Focus Power: 7 Simple Ways to Help Kids Improve Attention

“Pay attention” is easy to say but much harder for some children to accomplish.

Instead of simply telling students to focus, counselors can teach specific attention skills:

• Looking
• Listening
• Noticing
• Filtering distractions
• Staying with a task
• Taking appropriate breaks
• Returning attention when the mind wanders

An important message for students:

Focus doesn’t mean your mind never wanders. Focus means you notice and bring your attention back.

Activities

K–2: Listening Detective

Ask students to close their eyes and identify sounds they hear.

Start with obvious sounds and gradually introduce quieter sounds.

Grades 3–5: Distraction Challenge

Give students a simple task while introducing harmless distractions.

Afterward, discuss:

• What distracted you?
• What helped you refocus?
• Can you control every distraction?
• What can you control?

Focus Bingo

Create squares such as:

• I listened without interrupting.
• I finished a task.
• I ignored a distraction.
• I asked for clarification.
• I brought my attention back after getting distracted.

Picture-Book Recommendations

• I Can’t Find My Whatchamacallit! — Martha Alexander
• The Listening Walk — Paul Showers
• Wyatt The Wonder Dog Learns about Listening, Lynne Watts
• Moody Cow Meditates — Kerry Lee MacLean

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