How can I help keep my kids stay focused while they’re learning from home?
Since my kids have been doing online school I’ve noticed them fidgeting, not paying attention and nearly falling asleep in class. I know they probably aren’t the BEST in person students either, but how can I help them stay focused on their school work at home?
Answers ( 1 )
Numerous students drift off task during regular schooling. It is inevitable and normal. Large numbers of administrators irresponsibly demand that students sit still in rows like Disney animatronics instead of real youth. Teachers who don’t clamp down on their classes are almost always harassed and evaluated badly by administrators for not regimenting their students instead of adapting to their varying biological and cultural needs.
Children are surrounded by distractions such as announcements, classes passing by in the hallway, their own imaginations or stray thoughts, other students acting up, etc. These can serve as brief change of pace and a brief but needed break, in other cars they can completely derail a student.
Children vary in their ability to deal with distraction. A student may find it helpful to engage in an activity that requires little attention but allows them to physically burn energy, such as:
• Manipulatives. These are toys or objects that can be handled without making an undue amount of noise. Today we call these “fidget” items. Some examples are putty, toys that flex and bend, spinners, or cubes that have moving parts.
• Coloring sheets. These can be filled in with colored pencils, gel pens or crayons. Many adults find that they can only survive work related meetings or training sessions by working on adult coloring book pages as these events grind along.
• Doodling. I will walk out of a meeting or training session in order to grab a few sheets of blank paper and a pencil. If things become completely boring or pointless, my doodles may transition into actual sketches.
• Physical movement. Anyone who sits for extended periods of time should get up and move periodically not just for attentional but physical health reasons. When was teaching in K - 8 schools I would have younger children get up to move and stretch in the midst of art class. Knee bends, jumping jacks, walking in circles around your chair, something involving gross muscle use. Even in traditional school settings students can get up to sharpen their pencil, get needed supplies, throw something in the trash, or get a drink of water. Unfortunately, many students abuse these things and use them as an excuse to cause trouble, so these options are often restricted or removed by teachers because of their misuse.