Understandably, some children would find it challenging to focus with all the distractions in today's world. So if you're thinking about ways to begin prepping your preschooler for school, there are many straightforward games, activities, and exercises to facilitate their learning and increase their attention span.
There are a variety of strategies to assist kids in developing their ability to concentrate, from easy maths problems to simple puzzles. Children will find learning to be a lot easier once they have learned this crucial skill, which will be immensely beneficial when they begin school.
What Is Attention Span?
The ability of a child to devote their undivided attention to a single task is referred to as attention span. It involves blocking all external stimuli, including the following:
- Sound
- Sight
- Irrelevant information
In school, children must constantly focus on different tasks in a setting that can be overstimulating for some. During the preschool years, keep an eye on your child's attention span to ensure that it is gradually increasing. A child with trouble focusing will find classes and lessons to be very challenging and draining.
Similar to other developmental skills, attention span is less challenging to develop in early childhood than later in life.
The Average Span Of A Preschooler
It generally is accepted that a child is able to focus for between two and three minutes each year of age, as stated in an article on attention span by Brain Balance, so the average attention span will work out like this:
- Two years old: 4 to 6 minutes
- Four years old: 8 to 12 minutes
- Six years old: 12 to 18 minutes
- Eight years old: 16 to 24 minutes
- Ten years old: 20 to 30 minutes
In other words, a preschooler's attention span is often shorter than 15 minutes. That is, 15 uninterrupted minutes devoted solely to the subject at hand. Given that every child develops differently, this is meant to provide a general guideline.
When children are interested and immersed in a hobby, they can focus for longer. If you are concerned about your child's ability to focus, consider if you are counting on them to do so for a reasonable amount of time.
Instead of attempting to have a 4-year-old sit through an hour-long assignment, focusing on short activities and giving them regular breaks is much more efficient.
Activities That Will Increase Your Child's Attention Span
To help improve your child's attention span, here are some simple and fun activities that will help.
Colouring
Even though we may not always notice it, colouring within the lines is an effective approach for children to practise concentration. In addition to enhancing hand agility and accuracy, colouring inside the lines necessitates close attention to detail, which improves concentration.
Cut Along The Lines
This simple exercise, which is great for getting preschoolers started with arts and crafts, calls for concentration to cut precisely along the lines. Draw some lines on a piece of paper or card and encourage your child to cut as closely as they can to the lines. You can add complexity to the lines as they gain proficiency, which will increase their level of skill.
Matching Flashcards
Memory games are the best approach to teaching kids how to store information properly. All you require are some straightforward matching-pairs flashcards. Put them all face down and ask your youngster to pick up each card to form pairs. This will improve their memory and concentration since they will have to recall what each card says.
Puzzles
Jigsaws and puzzles are enjoyable, fulfilling, and excellent learning tools. Children's memory is enhanced by showing them how various shapes go together; their memory increases as they play more frequently.
Cup Game
For this game, you only need three opaque cups, a ball, or other small items, which is great for both kids and adults. Show your child which cup contains a ball by turning the other two upside down. Then, shuffle the cups to see if your kid can recall which cup has the ball.
Storytelling Game
As long as you can recall the last player's story, this game is incredibly simple to play as a family. Each narrative is introduced by one individual. The next player reiterates the story while including a new detail. This pattern continues until something is forgotten. You can adjust the difficulty of this game to your preferences.
Simon Says
Children must pay attention to the directions when playing this straightforward "copying game." The other players must carry out the directions given by "Simon," who is an individual that is designated as Simon. For example, "Simon says...raise your left hand." However, if "Simon" gives a command without mentioning "Simon says" beforehand, the person who follows it is out!
Memorising Tray Game
Children are going to enjoy playing this memory game, which is a little more difficult. Give your child a tray with a few objects on it, and let them examine it for thirty seconds. After that, have them list every item they can recall while a cloth covers the tray. The best part about this game is that it can be modified to meet your child's skill level by adding or removing things as you see fit.
