How To Increase Kids’ Attention Span

Have you noticed that some children can stay concentrated on a task longer than others? The reason for this is their attention span. Attention span is closely connected to the age of a child. One-year-old kids, for example, cannot stick with anything for more than 3-5 minutes. You need to double this time if you want to calculate an attention span of a two-year-old child. A pre-schooler at the age of 5 should normally be able to concentrate for at least 15 minutes. You are lucky if your kids have an age appropriate attention span. But what if not? What can help them improve their ability to focus?

Here are some techniques that help improve concentration

Try to involve your child into activities like reading, coloring, drawing, jigsaw puzzle activities, and modeling. It takes time to accomplish them and they normally settle your kids. As you introduce a child to an activity for the first time, make it achievable and within the current length of your child’s attention span. Gradually increase the time your kid spends on the activity as you go on.

Involve your kids into activities that they like most. Kids are likely to spend more time on something they like rather than on something they don’t. If you try to involve your children into an activity for the first time, choose their favorite topic or characters. Disney characters are usually a blast for both boys and girls. Pick a coloring sheet with Micky Mouse or a puzzle with Rapunzel, for example, and watch your kid concentrate on a task.

Storytelling and reading are other types of activities that increase children’s attention span. Let your children listen to a story read by you and then retell it independently. During this activity they will need to concentrate for quite an extended time, first while listening and then while retelling. Story telling can be done with the help of paper books, audio books, and digital books. Try to guess what kind of books might interest your child and give them to your kid. A great benefit of storytelling and reading is that you can discuss the story after you finish reading it.

And here we’ve come to the final point - socialize with your kid during attention span increasing activities. You can ask them, who the characters are and what they do, discuss the characters’ motives and behavior, revise colors, vocabulary, and shapes.

We hope that these little tips will stimulate communication with your kids and make you bond stronger.

If you are looking for easy and enjoyable learning opportunities for your child, try our kids learning apps and printables worksheets.