Four Ways To Help Your Easily Distracted Child Learn
Posted on: 13 September 2017
Sometimes being easily distracted may indicate that your child has a neurological difference, such as ADD or ADHD. Other times, it may just be part of their personality. If your child is easily distracted and medical causes have been ruled out, then it is up to you to take steps to ensure they're able to learn effectively in spite of their propensity to becoming distracted. Here are three ways you can do that.
Look into private schools.
If your child is currently attending a public school, you may want to look into private schools in your area instead. Private schools often have smaller class sizes, which means the teacher will be able to spend more time keeping your child focused and attentive without neglecting the other students. Since private schools don't always participate in state testing, they often have more leeway when it comes to their curriculum. This often means that they work more hands-on learning opportunities into their schedule. These experiences are good for children who are easily distracted; they tend to hold the child's attention better than on-paper work.
Let them unwind at home.
Even a private school will be a rather structured environment. Spending all day in that environment is bound to be hard for your child, and when they get home, they will want to relax and unwind. Do your best to keep the home environment laidback and less structured so they are free to follow their distractions. This way, they will feel refreshed when the next school day rolls around, and they'll be better able to focus.
Some ways to promote a more relaxed home environment include:
- Allowing your child to eat dinner where they feel comfortable rather than only at the table.
- Letting your child work on homework a little at a time rather than requiring it all be done before they play.
- Offer an array of activities from which your child can choose.
Go over important concepts again at home.
Accept that even when your child is trying their hardest to focus, they might miss some of the details at school. If you can review the key concepts with them at home, you will help ensure they learn these key concepts well in spite of any distractions that may have been going on at school. Look through their homework to get a sense of what they are learning, and ask them a few questions to assess what they do and do not understand. When you come across something they don't know a lot about, sit down and explain it to them again.
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