{"id":16369,"date":"2015-06-15T10:58:07","date_gmt":"2015-06-15T09:58:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/themudkitchen.com\/?p=729"},"modified":"2023-01-01T22:35:00","modified_gmt":"2023-01-01T22:35:00","slug":"help-kids-improve-concentration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kidscraftroom.com\/help-kids-improve-concentration\/","title":{"rendered":"Help Kids Improve Concentration"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do I Need To Be Concerned About My Child\u2019s Concentration?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Honestly? I am! We live in such a busy media filled world now-a-days. We\u2019re bombarded with images and music wherever we go. Can you think of the last time you went into a shop or a restaurant without music playing in the background? I can\u2019t! \u00a0Our kids lives are filled with after school clubs for gymnastics, judo, swimming, you name it and we ferry our kids to and from it \u2018enriching\u201d their lives. \u00a0All this visual and auditory stimulation and all these adult led, structured activities mean my kids actually don\u2019t get much opportunity to quieten down outside distractions, focus, tune in and really CONCENTRATE.<\/p>\n

\"LEARNING<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

If my kids don\u2019t develop an ability to concentrate I can see that it\u2019ll have huge implications for their futures and for their happiness!<\/p>\n

On a basic level if my kids can\u2019t concentrate then they can\u2019t amuse themselves when the structured adult led activities aren\u2019t there. I want my kids to be able to create their own entertainment, to enjoy settling down with a book or doing a puzzle. I want my kids to be able to focus and concentrate so that they can develop their creativity, maybe working with paints or writing a story or acting in play.<\/p>\n

On a social level if my kids can\u2019t concentrate then they can\u2019t listen in class for lengths of time and they may fall behind and feel frustrated. If my kids can\u2019t concentrate then they\u2019ll find it hard to build good communication skills. I want my kids to be able to engage with others meaningfully.<\/p>\n

We all know that in general kids\u2019 memory and concentration develops with age. But there are lots of really simple and easy things we can do at home to help encourage and support that development too.<\/p>\n

Can We Improve Concentration?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Yes, sure we can! Attention span or concentration is the amount of time a child can focus on something before losing interest. \u00a0When we look around we can see that each child is unique; some children can stay absorbed in an activity for a long time whilst others seem to butterfly from one thing to another unable to focus for a length of time. It\u2019s important not to judge or compare here. There is no right or wrong and each child will develop at their own rate. You should certainly never try to force a child to concentrate but there are ways however that we can help kids tune in and reach their potential.<\/p>\n

Activities To improve Concentration<\/span><\/h2>\n

Activities to help your child develop their concentration skills can be broadly split into two different types, productive activities<\/strong> and receptive activities<\/strong>. It\u2019s a great idea to try to regularly offer kids a variety of experiences from both of these. Some of the activities are ideas for children to do individually and some are ideas we can do together with our children. Mix it up regularly and have fun.<\/p>\n

Improve Concentration With Productive Activities<\/span><\/h3>\n

Productive activities are ones where the child is actively involved in doing something. These kinds of activities do not have to have an end product but lots do. Children can greatly benefit from knowing where the start and finish of an activity is. Having a goal to aim for can help a child focus and concentrate through to the end.<\/p>\n

Lots of children are good at concentrating and are happy to face an activity that is demanding of their attention. If however your child is struggling with concentration it\u2019s important to provide activities that they have a good chance of success with. If for example you are introducing a jigsaw puzzle, match it to your child\u2019s level of concentration not the age on the box.<\/p>\n

Great examples of productive activities are (Includes affiliate links for your convenience):<\/p>\n