TGlearn has partnered with Nashville Christian School to provide executive function coaching to students and families. Every month, we send out an informational email based on a specific executive function skill. In March, the skill was sustained attention.
View the send out below:
March: Sustained Attention
Upper and Middle School
What is Sustained Attention?
The capacity to maintain attention to a situation or task in spite of distractibility, fatigue, or boredom.
Tips:
Create a quiet, distraction-free environment
A quiet environment free of as many distractions as possible is important for allowing students to continuously focus. This can be accomplished by reducing surrounding noise, not allowing phones, and having all students face the front of the room.
Give breaks
The best attenders will go off task for a few seconds between 18-20 minutes. It is important to build in short breaks for students to reset to stay engaged for a full class session.
Positive reinforcement
Congratulating students/the class when they successfully pay attention continuously reinforces the behavior. This encourages them to engage in the positive behavior again.
Prompt students to be attentive
Many students need to be cued to pay attention multiple times during a class period. Do not be afraid to create a cue with the student that visually prompts the student to reengage. Having the students restate concepts, directions, or lead discussions immediately increases attention.
Build in variety or choice
Many students lose attentiveness when having to passively listen. Build in variety, choice, student interaction and excitement to help keep them engaged.
Why?:
Academic achievement
The ability to pay attention for sustained periods of time allows for students to learn and recall information more successfully. It also makes them more aware of what is expected of them. Students also become more confident when they are aware and prepared.
Decision making
Research finds that the strength of our attentional processes are necessary for decision making. This means that deficits in attention can also become deficits in decision making.
Better relationships
The inability to consistently pay attention can negatively impact relationships, from friendships to family relationships. This can lead to loved ones feeling unheard and unseen, or the relationship feeling unequal. Good listening skills are necessary for any strong, positive relationship.
Safety
The ability to be attentive is not only important for success, but also for safety. This skill is also required to monitor our surroundings.
Lower School
At Home Tips:
Prompt attentiveness
Many kids need to be told to pay attention multiple times before they are able to do so. Do not be afraid to ask multiple times, or to remind them to stay attentive.
Have them restate instructions
Sometimes, we think a child understands something when they do not. By asking them to restate the instructions in their own words, the adult can see if they have truly processed what is being asked of them
Break into smaller tasks
Many students lose attentiveness when an activity feels monotonous, or long. Build in short breaks for stretching, chatting, or doodling by breaking a large task into smaller chunks.
Reinforce the behavior
Congratulating children when they successfully pay attention continuously can help reinforce the behavior. This encourages them to engage in the positive behavior again.
Play games that require concentration
Attention can be practiced through games as well! Games like Simon Says and memory matching cards are effective and fun attention building tools.
Why?:
Academic achievement
The ability to pay attention for sustained periods of time allows for students to learn and recall information more successfully. It also makes them more aware of what is expected of them.
Decision making
Research finds that the strength of our attentional processes is necessary for decision making. This means that deficits in attention can also become deficits in decision making.
Better relationships
The inability to consistently pay attention can negatively impact relationships, from friendships to family relationships. This can lead to loved ones feeling unheard and unseen, or the relationship feeling unequal. Good listening skills are necessary for any strong, positive relationship.
Safety
The ability to be attentive is not only important for success, but also for safety. This skill is also required to monitor our surroundings.
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