Helping little ones develop their concentration

As parents and educators, we often forget to have realistic expectations of our children and their ability to concentrate on activities. It is only natural that the younger our children are, the shorter their concentration will be. I have found that a predictable routine helps make a positive difference in children’s lives, because when a child knows exactly what to expect of someone, or a place, they are calmer and more focused. There are several things that we can do to help little ones develop concentration.

Carefully consider the time of day, because children’s concentration is usually better in the morning than in the afternoon. It is therefore better to plan academic work for the mornings. Make sure your child has a good breakfast with little or no sugar, because a child will struggle to focus after they have had a chocolate or packet of sweets. It is important to limit screen time, because it can negatively affect your child’s concentration.

 

Daily movement and exercises like riding bicycles or playing ball outside can significantly improve your child’s concentration. Going for walks and looking for things like twigs and rocks will also help your child to become more observant and aware of their own environment. During story time ask your child to look at a picture and encourage them to find specific detail. Doing handwork (like threading), making crafts and playing board games are all beneficial ways for children to develop their concentration skills. Building puzzles together takes focus, problem solving skills and good observations from the puzzle builder. Look for a picture of a landmark like the Eiffel Tower and encourage your child to build that from blocks. Sensory bins are great ways to help your child to informally improve their concentration. Sensory boxes can be filled with coloured pasta or rice, small spoons, tweezers and containers for them to scoop or pour. 

Finally, when sitting down as a family around the dinner table, we can talk about our day, which will help our little friends learn to slow down, sit still, concentrate and focus on their family members while participating in the conversation.

 Here is another great article to read on this topic:Child development and concentration.