask them to play with an exercise ball.
Doing that will help constantly distracted students stay focus. You can start your class with a virtual tour of the school or college before assigning them tasks. It’ll help them maintain focus during discussions, making them more engaged.
Make a Schedule that Fits Them
If a kid can’t focus on a task, it can be time to break them down into shorter parts. It would be helpful to remember that a student can only focus on a task for a short time. Try to determine if you have to break the task down into shorter ones. Use timers, and ask the kid to work on their studies within a short amount of time.
That allows the child to keep working without being completely overwhelmed. That will also provide the physical movements they need to stay focused. Lastly, you can track a child’s progress. It would be beneficial if you were also mindful of lengthy discussions with children with short attention spans.
Students with short attention spans will have to stay focused on the material, so they regularly ask questions related to the discussion to pique their interest. Let the children speak up or raise their hands if they have questions in mind. Maybe that’s what will help them stay focused during class.
Include a Few Memory Games
Memory will help improve focus, and memory games will help develop that part of their brains in a fun way. You’ll soon notice that your students can focus when presenting a challenging task. Include playing memory games into their daily routine or meet with an attention-challenged student after class to play.
You don’t need complex memory games. Even the simple ones will improve focus.
Break Down Tasks into Pieces
Does the kid have difficulties finishing a task in one sitting? Give them enough time to complete a part of their tasks, and if necessary, allow them to rest before they can continue working on the other parts they’ve left behind. Students with short attention spans will perform better with this method than if you asked them to finish it in one meeting.
Find a Few Tasks and Rate Them
If you think a kid is constantly distracted or avoiding tasks, ask them to rate the difficulty of the activity. If you notice the task is difficult for their current condition, don’t hesitate to ask the children what you can do to simplify it. Through this approach, you’ll get an overview of what you can do to help them ease their frustrations.
Get Rid of Visual Distractions
If you notice that a kid is having problems with a difficult task, it can be that clutter or design elements in the classroom make it impossible for their brains to focus on what’s in front of them. Make sure to remove visual distractions or unnecessary clutter from the room. That will give fewer reasons for not focusing on their assigned tasks.
Limit the Directions You’re Giving
If your children are distracted, they’ll have difficulty following, remembering, or listening to directions. It’s better to avoid giving them multiple instructions. For example, they need to finish their activity. First, you can take out the materials required for that particular task. Then, ask the kid to check their books before working. If they can’t follow through on those, you might have to break them down into simpler ones.
Incorporate Mindfulness Exercises
Mindfulness exercises will help improve focus and attention. One research shows that incorporating mindfulness exercises can help children develop their ability to focus on discussions and their behavior. One way to incorporate these exercises is by asking them to breathe in and out while sitting quietly on their desks. Incorporating these exercises can drastically leave an impact.
Students will have different capabilities. Others might encounter more issues with that than others. You can try to look for different approaches that will develop a child’s attention span. It might take more energy on your part, but that will lead to significant changes.
