Do you struggle to keep your children at the table long enough to finish their homework? Do they frequently wander off before they finish a painting or drawing?
If your child's concentration levels could do with a boost, a few simple tricks could help them go the distance. We asked Parent/Child Coach and Certified Play Therapist Helen Sholdice for her top tips...
1. “When you see that the child is concentrating on something, try not to interrupt them. Give plenty of advance notice when you want the child to stop one activity and go to another. That’s a transition period. Otherwise, when you break into a child’s concentration, that upsets them.”
2. “Read aloud to the child. If the child is reading age, share the activity where the child reads one page and the parent reads the next. That can build up reading stamina and concentration.”
3. “Use precise language. This helps the child to learn new words and expand their vocabulary. The larger the vocabulary, the better the child is able to think.
4. “Cut down the number of screens around for games and TV. If there’s homework going on, or another task that needs concentration, turn off the radio and put the phone away. Keep the phone calls to later in the evening.”
5. “Aim to have a room with no electronic distractions. If you put a large table in it, children can set up things like puzzles or art activities or Lego and they can return to these every so often.”
6. “Parents are role models. If the child sees you concentrating, they learn the value of concentration. If the child sees you read for an hour, they understand what concentration is.”
7. “Mozart is wonderful for children to listen to. Studies show that it can slow the heart rate and activate higher order thinking. It can create a positive, receptive state of mind that’s ideal for learning. We know more about neuroscience now than ever before and can study how the brain is affected by music. It’s non-verbal, so it activates the right side of the brain where the emotions and feelings come from.”
Helen Sholdice is a Parent/Child Coach and a Certified Play Therapist. She works in private practice and runs a number of parenting courses. Trained initially as an A.M.I. Montessori teacher, she has over 20 years experience in the field of Early Childhood Education and is a frequent contributor to national media titles.
