How to Help Kids Focus Better

It can be challenging to create the ideal workstation for your students. Even the most ergonomically designed settings have plenty of distractions. Today, technology is among the biggest offenders. In some cases, it’s technology that stalls students from beginning their work.

In other cases, it’s technology that diverts the students’ attention away from their work once after they’ve finally obtained focus. Video games, push notifications, you name it. These are all technological features that are distracting to educational modes. However, lowered student performance is not the only result that can stem from an intrusive work environment. 

Distractions can lead students to stress and anxiety, condition them into a mindset that deprioritizes education, and even influence them to lose interest in their studies. Still, our society is heavily reliant on technology, so ridding screens from educational settings isn’t the best solution. 

Perhaps learning the long-lost art of concentration can assist in remediation, as well as taking some time to understand how the role of sleep contributes to productivity. Mind wandering is so natural that we often don’t even realize we’re drifting focus. 

Does a child’s IQ have anything to do with their ability to stay attentive and focused?  Learn what an IQ test can teach parents and teachers about kids by measuring reasoning, memory and a brain’s processing speed.

A study by Microsoft Canada found that our average attention span is 1 second less than that of a goldfish! 8 seconds! Furthermore, The Journal of Neuroscience found that continued lack of sleep could destroy our brain cells. For example, when mice are deprived of sleep, neurons in their brains begin to die. 

Although distractions are impossible to completely vanish, simple steps can point your students in the direction of success. Take a look at the infographic below for a complete reference guide on how to help students focus better.