How do I expand my students’ attention span?

There are several factors involved in gaining and keeping a child’s attention. The first step would be to observe the child and assess the child’s strengths in the way his/her brain learns best. Is this child an auditory, kinesthetic, or visual learner? Can you assess a child’s intelligence strengths according to the Multiple Intelligence theory that we are all born with stronger potential to develop skills such as musical talent, athletic ability, inter or intra personal skills, etc….We also have left and right brain preferences that would influence the tendency to be organized or the need for creative expression. These are factors that influence a child’s ability to concentrate. A child will be interested when engaged in learning style instruction that creates emotionally safe situations that elicit confidence to comprehend. Each of us has our own learning and socially interactive preferences. As a teacher or parent, you want to assess your own preferences and pay attention to your teaching style in front of your students. This can ensure that you are not doing what is most comfortable for you but rather what is most comfortable for the students in your class. If you are an auditory learner and spend most of your time lecturing or talking about information, you will lose the attention of the visual and kinesthetic learners that will feel frustrated with the instruction. The more you engage a child in the way he/she learns best, the easier it will be to get the child’s attention, and subsequently start to develop attention span. As the child becomes more confident in the ability to comprehend and use the information, the more relevant the information becomes to his/her life. Once this relevance is established, the stronger a child’s attention span will continue to develop.