In an article written for National Geographic, Vicky Hallett speaks on the challenges of keeping children focused during virtual learning through Zoom. 

While concentrating on lessons all day in a home environment has its own challenges, the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases continues to threaten the likelihood of schools returning to in-person teaching in the immediate future.

It’s easier said than done for parents to understand why their kids have difficulty focusing on their schoolwork when they can spend seemingly endless hours focusing without trouble on their video games and toys. Hallett points out, however, that children are more likely to lack focus in their studies due to the absence of understanding the importance of what they’re learning such as Spanish language skills or how to read an analog clock. 

Attention depends largely on the physical surroundings in which children are learning. In most classroom settings children lack access to things like toys and freely surfing the internet, whereas, in their homes, these distractions are more readily available to them. Hallett suggests the following for helping your children focus while learning in a remote environment:

Establish a Routine

Creating a routine can be important for all of us in these unique circumstances and is helpful in maintaining a sense of normalcy. Wake up at the same time each day, change out of your pajamas, eat breakfast, and sit down at a designated “school” area. 

Defeat Distractions

Hallett shares a suggestion from the McLean School in Maryland to create a glitter jar for your child to help them maintain focus. If your child needs a moment to regain their focus, have them shake up the jar, and watch as the glitter falls back to the bottom before resuming their assignment. She also suggests that school technology is kept specifically for school activities. Removing games and apps from the laptop or tablet being used for school assignments reduces the temptation to stray from their studies. 

Adjust and Optimize

Each child has different learning styles and adjusting to their best fit will help optimize their learning capabilities. While some parents may decide to follow along with their child’s teacher’s schedule and guidelines, parents should be aware of the option to be flexible. Many teachers are offering a mix of both live lessons and online assignments. Focusing on one subject or activity at a time may be most beneficial for some children, while others may benefit from jumping between subjects to maintain focus over a longer period of time.

Get Moving

Staying seated for a prolonged period of time can take a strain on anyone, child or adult. Most children are used to following a school schedule that includes active breaks for both recess and lunch and their remote environment should be no different. Hallett references a study by Matthew Pontifex of Michigan State University that assesses how physical activity boosts cognitive function. Taking a break to go for a walk or have outdoor active playtime may be just what your child needs to regain focus and continue on with their studies.

Be Aware

It’s likely that many if not most children will have difficulty adjusting to this new teaching style. It’s largely up to the parents to identify ways to make this transition as seamless as possible. Don’t be afraid to bring questions to your child’s teacher or ask for their advice and support in how best to combat some of the challenges you’re seeing at home. It’s a learning process for parents and teachers alike but it can be helpful to use them as a resource if available. The more parents know about their children and their learning habits, the better they can support them through this transition.  

Training the underlying skills that support attention both in the classroom and on Zoom can make a big difference in a child’s ability to succeed at school and manage the challenges of chores and routines at home.  The Attention Arcade training games from BrainLeap are fun, easy ways to train foundational attention skills in just 20 minutes a day. Twenty minutes a day for 8 weeks showed marked results in the UC San Diego study funded by the National Institute of Health.  To read more about the pilot study click here.  To get the games and start training your child’s attention skills  Buy the games now.