Improving Your Child's Attention Span

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Hi,
Our homes could be beehive of activities! Don't you think so? Children are always the focal point of activities in any home. They could be the biggest source of inspiration or they could often be the source of minor headaches!

One thing that could result in a minor war is homework! You just cannot blame your children's side of the story! Soon after a hectic day at their school, your children just want to sit in front of the TV as soon as they come home. Compliment this with your young toddler making noise at the far corner of the room! Add to this list, your small puppy that is trying to tug at the heels of your school going children. So, it just can't be simple for your children to start on their homework assignments, as soon as they come back home. If you force them more, the result will be a mini-war with furious and excited words!

Thought for today:
"Children need models more than they need critics." - Joseph Joubert

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Improving Your Child's Attention Span
Short attention span among children is a source of concern to parents. Short attention span could be a big impediment to children's success. Parents need to understand the pitfalls of short attention span.

Q1: I am writing this email on behalf of a friend as he is from a Chinese-educated background. They are in Malaysia and his 2nd son is now studying in Form 2, who is 14 years old. He is way advance of his age. He spends his time reading books like the following:

He finds syllabus in school to be too easy and boring. He also lacks social skills as his books are his only friends. He speaks of not going to school.

My friend is worried. Do you have any advice that can help this child and his family?

A: Your friend's son definitely sounds highly able, beyond his age group. The local syllabus in schools in Malaysia is catered for the average child with some good schools offering enrichment for brighter students. Obviously, he would find school a breeze and eventually when it gets too easy, it would be boring. This is not good as some children may burn-out or suppress their potential. He is reading college level books, so naturally the school syllabus would be rather basic for him...Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Gifted Teenager in a Regular School here.

Q2: My 8 years old daughter has been diagnosed with moderate dyslexia. The Psychologist also gave her the WISC-IV IQ Test. The results are IQ Score of 103. However the Psychologist says this score is somewhat misleading as her Working Memory Score was only 6th centile while others ranged from 60th to 90th centile and therefore dragged her overall score down. Therefore, because of this she suspects my daughter has severe dyslexia due to the vast discrepancy in scores. In your opinion, is this true. I will be getting her reassessed in one year's time in order to continue the support she needs. Thank you for time

A: There are some details missing here which makes it slightly hard to pinpoint the problem. When was she diagnosed and what was used to diagnose her condition? Upon diagnosis, did your daughter go through any treatment? If treatment is taken for a while now, she should show some improvements. However, being labeled moderately dyslexic and severely dyslexic would impact the scores...Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Impact of Dyslexia on the WISC-IV Working Memory Scores here.

Q3: My son is 7 and was recently diagnosed as Gifted / Learning Disabled. He got a WISC IV GAI score of 130 (I'm not actually sure what that means, but apparently that was the gifted part) and is also dyslexic, dysgraphia, and possibly has ADHD, the inattentive kind. I'm confused. I know that my job will be to advocate for him, but I'm not sure how. His skills are literally all over the board. He shows areas of intense interest, almost like an autistic child, but it's not limited to one area. He's intensely interested in many things...

A: It breaks my heart to hear of such special children with so many problems at such a young age. And I can understand how tough it is to parent this child. It does take a toll on parents and sometimes causes extreme frustration. One thing is for sure - he is gifted. First and foremost, he may appear to be compensating well on his own but he is in fact struggling and there can be a breaking point. He needs help with each and every of his learning concern. He need intervention with his dyslexia, dysgraphia and ADHD ... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Gifted and Learning Disabled (GLD) here.

10 Days to a Less Distracted Child: The Breakthrough Program that Gets Your Kids to Listen, Learn, Focus, and Behave
By Jeffrey Bernstein, Ph.D

A fresh, practical, and completely original take on handling inattentive/hyperactive children! Anecdotal examples throughout help parents understand their kids, improve focus and organization at school, and eliminate other distracted or inappropriate behaviours at home.

This wonderful book has everything that a parent can do to teach and train their children to increase their attention span. A highly useful book, parents can use some of the most effective techniques available.

Attention Games: 101 Fun, Easy Games That Help Kids Learn To Focus
By Barbara Sher

Most parents feel helpless in the company of overactive and restless children; more so during the time of school examinations and special projects. Unwilling to sit at the study table for more than an hour, how will my child pass this exam?'' This is the natural panic reaction of many parents.

If you want to focus children's attention, you first have to capture their interest. Attention Games is filled with interesting and child-tested activities that can help children of all ages become better at focusing and paying attention. By sharing the upbeat, joyful activities in Attention Games, you can enhance your child's intelligence, boost his confidence, increase his ability to concentrate on one thing for long periods, and show that you care.

The link between exercise and brain development
The Examiner Sep 21, 2010

Exercise is important for your child's physical and mental well-being, but did you know it was also important for their academic well-being as well? Research published recently in Brain Research indicates that there is an association between physical fitness and hippocampus size.

Parenting: Advice for growing your baby's mind
ABC Local Sep 21, 2010

Are there some concrete ways you can guarantee to have a smart baby? Scientists have done years of tests and they do have concrete advice for parents... but it's not usually what new moms and dads expect.

Promote Brain Development by Using Arts and Crafts For Toddlers!
Pritecho Sep 19, 2010

As adults, we understand what it means to appreciate art or to get our creative juices flowing, so to speak. Art makes us happy. Sometimes we learn something new from looking at or even creating a piece of artwork. Children can enjoy in just the same way as adults.

Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child? Excessive Punishment Can Have Lasting Psychological Impact on Children, Researchers Say
Science Daily Sep 20, 2010

Grabbing a child firmly by the arm, yelling and repeatedly punishing him or her may not be without long-terms risks, according to researchers from the Université de Montréal. They are studying how this harsh parenting can impair the emotional development of a child, possibly leading to anxiety disorders such as social phobia, separation anxiety and panic attacks.

Ten things every parent can do
Montreal Gazzette Sep 17, 2010

When you boil it all down, all the experts agreed that the single best thing that buffers children from negative forces is a loving, nurturing, warm relationship with parents.

Should you have your child tested for Talented and Gifted programs -- and when?
Oregon Live Sep 27, 2010

A day-care employee recently told one of my friends that her 2-year-old was "gifted." That had Mom wondering: Should she have her daughter tested? Should she enrol her daughter in enrichment classes? What age does all this start, anyway?

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