So your child can concentrate better

It's so easy to say: «Now concentrate!» But concentration is hard work. Especially when there are lots of exciting things going on around the child who is supposed to be learning. Then it's difficult to focus all of their attention on something. So if concentration is lacking, the rule of thumb is: keep calm and restore calm. Parents on the phone, neighbouring children playing football in front of the window, babbling siblings, a favourite toy in sight - it's best to avoid all these things or remove them from your child's field of vision. Make sure your child is well rested and full and has had enough to drink, as tiredness, hunger and thirst can also affect their ability to concentrate. It is important that you plan enough breaks and take into account the age-appropriate concentration span. For children aged 5 to 7 years, the average is 15 minutes, children up to 10 years can concentrate for around 20 minutes and up to 12 years for around 25 minutes at a time. Teenagers aged 12 to 14 are able to stay focussed for 30 minutes at a time.

This is how you train your child's concentration:

Mini meditation

The child should focus their attention exclusively on one thing for a minute, or even longer later on. For example, a candle or a picture. They should remain silent and, if possible, not think about anything.

Find letters

Give your child a text from a magazine or newspaper. They should now look for all the «N» or «A» letters and count them. At the beginning, they can mark the letters with a pencil, later they can try to count with their eyes only. Vary the time and number of letters.

Listen quietly

If your child is listening to an audio book or watching a film, consciously turn the volume down from time to time so that it is just barely audible. Your child now has to concentrate very hard to follow the story.

Read

Children who read a lot from an early age find it easier to concentrate. Support this by providing your child with books that match their interests and plan enough reading time.

Source: School Psychological Service of the Canton of Zug

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