Are you looking for simple ways to improve your child’s focus? If so, keep reading.
1. Urge the student to create an understanding of themselves and their surroundings. Train the student to periodically step back and ask themselves, “Am I on-task and paying attention?” “What should I be doing now?”
2. Urge the student to create an understanding of the consequences of their behavior by writing down or talking through problems that may happen due to their failure to concentrate (e.g., not focusing on instructions may cause misinterpretation of a task that could lead to a lower grade and losing a place on the soccer team).
3. Urge the student to eat a balanced diet and get plenty of rest to enable their capacity and ability to concentrate.
4. Let the student take a break to regroup when they are no longer on-task.
5. Get the student to listen for crucial information when being given instructions or obtaining information (e.g., write down main points, ideas, step-by-step instructions, etc.).
6. Get the student to create a chart to follow that will let them record all tasks.
7. Urge the student to ask for clarification of any directions, explanations, and instructions before starting a task to enable comprehension.
8. Teach the student to use simple concentration and study skills (e.g., reading for the main idea, note-taking, highlighting, outlining, summarizing, studying in an appropriate environment, etc.).
9. Require the student to make eye contact while delivering information to him/her.
10. Teach the student note-taking skills (e.g., copy main ideas from the smartboard, find main ideas from lectures, condense statements into a few keywords, etc.).
11. Select a peer, paraprofessional, friend, etc., to signal the student when they are off-task (e.g., the person can touch the student’s hand as a signal that they are not remaining on-task).
12. Get the student to take notes when instructions are being given, following the “What, How, Learning materials, and On occasions where” format.
13. Make sure the student knows that instructions will only be given once.
14. Inform the student what to listen for when being given instructions or receiving information, etc.
15. Designate one task at a time. Provide the student a specific amount of time to finish it.
16. Get the student to repeat to themselves information just heard to help them remember the essential facts.
17. Train the student to ask themselves questions (e.g., “What’s next?”) to keep himself/herself focused on tasks/projects.
18. Let the student underline or highlight essential information they read (e.g., instructions, reading tasks, etc.) to enable concentration.
19. Assess the visual and auditory stimuli in the classroom. Ascertain the number of stimuli the student can tolerate. Remove unnecessary stimuli from the student’s environment.
20. Establish a timer for the student indicating a limited amount of time to finish a task or task.
21. Consider using assistive technology designed to help students to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to concentrate. Click here to view list of assistive technology apps that we recommend.
