My Child Gets Distracted At School

Children’s lack of attention can alter their learning and academic performance. 

There are many publications that try to reprimand this topic from different points of view.

Will will provide an overview of the difference between loss of attention and attention deficit disorder, as well as recommendations and exercises that can be performed at school and at home.

My child gets distracted at school: what should I do?

The difference between poor focus and attention deficit disorder

Before we work on this topic, it is important to make a distinction between children who lose focus in class due to external stimuli and those who actually suffer from a condition called attention deficit disorder, or ADD, to make it short.  

The first condition is more common than parents might think, and it never lasts for long. Generally, it is temporary. If children are provided with the necessary stimuli, they will immediately regain their ability to concentrate.

The second group represents only 5% of the population of children. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a permanent disorder  and children belonging to this group need more concentration exercises than the other group.

What can I do if my child is distracted in class?

Recommendations and exercises to regain attention

As we have explained in the previous section,  concentration exercises can be beneficial for children with a temporary loss of attention, due to external stimuli, as well as for children suffering from ADD. 

For both groups, it is important to design strategies that are developed in classroom and then strengthened at home.

Now, we will explain the actions that can be implemented in both areas:

Plan for the school

It is important that you  talk to your child’s teacher so that you can plan a strategy together for the distracted child. Therefore, the most common actions and current teaching strategies, to get children’s attention, involve the following:

• Put the child in the front row,  in front of the teacher’s desk.
• Keep the child away from the more talkative children,  but also allow the child to maintain interactions with his or her classmates.
• Constantly look the child in the eye  when you talk to it so that you make the child feel a need to be awake
• Ask the child  surprising questions  frequently

However, this plan should not just take place in school. In the home, it is also necessary to take the necessary actions, to strengthen the child’s ability to pay attention.

Plan for the home

There are several ways to strengthen your child’s attention span at home. Let’s begin with the actions associated with studying and reviewing school activities.

How to do homework?

It is essential that  a child with attention problems has his or her own area to study where the child can do his or her homework. 

Your child should have a desk or table that is his or her own and an ergonomic chair. Your child should also have a good light, and should not have toys or other disturbing elements around him or her so that he or she is distracted.

In addition,  you should also turn off the television, and keep the child’s tablet or mobile at a distance while he or she is doing homework. 

You should not stay by your child and observe when homework is done. Instead, circulate in and out of the room.

This action is similar to the teacher’s behavior in the classroom, and your child will feel your support as he or she does his or her assignments.

In addition,  tell your child that he or she needs to start doing the most difficult task. That way, your child will not get tired and feel frustrated, or reject his obligations.

You should always congratulate your child when he or she finishes his or her homework. That way, your child will feel encouraged to continue studying and performing his or her tasks. Your child will also be proud of his efforts.

Leisure activities for children that are easily distracted

• Enroll your child in music lessons, such as piano or violin. Motor activities stimulate patience and concentration.
• Have your child color mandalas, or take him or her to art classes.
• Give your child a puzzle  and help him or her solve it.
• Play chess  with your child.
• Help your child cut out shapes. This action will also stimulate attention.

With these simple actions, your child’s attention can be greatly increased.

Remember, if you have questions or concerns about attention deficit  disorder, you can talk to your pediatrician, psychologist or neurologist so that this pathology can be ruled out.