How can you identify poor concentration in your child? Is school performance the only indicator of a child’s concentration and focus? Before discussing how to improve children’s concentration and focus, it is best to determine if your child has trouble concentrating. Some of the signs of poor concentration are easy to identify, while others are not as obvious.
Displays of aggression, irritability, and moodiness
Forcing a child to do something when he is struggling to concentrate may be counterproductive.
When this happens, the child is likely to rebel by being aggressive or irritable. Other children may shut down, and it will be almost impossible to get through to them by forcing the issue. Instead of assuming your child has behavioural difficulties, it is best to consider attention training for kids.
Impulsive behaviour
A child’s impulsive actions are often labelled playful. However, while this may be true, it is not always the case. A child may struggle to sit still for five minutes because he cannot concentrate or focus. When he starts fidgeting a few minutes into an activity or lesson, chances are you need to seek help on how to improve concentration in kids.
This impulsive behaviour can also be seen when the child is out playing. He may be playing with the swings, then immediately moves to the seesaw and then the trampoline. All within a few minutes of going to the playground.
Is easily distracted
This is one of the main telltale signs of poor concentration and focus in a child. Most children are easily distracted, especially when in an environment where many things are going on in their space. For example, if a child’s class faces the playground, a child will naturally be drawn to the children playing outside during a lesson.
However, children struggling with concentration are easily distracted even when in a controlled environment. For example, a child may suddenly start looking at an item that is always in the room.
For example, staring at a bookshelf during a lesson. There is no reason for this distraction, but the child’s mind wanders from the class because he has lost interest in the lesson. He is now just looking for something more exciting.
Struggles to follow simple instructions
It can be frustrating when a child regularly fails to perform a task because he seems to have trouble following instructions. You could have asked a child to bring you a banana, only for him to bring you a pair of scissors. It is not that he did not hear you. He was not concentrating when you gave the instruction. Instead of getting upset, you should consider attention training for kids.
Clumsiness
A clumsy child may be careless, but this could also be a sign of poor concentration. His clumsiness could be due to doing something while his attention is elsewhere, or he wasn’t listening when given instructions. The outcome when this happens is he ends up making a mess.
Even as you attempt to find out how to improve children’s concentration and focus, you need to seek answers behind poor concentration. Sometimes, you may need to address the cause before taking undertaking attention training for kids.
Poor sleep routines, a diet rich in sugar, excessive screen time, family trauma, disorders and some medications are responsible for poor concentration in children. Once you identify the root cause, the solution on how to improve concentration in kids will be easy to find.