{"id":345,"date":"2020-07-20T15:53:39","date_gmt":"2020-07-20T15:53:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/resourcelibrary.ucalgaryblogs.ca\/?page_id=345"},"modified":"2024-03-13T20:56:31","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T20:56:31","slug":"strategies-for-maintaining-attention","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/resourcelibrary.ucalgaryblogs.ca\/?page_id=345","title":{"rendered":"Strategies for Maintaining Attention, Focus, and Concentration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"is-style-info\">Students with slow<a href=\"http:\/\/resourcelibrary.ucalgaryblogs.ca\/?page_id=408\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> processing speed <\/a>and attention-related\u00a0concerns can have trouble staying focused.\u00a0As a result, your client may benefit from strategies to support their concentration\/focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-4f3c6a352ed89f433f87157be578b7ef\" style=\"color:#af2727\"><strong>Attention, Focus, and Concentration Strategies <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your client is diagnosed with<a href=\"http:\/\/resourcelibrary.ucalgaryblogs.ca\/?page_id=343\"> ADHD<\/a> you may want to suggest strategies for maintaining attention, focus, and concentration, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Break complex tasks into manageable chunks. Give short breaks after each subtask.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Minimize demands on working memory. For example, provide steps and goals or timelines for completion, and highlight and review important directions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&nbsp;Help&nbsp;the client break down the steps of an assignment or activity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Your client may benefit from having notes about a topic prior to class instruction (e.g., an outline). This may help to focus her\/his attention on specific information as he tries to listen and help improve her\/his attention\/concentration<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Provide your client with attention and praise when he\/she is on task. This may help her\/him sustain attention.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Students with attentional challenges may have difficulty following directions with many steps. Instructions should be short, specific, direct and multimodal (visual\/auditory). To ensure understanding,&nbsp;client can be asked to rephrase directions in her\/his own words.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Make sure you have&nbsp;client&#8217;s attention before giving important instructions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Your client may benefit from having short movement breaks. Providing students with opportunities to physically move can help them to release excess energy and re-energize their ability to focus. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When possible, the movement breaks should be as authentic as possible. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Examples include taking a short break to get a drink of water, going to an area of the classroom where students can move around without distracting others or using a fidget tool such as a squeeze ball. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Observing when your client&#8217;s\u00a0ability to focus begins to wane will help determine the optimal time for a break.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Schedule activities in a way that maximizes your client&#8217;s&nbsp;attention by alternating tasks that require a lot of attention with other activities and breaks. For example, scheduling a drawing activity after your client&nbsp;completes a math activity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use high-interest activities and hands-on demonstrations to help increase&nbsp;your client&#8217;s attention. Increasing the novelty and interest level of tasks increases attention, and improves the overall performance of students with attentional difficulties.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Teaching students self-monitoring skills has been shown to improve attention. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Self-monitoring involves checking over a task that is in progress, assessing progress and making adjustments as necessary. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It also involves reviewing a task after it has been completed and making sure that it was done correctly. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Such instruction can be facilitated by providing students with a list of questions to run through when starting a new assignment, such as: <em>\u201cWhat is the problem<\/em>?\u201d \u201c<em>What is my plan<\/em>?\u201d \u201c<em>Am I following my plan<\/em>?\u201d and \u201c<em>How did I do<\/em>?\u201d (e.g., being mindful of what the task is, how she is approaching the task and the outcome of her effort).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Encourage your client &nbsp;to think out loud. Self-talk promotes reflection and greater awareness of one\u2019s learning and performance. Model this behaviour by talking through your own checklists, reviewing and revising plans and discussing how to avoid errors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Teach your client to slow down and systematically and carefully look at materials before responding (e.g., look at all the options before choosing an answer, highlighting important words, information and steps in questions, count to 10 before responding).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Teach your client how to use verbal self-commands (e.g., \u201cOkay, calm down and think about the question.\u201d) to help increase him focus and avoid careless mistakes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Teach your client to check his\/her work using calculators, spell checkers, and other helpful items.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reduce the length of assignments to emphasize quality over quantity of work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Break tasks up into smaller, more manageable tasks so that it aligns with your client\u2019s attention level and abilities. Gradually increase expectations as your client demonstrates that he\/she is able to maintain his\/her focus for increasing amounts of time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Externalize the planning process when possible (using visual guides, technology, etc.).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Additional Strategies<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, the following strategies were developed by Dr. Mel Levine for use with children experiencing attentional difficulties.&nbsp; Areas of need are identified by using Dr. Levine&#8217;s Questionnaire of Areas of Information Processing.&nbsp; Dr. Teeya Scholten, Calgary Learning Centre, adapted these strategies for use with adults and children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-6e64ab9caee50d4148a4348f2f44c14c\" style=\"color:#981c1c\"><strong>Alertness<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-warning\">\u25a0 Preferential seating in class<br>\u25a0 Careful management of sleep: arousal patterns &#8211; for consistency of work, sleep, class or work scheduling.