How to Teach Kids Focus Skills

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Show Notes:

During this time of the school year, every teacher seems to have the exact same question: How can I get my students to focus? Spring fever has hit classrooms everywhere, and keeping students focused can feel impossible! Over the past month, I've shared strategies to help students stay focused while preparing for and taking state assessments. Now, I want to expand on those strategies so you can use them anytime throughout the school year.

It’s important to remember that focus is a skill, just like any other, that requires practice to master. In today’s episode, I’m going to share simple and effective strategies that you can easily incorporate into your classroom routine that helps students build their attention skills in ways that are fun and meaningful. 

Since there’s so much to cover, this topic of teaching kids to focus is divided into three sections: building attention through simple and engaging activities, mindfulness and relaxation techniques that teach kids the art of focus, and intentional and gradual focus building in the classroom. In each part, I introduce research-based evidence that supports focus in the classroom, along with practical activities that you can seamlessly integrate in your daily routine. 

In a world where distractions are everywhere, the ability to focus is fading just as quickly. That’s why it’s crucial to teach students strategies to strengthen their concentration. These simple yet powerful techniques will help students develop focus in a way that is fun, consistent, and easy to incorporate into their day.

Inside this week's show, you'll learn:

• A toolbox of simple and effective strategies to help students build their attention skills.
• Integrated activities that naturally build attention into your daily routine that re-energizes students and strengthens their ability to concentrate.
• Mindfulness and relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises that calm students’ minds and bodies.
• Tips for intentional and gradual focus-building activities that set students up for success.

Links & resources mentioned inside this episode: 

• Free Masterclass - Your 5-Step Classroom Management Reset
• “Active Breaks and Cognitive Performance in Pupils: A Systematic Review”
• “Mindfulness-Oriented Meditation for Primary School Children: Effects on Attention and Psychological Well-Being”
• “How Does Chunking Help Working Memory?”
• Grab a copy of my book, Dear New Teacher, Here's Exactly What to Do: Your 5-Step R.E.A.D.Y. for School Roadmap for Elementary Classrooms
• Lung Cancer Free: One Couple’s Journey Through a “Lungs in a Box” Double Lung Transplant.
• Enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card by leaving a review for Beginning Teacher Talk on Apple Podcasts!
• Follow Dr. Lori on Instagram
• Follow Dr. Lori on Facebook
• Follow Beginning Teacher Talk on TikTok

I hope this information is helpful as you prepare for your first, second, or third year of teaching. Until next time, remember, just because you're a beginning elementary teacher, there's no need for you to struggle like one.

💛 Lori

Dr. Lori Friesen | Beginning Teacher Mentor

Creator of the R.E.A.D.Y. for School Academy and The Classroom Management Club, Dr. Lori Friesen has mentored thousands of beginning teachers across the country through her workshops and courses. Host of the popular podcast Beginning Teacher Talk and author of Dear New Teacher, Here's Exactly What to Do, Dr. Lori is dedicated to serving educators and inspiring learners. Learn more at drlorifriesen.com.

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Related episodes you might enjoy:

• 10 Ways to Infuse Movement into Your Classroom for Better Engagement and Focus
• Ultimate Student Engagement: 5 Positive, Easy, & Creative Ways to Get & Keep Your Students’ Attention
• When You Have a Million Interruptions in a Day -  How to Still Teach & Keep Kids Focused
• Classroom Management Hack: Make-10 Attention-Getter

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