Does your child struggle to focus in the classroom? Maybe they’re easily distracted or easily bored? Maybe they don’t seem to understand what they’re being told, and struggle to stay on task because of it? No matter why your child seems to be struggling at school, it’s clear they need a bit of help in order to regain their focus. And thankful, you can step in here to help them out! Here are some great ways to help your child stay on track with their school work.
Come Up with a New Routine
The more structure there is in your child’s life, the more likely they are to be able to focus at school. If they get enough sleep, eat right, and get the chance to have fun and waste some of their energy, they’re going to be in prime condition for some learning! Which means it might be time to come up with a new routine.
Maybe an earlier bedtime, maybe more time out in the garden or down the park, or maybe less chocolate and more carrot sticks – little improvements always count! Think about what your child gets up to on a daily basis and how it might be affecting their attention levels. What small change could be made that might make a huge difference a few days down the line?
Cut Out Chances for Distraction
If your child is easily distracted, rather than just trying to stop them from getting distracted, remove as much opportunity to do so as possible. For example, instead of making them copy down from the board by hand, let them tap it out on a tablet or record the teacher speaking instead.
In doing so you help your child to accomplish a task in a much easier step, which they’re far less likely to stop halfway through doing. Indeed, there are many ideas for classroom behavior management using teaching software, and if your child often gets disruptive when they’re distracted, the simple use of something like a kid friendly laptop could help them to stay on task for longer.
Get Some ‘Focus’ Practice In
Is it possible to practice how well you can focus? Well no, not entirely. But if you give your child more tasks at home that require their sole focus for 5 or 10 minutes, it helps your child to get into the habit.
For example, if they don’t do any chores at the moment, entrusting them with the super special task of setting the table could be a great way to maintain their attention for a little while. Or if they’re often helping out around the house, giving them more puzzles to do could be the next great step. A child friendly jigsaw isn’t strenuous, but your child can both have fun and take their time in solving it.
If your child has trouble with focusing at school, there’s a lot you can do to help. Work with their ability to really encourage them!