<br>\u25a0 Reduction in &#8220;chunk size&#8221; of work, frequent breaks (or opportunity to move around).<br>\u25a0 Use of hands for physical activity (ball of clay, doodling).<br>\u25a0 Possible use of stimulant medication.<br>\u25a0 Use areas of strength (i.e., strong modalities\/affinities) in school\/workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-ecdeaabeca99d0e0b6d5edd67ec71136\" style=\"color:#0c78b6\"><strong>Taking in Information Deeply Enough<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-info\">\u25a0 Stress on rehearsal strategies or verbal mediation (e.g., &#8220;How am I going to accomplish my goal?&#8221;) through sub vocalization, mental &#8220;scratch pad,&#8221; note taking.<br>\u25a0 Self-testing techniques.<br>\u25a0 Repetition of instructions, explanations.<br>\u25a0 Demonstrate activity to illustrate understanding of material\/instructions.<br>\u25a0 When studying &#8211; check your understanding not just memorizing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-8d1e9207e71c24ec4c2b59e92cc75c99\" style=\"color:#097e53\"><strong>Passive or Excessive Active Processing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-success\">\u25a0 Reminder cards (&#8220;Am I being passive or is my mind active or maybe too active?&#8221;).<br>\u25a0 A disciplined approach to thinking more deeply about a subject (e.g., &#8220;What are the things you already know that this new material reminds you of?&nbsp; How is it pretty much like it?&nbsp; How is it new and different?&#8221;).<br>\u25a0 Acquisition and long-term pursuit of expertise in areas of interest.<br>\u25a0 Keeping score of &#8220;cancelled mind trips&#8221; and\/or &#8220;wake up calls.&#8221;<br>\u25a0 Making constructive use of creative\/imaginary tendencies in those who tend to engage in a &#8220;free flight&#8221; of ideas.<br>\u25a0 Encouragement of high quality processing of information in a &#8220;top-down&#8221; fashion (e.g., &#8220;What are the major concepts involved?&#8221; &#8220;How does this new information fit into the overall scheme?&#8221;).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-5579d4223f290a9079341bfc61325313\" style=\"color:#8234cb\"><strong>Determining the Importance of Information<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#e3dbed\">\u25a0 Stress on development of paraphrasing and summarization skills.<br>\u25a0 Games emphasizing vigilance and attention to fine detail.<br>\u25a0 Margin monitoring, underlining and circling skills when reading\/studying.<br>\u25a0 Practice crossing out irrelevant information (e.g., in word problems in math).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-3b8229c620054460f3d5c3d2af4a54b5\" style=\"color:#981c1c\"><strong>Filtering Out Distractions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-warning\">\u25a0 Minimizing distraction at home, work and school.<br>\u25a0 Use of consistent background sounds (e.g. use of earplugs, music on a Walkman) when reading\/studying.<br>\u25a0 Frequent but timed breaks from study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-483aa205c3386355435fc6315d2a8d39\" style=\"color:#0c78b6\"><strong>Ability to Satisfy Oneself<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-info\">\u25a0 Use of high motivational content for learning &#8211; give choices.<br>\u25a0 Stress on: sharing, timed delays of gratification.<br>\u25a0 Identification and acknowledgement of areas which are not interesting and in which there will be low motivation.<br>\u25a0 The establishment of &#8220;getting satisfied&#8221; time allocations at home.<br>\u25a0 You want to recognize that you enjoy doing exciting things! With minimal &#8220;moralization&#8221;\/judgement about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-5e58d72f2791e6669dc3ce51875eaf55\" style=\"color:#097e53\"><strong>Preview of Outcomes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-success\">\u25a0 Application of &#8220;what if&#8217;s?&#8221; exercises to imagine future occurrences\/outcomes &#8211; in behavioral, social and\/or cognitive-academic areas.<br>\u25a0 Stress on articulating and describing final products (i.e., &#8220;What do I want this to look like when it&#8217;s finished?&nbsp; What is it you want to say in this report?&nbsp; What do you want this girl to think about you? How would you like your behavior to be in the lunch room?&#8221;).<br>\u25a0 Diagramming of previewed outcomes.<br>\u25a0 Practice estimating answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-9257fdecf36a2e404384b4749adb1823\" style=\"color:#8234cb\"><strong>Behavioural Control<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#e3dbed\">\u25a0 Review of alternative (cognitive -academic, social, and\/or behavioral) strategies and selection of strategy which has the best chance of working out (i.e.,&#8221;best-bet&#8221;), along with &#8220;back-up&#8221; strategies in case it is needed.<br>\u25a0 Submission of work plans.<br>\u25a0 Using flow charts to diagram alternative choices involving acting or inhibiting behavior and the respective consequences.<br>\u25a0 Post-hoc review of outcomes and explore other alternatives that might have worked better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-67651130f34937679541c137fa8afec5\" style=\"color:#e57a2e\"><strong>Additional Information<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information and targeted interventions, see this handout: <a href=\"http:\/\/resourcelibrary.ucalgaryblogs.ca\/files\/2020\/09\/Attention-to-Task-and-Work-Completion-Handout.pdf\">Attention to Task and Work Completion Handout<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-summary\">\nStudents with slow processing speed and attention-related\u00a0concerns can have trouble staying focused.\u00a0As a result, your client may benefit from strategies&hellip;\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"http:\/\/resourcelibrary.ucalgaryblogs.ca\/?page_id=345\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &ldquo;Strategies for Maintaining Attention, Focus, and Concentration&rdquo;<\/span>&hellip;<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":8966,"featured_media":0,"parent":343,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-345","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/resourcelibrary.ucalgaryblogs.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/resourcelibrary.ucalgaryblogs.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/resourcelibrary.ucalgaryblogs.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/resourcelibrary.ucalgaryblogs.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8966"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/resourcelibrary.ucalgaryblogs.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=345"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"http:\/\/resourcelibrary.ucalgaryblogs.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/345\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3104,"href":"http:\/\/resourcelibrary.ucalgaryblogs.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/345\/revisions\/3104"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/resourcelibrary.ucalgaryblogs.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/343"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/resourcelibrary.ucalgaryblogs.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}