Sustained attention is the ability to maintain attention despite distractions or boredom. Children (and adults) are naturally much better at sustaining attention when they are interested in the activity or material. Less exciting tasks (e.g., chores and homework) are often met with wandering minds, however. The length of time children can sustain their attention generally increases as children age. The American Federation of Teachers recommends that children spend no more than ten minutes per grade level (i.e., third grade equals thirty minutes) on homework. When your child is unable to meet these demands, a problem may be present.
Signs Your Child Struggles with Sustained Attention
If your child has difficulty with any of the following areas (organized by grade level), they may have sustained attention challenges:
Preschool/Kindergarten
- Completing five-minute chores (with supervision if appropriate)
- Sitting through fifteen-minute class activities
- Listening to one or two picture books
First-Third Grade
- Spending ten to thirty minutes on homework (see guideline above)
- Finishing a fifteen-minute chore
- Sitting through a family meal
Fourth-Fifth Grade
- Spending forty to fifty minutes on homework (see guideline above)
- Completing half hour to hour long chores
- Attending activities (e.g., a sports practice) that last sixty to ninety minutes
Sixth-Eighth Grade
- Spending sixty to eighty minutes on homework (see guideline above)
- Participating in family commitments without complaining
- Completing chores lasting up to two hours
Strategies to Address Sustained Attention Challenges
The following strategies can be implemented to help your child if they struggle with sustained attention:
- Supervise and encourage your child while they work. Praise being on task rather than focusing on when they are off task
- Measure how long your child can maintain their attention during homework without requiring a break. Using this time as a baseline, set a timer for a few minutes longer as a goal to reach
- Consider using a device or app that provides a visual depiction of how much time remains
- Turn chores and homework into games or contests
- Reward your child for completed work
- Follow chores and homework with more enjoyable activities
By following these strategies, you can help your child increase their ability to maintain attention, a critical skill.
Reference:
Dawson, P., & Guare, R. (2009). Smart but scattered. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.