Whether they tap their foot, interrupt with random thoughts, or beg to do something other than learn, all children can have a hard time staying focused in school.
The same is said for keeping your kids attention span while being homeschooled. Understanding how to get your child to focus, and have fun along their learning journey, are essential to gaining an appreciation for education.
Below, we’ve highlighted some of the reasons why your child might be zoning out, and tips on how to get kids to focus in homeschool:
Understanding Child Attention Span: Why Do They Get Distracted?
It all stems from this thing called executive function, a set of skills that allows us to plan, set goals, process new information, make decisions, and stay focused. It’s like the management system of your brain. It’s constantly communicating with other parts of your brain to help make or implement decisions or control impulses.
Our executive functions arethe last part of the brain to develop - they aren’t fully formed until we’re 25! That’s why kids often have a harder time staying focused, remembering a complex set of instructions as well, or adapting in changing situations.
What You Can Do About It.
1. Make Things Simple.
Focus on one topic at a time. Let them fully grasp one thing before moving onto the next. Understanding your childs attention span can help you help them absorb educational information better. Although it may take a little more time, they can be more comfortable with what they learn!
YOUR TURN: On page 10 of Bones of the Foot, Leg, and Pelvis: Book 2, rather than study the entire foot we focus on just one part, the toes! Explore focusing on this one fun exercise with your child, discuss it afterwards, maybe even do it a second time to see what else you can discover. Taking the time to focus on one topic helps to deepen your child's understanding and his or her memory!
2. Try Interest Based Learning.
Follow your children's curiosity and see where it takes you. Every child has something that they are naturally curious about. As a homeschooling parent, you can take note of this and integrate your children's passions into your homeschool routine! This can be a useful tip for a distracted child who loses focus in traditional school methodology.
YOUR TURN: Have a child that loves cooking? Try out the recipes in The Adventure Series!
3. Know Your Child's Learning Style.
If you're having trouble keeping your child engaged with what they're learning, consider presenting the info in a different format. Knowing your child's learning style lets you teach them in the best way possible, like hands on activities for kinesthetic learners or repeating important vocab words for auditory learners. Cater your homeschool curriculum to a style that increases your child’s ability to focus.
YOUR TURN : If you're not sure what learning style best suits your child, try multiple activities and exercises to see which one they respond to! You can test a visual learning style with the writing exercise on page 66 of The Nervous System: Adventure 11, or a kinesthetic learning style with the hands on craft on page 70!
It's a Team Effort
The best way to guide your child towards paying more attention in school is to work with them! Education is a 50/50 effort between you and your learners, and we're here to provide all the resources you need for a perfect 100.
For more activities and learning about the brain, check out our workbook:
- The Nervous System: Adventure 11 from The Systems of the Body: Adventure Series here.
Know Yourself. It makes you better at everything.
Featured Products in This Article:
Get ready to get brainy as we learn the wonders of the Nervous System! Through an artful combination of hands-on learning, storytelling, world cultures, and activities, your kids will continue on their journey of self-discovery and understanding of what they are made of.
Learning doesn't have to stop when you close the pages of a book, instead it can happen whenever you like with the Dr. Bonyfide's Know Your Bones Human Skeleton Model Coloring Kit ! Where learning goes beyond pages and translates into creative fun! Learn all 206 names and locations of your bones while having fun coloring them!
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