Teaching Strategies for keeping Children focused

1. Being Focused During Classroom Learning
Michelle Buchanan
SOE Psychology of Teaching and Learning
Kendall College

2. Overview Of The Strategy
Some children (and adults) do not have the skills to maintain focus. This is part of what
Psychologist call “Executive Function” and it involves the pre-frontal cortex of the brain. When
this skill is underdeveloped, it makes it hard for a child to control her impulses, maintain focus,
and hold information in her working memory. It’s not really the case that the child can’t pay
Attention- it’s that she can’t pay attention to what you want her to pay attention to. In order for
you to help a child learn to focus, you need to treat this as a skill that must be learned and
practiced- just like learning the alphabet or how to multiply.
(thepositiveclassroom. org) Copy Right 2017 The Positive Classroom All Rights Reserved.
I want to learn more about this strategy because I have children in my classroom, who are
having a hard time focusing and paying attention during learning and other activities in the
classroom. I am in need of new strategies or methods to keep them focused and on the right
track.

3. Credible Source #1
One of the strategies that 2017, The Positive Classroom shared were cues: Be sure to give
appropriate cues to let children know it’s important to pay attention. Not everything we say
and do is of equal importance, so engage in a hand-clapping routine, or ring a bell, or do a call
and response chant to be sure that you have all the children focused before giving directions,
explaining a new activity, starting a story, etc. There are a number of Brain Based Teaching
Strategies that can help with this.
(theposititiveclassroom.org)

4. Credible Source #2.
Minimize Noise & Other Distractions
According to Thorne, G., Thomas, A., and Lawson, C. (2005), students who are easily distracted
should benefit from structured auditory environment, they may need preferential seating near
the front of the classroom so that noise and distractions from other students are minimized.

5. Credible Source #3.
According to John; WISS, Nancy, “Now Pay Attention!” The Effects of Instruction on Children’s
Attention”, investigated the effects of instructions to “stay on task” on preschoolers attention
and cognitive performance in the face of either incomprehensible or comprehensible
distraction. Three and 4- year- olds completed problem-solving tasks while a distracting event
Played continuously in the background under conditions of (a) no instruction (b) moderate
Instruction, (c) frequent instruction to “stay on task”.

6. Analysis of Information
Jan, Hyung, Shim; Reeve, John marshal; Deci, Edward investigated two engagments:
Fostering aspects of teacher instructional styles- autonomy support and structure- and
hypothesized that students engagement would be highest when teachers provided high
levels of both.
I think that these strategies are good for teaching children the importance of paying
attention and focusing when it comes to learning. All of these strategies are created to help
strengthen the developmental skills as the cognitive, language, social-emotion, directional,
self-confidence, comprehension skills and cause students to know their self worth.

7. Connections
Number 8. from the Thorne, G., Thomas, A.; and Lawson C. (2005). 15 Strategies for
Managing Attention Problems. Metarie, LA; Center for Development and Learning, minimizing
Noise and other distractions is a good strategy toward keeping children focused. Some
students need to sit closer toward the front near the teacher. This is one strategy I know that
works, because I use this strategy in my classroom. As a result, those children began to listen
and more attentive. This strategy actually caused them to learner a lot easier where they were
able remember and contain what they have learned. They also began to participate and more
engaged in activities as well.