Many kids struggle with concentration and focus, and they get easily sidetracked. Children who struggle to focus while working on a task may be suffering from anxiety, frustration, or excessive worry.

It might be challenging for kids to focus on schoolwork when they are nervous or anxious, have scary situations, or worry that their parents won't pick them up when they're at school. Continue reading this article if you're looking for suggestions on how to help your children focus better.

How school-age children develop their concentration?

The school period is an important period in a child's growth and development, both physically and emotionally. In preschool and early school, children begin to build the basics of learning, including reading, writing and numeracy skills.

Children also begin to practice their ability to concentrate and focus on tasks. Focus time when doing assignments will become longer as the child gets older. A 6-year-old child should be able to concentrate for at least 15 minutes, and the ability to pay attention to a 9-year-old child should have increased for at least an hour.

Tips to enhance concentration in school-age children

Having a strong capacity for concentration and focus is beneficial for school-age children, aiding their learning both in educational settings and at home. It's important to recognize that children are still in the process of developing these skills, so expecting them to concentrate as effectively as adults is unrealistic while their focusing abilities are maturing. Here are some suggestions to enhance children's concentration:

• Give easy task 

Children might find a task overwhelming, leading them to daydream and lose focus. Long explanations can still be challenging for them to follow attentively. To address this, consider breaking the task into smaller steps or providing instructions in manageable segments they can tackle immediately. Using visual aids such as pictures or videos can also aid their understanding of the task.

• Avoid over-tasking

Excessive tasks in children can result in fatigue, stress, and, even, disrupt their concentration. This needs to be taken into account by parents and educators when managing children's tasks.

Create a daily or weekly schedule that can be managed well. Make sure the child gets enough rest time between tasks that must be done.

Help children prioritize tasks that are important to complete first. Also, teach children skills to manage time and tasks better. If you judge a task to be excessive, consider reducing the burden of his tasks or activities.

• Avoid placing distracting objects

Make sure your child's learning environment is free from various kinds of distractions. Consider lighting, noise, and no objects scattered on the floor or table. There are also children who can be distracted by certain odors, such as food, so it is best that in the child's study room there are no objects that smell too strong.

• Enough rest

Children require adequate rest, especially sufficient nighttime sleep. Those who lack sleep tend to struggle with concentration. Poor sleep quality can contribute to issues related to concentration and focus.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, children aged 6–12 years need regular sleep for at least 9–12 hours per day, while those aged 13–18 years require 8–10 hours of sleep per day.

• Limit screen time

Spending too much time in front of a gadget screen or television can negatively impact a child's concentration and development, including the child's ability to concentrate on studying and homework. Exposure to blue light from gadget screens can also disrupt natural sleep rhythms and make children's sleep worse. As a result, children who don't get enough sleep tend to experience fatigue easily and have concentration problems during the day.

• Give praise and support

Giving praise and positive support is a very effective way to increase a child's motivation and strengthen the behavior he wants, including focusing and completing tasks well. Give specific and honest praise so that your child knows what he is doing is useful and feels appreciated for his efforts.

Use positive language when giving praise and avoid excessive criticism or sentences that make children feel unappreciated. In addition to compliments, provide emotional support with hugs or listen to them talk about their experiences.

If you feel your child is having difficulty focusing and concentrating severely, take your child to the doctor for the necessary examination and treatment assistance. You can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.

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