Distracted Children: What Attention Should You Pay Attention To?

You may think that you have a child who is very distracted or absent and therefore not paying enough attention. They may look away when you talk to them, and at school they may be sitting in their own thoughts. If you are worried that your child is not paying attention, read on: We will talk about what kind of attention needs to be reinforced in distracted children.

It is important to know what types of attention there are, to know how to help a child who lacks attention and concentration so that they simultaneously feel understood in every moment. This will motivate them to improve their performance!

Distracted children: Types of attention and concentration

Attention is an abstract function of the brain, but the most important. What types of attention are there? What should you keep in mind when it comes to children’s learning? Consider these things:

• Selective. Choosing a stimulus that gets attention.
• Divided. To be aware of different stimuli at the same time.
• Alternately. Switching from one stimulus to another.
• Persistent. To maintain attention for an ongoing period.
• Concentration. To be aware of a stimulus for a long period of time in a constant way.

Distracted children and their attention span

Although there are other forms of attention, these are the most common. In addition, they can be combined with each other at certain times. We can also consider different types of attention:

• Visual. Attention to sight.
• Auditory. Attention through consultation.

• Open. Emphasis is placed on one stimulus and more than one if necessary.
• Hidden. Emphasis is placed on a stimulus that has nothing to do with what we do (for example, you study but listen to your parents’ conversation).
• Voluntary. Attention is deliberately directed at a stimulus.
• Non-voluntary. Attention is unknowingly directed at a stimulus.

By this time, you already know several types of attention and how to combine them. So now is the time to know what kind of attention your child is having and how it is developing. It is important to work with motivation with distracted children in order to increase their ability to maintain concentration directed towards learning content.

Distracted children: The importance of motivation

If you have a child who is distracted or you think it is too absent, identify the type of attention that works best for them as soon as possible. All forms of attention are important if you work with them enough to achieve good results.

In addition to working with attention, you also need to work with motivation. For without motivation, it will not be worth anything for them to pay attention in any way at any time.

Children need to see academic and daily learning as a source of knowledge that will serve them for the rest of their lives. It is knowledge that makes them grow as human beings and prepare them for success. In fact, motivation is fundamental in every area of ​​life.

Which attention is more important?

Working on effort will always be an important point so that motivation does not diminish. This way, you can prevent your children from suffering too much frustration in terms of academic learning.

It is important to pay attention to achieve good results, and with effort it can be achieved. It is true that there are children who may have it harder than others, and even if they make an effort, they may not achieve the expected results.

But the important thing is to praise the child’s efforts, because if they keep doing it, their attention will get better sooner or later. Their conscious attention will be significantly improved, but patience is needed!

All forms of attention are important and that is why you need to work with them so that sustained attention sooner or later dominates in the key concepts.

If you think your children have some problem with attention, go to a professional to evaluate their ability to concentrate and help them with personal exercises if necessary.

Sometimes it is enough to do puzzles, play chess or make pastimes as crossword puzzles for a little while each day so that the attention can be significantly improved. But in any case, talk to a professional who can assess your child and guide you in the best possible way.