Focusing Skills

Notes from Mrs. J - Keeping Focused
Helping Your Child Build Focusing Skills

Children's cognitive, linguistic, unique neurological and motor-skill developmental levels affect their ability to concentrate. If an activity is too challenging in any one of these areas, children either may choose not to participate or may stay with the activity only for a short time. For example, children who choose blocks over art tend to feel more confident in and comfortable with large-- motor skills than small-motor skills. Our role as educators and parents is to support children in developing concentration for activities of their choosing (by providing ample time for them to choose each day). At the same time, we need to gently encourage children to experiment and stay with activities that challenge skills they're not as comfortable with by providing activities that are both inviting and potentially successful. As you know, children's moods also have an effect on their ability to focus. If a child comes to school upset, tired, or overly excited, he may be too distracted to concentrate on an activity, particularly a new or challenging one.

Strengthen concentration: Twice a day, have your child pick an object and then have them practice holding a visual of the specific object in their mind steadily for 3-5 minutes, then work up to 10 minutes. Describe the item in detail before you have them close their eyes so they can imagine it, but it should also be simple for them to “see” it in their mind. Some good examples: an apple, a pencil, the face of a friend, parent or pet, and so on. Choose something they won’t have trouble picturing, but something that requires focusing in order to see it clearly. Call up a strong mental image of it, and then have the students work on increasing the time to keep focus on the object.

Visualize for practice. If you’ve got an important goal, assignment or task your child is working on-have them visualize it first! Many studies have been done on the power of visualization, and the general consensus is that performing tasks and activities mentally over and over again is equally as effective as performing them physically! That means that visualization can serve as a powerful practice session that helps them master anything! Have them visualize staying balanced on a beam, calm and focused have them visualize surprises and interruptions and staying focused through them.