How Can I Help Students Focus In The Classroom?
By Vivian Garfunkel, MA
Courtesy of Tree Of Knowledge
Answer: Some children (and adults) do not have the skills to maintain focus. This is what psychologists call "Executive Function" and it involves the pre-frontal cortex of the brain. When this skill is underdeveloped, that it makes it hard for a child to control her impulses, maintain focus, and hold information in her working memory. It's not really the case that the child can't pay attention- it's that he/she can't pay attention to what you want him/her to pay attention to. Many children, especially those with ADHD, pay attention to everything around them, and can't selectively focus on one thing.
Here are some strategies you can use to help child learn to focus:
- Chunks and Breaks: Present the work to the child in smaller chunks that can be done in smaller stretches of time. If the child in primary grades and needs to do seat work, break up the work into smaller sections. After working on an assignment for five minutes, the child can get up and get a drink, walk around the room and then sit down again. Once child is successful at this, you can extend the amount of time before giving a break.
- Timers: When used as a self -monitoring device, timers can help children gain some self-control. They can be used to help a child stay focused and take a break, as described above or they can be set for smaller increments, say 30 seconds or a minute , to help children self-monitor. When the timer goes off, the child can check whether or not he is paying attention and on task. It is important to let the child hold and monitor the timer so that he gets a sense of self regulation
- Cues: Be sure to give appropriate cues to let the children know it's important to pay attention. Engage in hand-clapping routine, or ring a bell, or do a call and response chant to be sure you have the children focused before giving directions, explaining a new activity, starting a story, etc.
- Give feedback when children pay attention: Often we give children a lot of attention for being off task, reinforcing negative behavior. Instead, connect to the children while they are focusing. Say things like, "I notice that you are working hard. I saw that you are sitting still. You've been working for 5 minutes without stopping." Move next to the children when they are focusing. Tap their shoulder and let them know they are doing a good job. Ignore the little times that they lose focus. They need your feedback and support.
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