Attention is the ability that allows us to focus on a person or task for a period of time. Being able to focus well on different tasks and activities helps us learn, grow, and make progress in all areas of life. At the same time, learning to tune-in and concentrate can be a challenging skill that we’re all building. The good news is that we can use strategies, supports, and techniques to help us focus when we need to.
Why Attention Strategies Matter for Kids and Teens
Simply put, attention is an extremely important and valuable skill. Yes, we need to focus for academic purposes when learning new concepts, but it’s so much more than that. We also use attention to progress in our hobbies, sports, and personal goals. We also use attention to build meaningful relationships with others as we listen and spend time with others. It’s an academic skill, but it’s also a life skill at the very same time.
With all of that said, focusing on a person or task for a period of time can be challenging. It can be challenging for a variety of reasons such as lack of interest in the topic, feeling tired from a lousy night’s sleep, or feeling overwhelmed with the magnitude of the activity at hand.
This is why attention strategies and supports are vital. The idea is to teach kids and teens that we all struggle to focus sometimes, but we can use strategies and supports to help us along.
Different Strategies Work for Different Learners
Let’s not forget that as unique individuals, we each have our own strategies that work best for us. This is true whether we’re using different techniques to solve a tough math problem or using different supports when focusing on a challenging task.
This is another reason why it’s critical to introduce different focus strategies to learners. The goal is to help empower learners to find out which focus strategies work best for them as unique individuals.
Teaching Attention and Focus Skills
Use attention lessons and activities to teach learners all about how to focus and tune-in. These lessons cover the many different elements of attention skills, such as understanding why attention matters, when we use attention in real-life, healthy focus habits, attention-building strategies, and much more.
10+ Attention Strategies for Kids and Teens
1. Use Self-Talk
Focus self-talk can be a powerful tool to help you engage your mind on a task. Simple phrases like “I can do this” help prime your brain to feel calm, focused, and ready to start an activity. Try different self-talk phrases and see what works best for you.
2. Get Organized
Having an organized workspace sets the stage for success. Before fully getting started on an activity, pause and identify how you can tidy up your materials, desk, and work area. For example, if you are about to start writing an essay, clear off your desk so that only the materials necessary for writing the essay are there.
3. Reduce Distractions
Distractions are all around us! An essential step for focusing is recognizing your own personal distractors and making a plan to reduce or avoid them while you are in work completion mode. Technology and personal devices are at the top of the distractors list for many of us. If this is the case for you, consider putting your phone in a completely separate room when you need to focus on something important. It may be challenging at first, but will help you accomplish your goal more effectively and efficiently.
4. Ask Questions
Help yourself get engaged in the content you are learning by asking questions and sharing ideas. During a lecture or class discussion, challenge yourself to raise your hand and ask one on-topic question.
5. Make a List
Making a list involves thinking about what task you need to focus on and listing out the individual steps to get there. This also helps break down a larger task into smaller and more manageable ones. As an example, if you need to clean your room, you might list tasks like making your bed, putting laundry away, organizing your books, and vacuuming the floor. You can also check off the individual items as you go to keep your motivated along the way.
6. Move Your Body
Movement helps us feel engaged and helps our brains remember important information. When you can, exercise before starting a task that you need to focus on. Try going for a walk before a study session or stretching before completing a chore at home.
7. Set a Timer
A timer can help add some structure to your focused work. First, consider how long you think you can reasonably focus well on a task for. For example, you might want to read your book for 10 minutes or spend 20 minutes doing chores at home. Set the timer and stick with it! After the timer goes off, you can take a break or keep going if you’re feeling the momentum.
8. Use a Focus Check In
Teach yourself to pause and check in with yourself on tasks. This is not only a focus strategy but a refocusing strategy too. You might pause and ask yourself: What is my goal? How am I doing? What strategies can I use?
9. Take a Break (and come back)
Breaks are an essential part of staying focused. Consider proactively scheduling breaks during your focus sessions. This ends up giving you a healthy pause in between learning and completing tasks, allowing you to feel refreshed to focus again. Some simple break activities to try include stretching, listening to music, coloring, reading, or writing in a journal.
10. Use Calming Strategies
A calm mind is a more focused mind. So often, our emotions can impact our ability to focus well. Calming strategies can help. Use relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, stretching, or positive self-talk to help you feel calm before getting started on a focused task. Even just a quick exercise can make a big difference.
11. Draw or Write Notes
Stay engaged with the content you are learning by drawing or writing down notes as you listen. For example, if a teacher is teaching about the power of electricity, try drawing a picture or writing down the most important information that you hear. Not only can this keep you involved with the content, but it creates a record to come back to later.
Building Attention and Focus Skills
Remember that building our attention and focus skills is a lifelong journey. It’s a skill we’re all working on over time, with ups and downs along the way. Choose some of the focus strategies above to discuss, practice, and review. You can also get started on attention lessons to help learners build their own personal focus strategies toolbox for success.
Encourage learners to think about which strategies worked well for them and when they might use those techniques in the future. As learners build their attention and focus skills, they’re also working on other important skills like self-awareness, metacognition, managing emotions, perseverance, and more.
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