Setting Up A Schedule:
Many students are most successful when they follow a routine. Structure helps students to predict what is coming next and how to navigate through these unpredictable times.
Support your student by following these steps to creating a predictable learning environment at home:
Attention Span:
There are a number of factors that impact a child's ability to attend to a task such as age, hunger, tiredness, distractions, the type of task, whether the task is preferred or not, task difficulty, motivation, interest, etc.
In general we typically see that children are able to attend to tasks for 2-3 minutes per year of age. However, each child is different and they of task greatly impacts one's ability to attend. In general you may want to break up tasks using the guide below:
General Guidelines By Age:
Helpful Tips:
Many students are most successful when they follow a routine. Structure helps students to predict what is coming next and how to navigate through these unpredictable times.
Support your student by following these steps to creating a predictable learning environment at home:
- Set a routine, schedule, or daily to-do list
- Be realistic in your expectations - consider setting expectations that mimic the schools
- Use what you already know about your student and how they are most successful
- Find a calm place for them to work
- Tackle the harder stuff first (ex: math if that is a growth area)
- Set daily goals and revisit/reflect at the end of the schedule
- Take breaks (age-appropriate attention span expectations)
- Get out for some fresh air and exercise
- Make a place for feelings
- Make time for activity and play
- Keep an eye on media use
- Consider rewarding positive behavior and learning success with incentives (video game, face time)
- Have fun
Attention Span:
There are a number of factors that impact a child's ability to attend to a task such as age, hunger, tiredness, distractions, the type of task, whether the task is preferred or not, task difficulty, motivation, interest, etc.
In general we typically see that children are able to attend to tasks for 2-3 minutes per year of age. However, each child is different and they of task greatly impacts one's ability to attend. In general you may want to break up tasks using the guide below:
General Guidelines By Age:
- 10 years old: 20 to 30 minutes
- 12 years old: 24 to 36 minutes
Helpful Tips:
- Break up larger tasks into smaller chunks
- Provide a fidget ( a small object to hold )
- Take frequent breaks
- Check in frequently
- Work with your child on tasks periodically
- Increase support on more difficult tasks
- Provide rewards or incentives for time spent working
- "First_____, then_____."
- Once you have completed ______, then you can_______."
- Use a timer
- Complete work earlier in the day if possible