Homeschooling might be difficult if your child will not concentrate. No matter how good your instruction plan is, if your child will not focus, it will become a challenge for you to make him or her to pay attention and thus to learn something.
It is hard to get your child to focus on homeschooling. But, it doesn’t mean that it is impossible. In this article, we will discuss about 15 steps that parents can take to make their child who will not focus in homeschooling to concentrate.
1. Setting up the Perfect Learning Environment
Creating the perfect environment for learning is the key to make the child who will not focus to concentrate. It is important to create a thermally and environmentally balanced study room, free from clutter and emotionally calming. There should be natural and indirect lighting, comfortable furniture and other tools, as well as an organized plan of activities.
To create an effective learning environment, it is also best to provide mealtimes, schedules and opportunities for active learning.
2. Establish Rules and Expectations
It is essential to provide clear rules and expectations in order to set the boundaries and generate a sense of responsibility in the child. Rules are helpful in terms of creating an orderly and organized atmosphere at home, and also in terms of providing cues for expectations such as attentiveness and voluntary completions of tasks.
Parents should create rules that are manageable and age-appropriate, as well as clear and consistent.
3. Encourage Regular Breaks and Encouragement
Regular breaks from the study routine can help your child to stay focused. Too much of concentration on one single task can cause ineffectiveness and discomfort, resulting in losing track of what he or she is learning. Taking frequent breaks might be helpful to keep the child focused and alert.
During breaks, the parents can use positive encouragement to motivate and also to keep the child attentive during the schooling sessions.
4. Employing Different Learning Strategies
Employing different learning strategies helps to keep things interesting. Using various teaching approaches and differentiating instruction can boost student learning and also keep the student engaged. When the instruction is differentiated, the lesson is tailored to how the student learns and to make the content interesting.
5. Utilize Technology
Some children struggle to focus when the traditional instruction is used. Utilizing technology can make a huge difference in managing the attention span of a child.
Educational technology offers plenty of opportunities for learning, making it possible for the child to focus on absorbing the information and then considered its relevance and real-world connections within the original instructional setting.
6. Encouraging Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
Highly engaging activities like problem solving and critical thinking, offer great chances for students to explore their skills and to gain a better understanding of the lesson, rather than presenting students with “bored” tasks. Encouraging problem solving, using pertinent examples and thought-provoking stories, will make it easier for the child to focus and to comprehend the lesson.
7. Establish A Good Morning Routine
Having a good morning routine is essential to help a child to focus throughout the day. A good morning routine will provide structure and also allow a child to get the necessary sleep. Adequate sleep is fundamental in order to provide alertness and to invigorate the body’s cognitive functions.
A healthy morning routine can also include breakfast and physical exercise to help the student to focus throughout the day.
8. Developing Visual Maps of the Lessons
Making visual maps of the lesson will be helpful for the child to stay focused. Visual maps are information organized into visual form, like flowcharts, diagrams, mind maps, and concept maps.
Visual maps can help students to strengthen their knowledge and to become more organized and engaged learners. Visual maps can be easily accessed and help the student to follow the lesson in a more organized way.
9. Utilizing Project-Based Learning
Project-based learning encourages the student to think outside the box and to explore new ideas. By actively researching and discussing, students will have a better understanding of the lesson and it will help them to focus on the task at hand.
By using the concept of project-based learning, the child will become more and more engaged in understanding and making sense of the lesson.
10. Creating Fun and Challenging Games
Creating fun and challenging games, can help the child to understand and remember the material. Games can stimulate the student’s interest in the subject, boost their self-confidence, and also keep them focused.
These games can be board games, card games, and other interactive activities.
11. Teaching Mindful Practices
Teaching mindful practices such as breathing meditations and yoga, will help the student to focus during the lesson. Practicing mindful practices on a regular basis can be beneficial, as it contributes to improving concentration, attention, and also calming the mind.
12. Utilizing Music and Art
Listening to music or engaging in creative art projects can help the student to stay focused. Listening to particular genres of music can actually improve a student’s academic performance.
Music can inspire the student in a good way and make them more inspired to learn. Similarly, engagement in art projects helps the student to be more creative and also allows them to express their thoughts in a better way.
13. Acknowledging Improvements
Parents should acknowledge the improvements of their child in order to motivate them. Praising positive behaviors and rewarding them for hard work will help to reinforce positive habits and encourages the child to stay motivated and focused. In addition to verbal reinforcement, parents can also offer tangible rewards, such as providing child with a break or offering refreshment after completion of a task.
14. Teaching Time Management
Time management is an important skill for any person to stay on track. Teaching the student to manage their time effectively is helpful in terms of working on a task, staying organized and also focusing on the task at hand. Providing schedules and activities that are within their capacities will help the student to work on the assignments efficiently.
15. Connecting with Other Homeschoolers
Connecting with other homeschoolers will be a great way of helping the student to stay focused. Connecting with other students who are in the same situation can provide the child with support and motivation.
Knowing that other students are experiencing the same challenges can make them realize that they are not alone. Finding a partner or a study group can motivate the student to stay focused and on track.
Conclusion
In conclusion, teaching a child to focus on homeschooling might be hard. However, with the help of the above-mentioned steps, it is possible to help the child to stay focused. As parents, it is important to remember that providing the child with the right resources and guidance can help the child to concentrate on their studies.
The trick is to create an environment of learning and exploration, where the student can stay focused, be productive, and develop a lasting interest in the material.