Some children can concentrate on a piece of work irrespective of their surroundings. They can be sitting at the edge of a game going on, in the living room where others are noisily enjoying a TV show. Some can even read in a restaurant or in a shopping mall with music going on loudly in the background. Yet others find it impossible to focus because of all the distractions. Walk into a chess tournament and you can hear pin-drop silence because players need quietness to concentrate. However, there are players who are completely oblivious to the lookers-on.
Being able to focus is a skill that goes a long way to developing a child. This is especially so because in the real world, ideal conditions for play or study are rare. Your child cannot ask his friends to leave the classroom just because he cannot concentrate on the exercise nor can he ask the children having fun in the field to be quiet because he is taking an exam.
Children need to focus in a variety of situations to improve their performance. Try these exercises and games with your child to help improve their concentration and focus.
1. Visualizing Shapes
Ask your child to close his eyes and imagine a shape, for example a square. Then get him to draw this shape on a piece of paper with his eye still closed. Repeat this with a number of times and watch his drawings improve. You can progress to more complex shapes. The slower he is, the longer will he focus so try to encourage this.
2. Outdoor Reading
Take your child for outdoor reading and get him to read in these different places and environments - parks, restaurants, wait areas in shopping malls and library. If you find his concentration waning or he is reluctant to do so, read to him. Listening also needs concentration.
3. Nature's Music
When you are outdoors, encourage your child to listen to various sounds close to nature. It could be the sound of a bicycle going down the road or a bird whistling in the distance. Make your child listen to the sounds intently and for a longer time to practice concentration. If the outdoors is not on your regular agenda, you can use a CD of sounds. It works just as well.
4. Finger Bending
Your child needs to hold his hand out and bend each finger very slowly. He needs to do this very slowly focusing on one finger at a time. When all the fingers are bent, get him to strengthen the fingers one at a time, very slowly.
5. Focused Breathing
Get your child to practice inhaling and exhaling. Ask him to concentrate on his breathing. As he breathes in very slowly, he needs to count to ten and then breathe out very slowly as well.
6. Longer Gazer
Identify an object and get your child to gaze at it for as long as is possible. You can make a competition of this and award rewards for the longest gazer.
These activities are best done together with your child. This way you can see how your child is progressing and how much he has improved in his ability to concentrate and focus.
- Sources from MamatoMama EnfaMama Club Vol 2/2012 -
