My Child Has Difficulty Concentrating

TutorGiant.com

     There are several variables that affect an ADD/ADHD child’s concentration.  Luckily, there are more ways to diminish this problem. 

     I believe that concentration is a skill that must be developed.  Some children are born with better concentration skills than others, and they will always be better at it. But, there are ways to improve your child’s concentration skills just as it is possible to improve reading skills, math skills, etc…

     The following are suggestions are for you to try at home. Some may work better than others while some may not even work at all.  Try them and see which ones work best for your child.

·         Help your child begin things (e.g. chores, homework).  Model for your child how to start focusing attention on a task.

·         Establish rules for chores (e.g. do homework right after school and then he can watch television, etc…). This will help your child focus on the task at hand before receiving a reward.

·         Establish a routine at home (e.g. homework then television, followed by dinner, lessons and reading time).  Routines are important in order to develop concentration skills because it lets your child remember what is expected thus helping him/her stay focused on the familiar task.

·         Model appropriate behavior for your child by staying on task when you are doing things.  Verbalize to your child when you are focused and are concentrating on the task at hand.

·         When your child does not stay on task, have a conversation and make sure he/she expresses to you what he/she did wrong and what needs to be done in the future.

·         Make sure that your child sees the connection between a lack of concentration (thus the possibility of poor performance) and the consequences.

·         Reduce distractions when your child is trying to concentrate on a task (especially if your child is not a multi-tasker).

·         Play the game concentration with a deck of cards and have a tangible reward.  As your child gets better at the game, add another deck to make it more difficult.

     It may be difficult at first but you must be consistent.  You know your child best.  See where he/she needs the most help focusing and concentrating and work on it.  Again, concentration skills can improve over time, so stick with it.

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