Children’s concentration spans are shorter than adults’, so they need more frequent breaks. They also need a lot of help to focus.
So what can parents, educators, and caregivers do to help children concentrate?
Here are some tips to help children develop concentration:
Prepare an environment free of distraction
First, prepare an environment free of distraction to aid the development of concentration.
Match activities to children’s interests
Match activities to children’s interests. This encourages them to develop concentration, which they will need to succeed in the future and make their own way.
Respect children’s limits
Respect children’s limits to assist them in developing concentration and self-control, so they can reach their full potential. Also, for children to become accustomed to completing difficult tasks on their own, you need to let them do the tasks. Even the most eager-to-learn child will lose interest in doing difficult work if you don’t let him.
Provide opportunities to do practical life activities
Provide lots of opportunities to do practical life skills activities, such as spooning, pouring, transferring exercises. Practicing these activities help children develop concentration and build their personality.
Keep task simple
Children work better when they have simple, clear, manageable tasks to focus on. It’s very important to make it as simple as possible. Introduce children to concepts slowly, and then gradually increase the difficulty. This increases their desire for the task and increases the likelihood of them focusing.
Allow repetition of activities
Provide freedom for children to develop their concentration by allowing them to repeat an activity over and over until they master it.
Concentration is crucial for learning. You can’t learn without concentration.
According to Marie Montessori,
“Concentration is the key that opens up to the child the latent treasures within him”.
Concentration is an important skill for any child to learn. It develops in our children gradually, beginning at a very young age, and continuing until their early teenage years.
