It’s a big adjustment for most people, but parents are finding new ways to cope with forced homeschooling every day. However, if your child is prone to getting distracted, you may be struggling. You need to remember that it’s a big adjustment for your child as well and when they are outside their normal learning environment and in a home environment instead, it’s much harder for them to stay engaged. This leaves a lot of parents feeling as though their homeschool lessons are not going anywhere and their child is missing out on vital education. However, if you follow these tips, you can make sure that they stay focused.
Make Your Lessons Shorter
In many cases, your child loses focus because their attention span is not that long, so why not make the lessons shorter? That doesn’t mean that they do less work, it just means that they spend less time listening to you. So, instead of teaching them directly for a solid hour, teach them for half an hour and then set them some independent work to do for the rest of the lesson. If you can break lessons up into smaller chunks, your child won’t get bored as easily and you will be able to hold their attention.
Use Classroom Management Software
There are some great tech tools, like classroom management software, that you can use to make sure your kids stay focused. Applications like LanSchool Air are particularly good if your child is working on a computer or tablet, which is filled with distractions. With the right classroom management software, you can monitor what they are doing and block access to the internet and other apps. You can also lock their screen at the touch of a button, so when you need them to pay attention to you, they are not distracted by the computer.
Let Them Move Around
If a child is sitting still at a desk all day long, they quickly get bored and restless. The thing is, a child doesn’t need to be sitting still to take in information and learn new things. So, why not let them move around a bit? Allow them to walk around the room if they like, or play with simple toys that don’t require too much attention. You’ll be surprised how much difference that small amount of activity can make and they will take in more than they would if they were sitting the whole time. Incorporating movement into your lessons is also helpful. For example, using a ball to throw back and forth as you ask questions is a simple but effective way to make a lesson more engaging and help your child stay active at the same time.
If your child is distracted, these three simple changes should make a difference. But the most important thing is to experiment with different teaching styles and methods because every child is different.
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