Young children’s minds are full of information. This can make their attention spans very short.
You
can help build their attention spans through activities that develop
concentration.
You want them to learn how to pick one
piece of information from the brain and focus on it. Concentration is key.
First,
help your child pay attention to what you say by being very clear and focused
when you talk. Look your child in the eye and use simple, direct sentences.
Repeat important points several times.
Talk about what happened on a
given day. Ask children questions that will help them focus on a specific
event.
Have them talk about the event as long
as they are able. At first this may be for just a few seconds.
It also
helps to read together. Many children will sit to hear a book even when they won’t sit still
for anything else.
When a story is over, ask children questions
that will help them concentrate on specific characters or actions.
Finally, use pictures or props to focus
a child’s attention. A child will be more interested in talking about a
neighbor’s new kitten if you are both looking at a picture of a kitten while
you talk.
The most important thing in doing these
activities is to be patient. Concentration skills can take years to fully
develop, but it’s worth the effort.
