LearningRx teaches parents on how to improve their kids' attention

Sep 4 2009

September is National Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Awareness Month. And, more than 60 LearningRx franchisees are showing parents how to increase the three types of attention skills.

“We’re excited to share the latest research on how parents can help improve their kids' attention, grades and self-esteem with simple brain exercises and games,” explains LearningRx Vice President of Research and Development Tanya Mitchell.

Mitchell suggests similar exercises that parents can do with their children at home:

• Sustained Attention allows the child to stay on task for a long period of time. Parents can use a stopwatch while their child does a small task or homework assignment and note when the student loses focus. If the child starts playing or looking around after one minute, the parent should stop the time. The child is then given a goal to try to focus for a longer period of time. The game should include prizes or special privileges for the child to look forward to upon making the goal.
• Selective Attention prevents the child from being easily distracted. Parents can do the same activity for sustained attention, but to strengthen selective attention skills, the parent should add small distractions and see if the child tries to stay on task. As the child is able to handle small distractions, the distractions should increase. Make sure to do the task in a game-like setting. Once the child completes a goal, he or she should receive a small reward or privilege.
• Divided Attention allows the child to do more than one thing at a time and is the most important attention skill. Parents can purchase a game like Simon, Bop-it or Perfection where the game has a timing and attention component to it. The child starts the game and the parent asks for other information while the child is playing (e.g. the parent names an animal and the child has to make the sound). This may seem overwhelming, but by setting small goals, and then increasing the goals, a child can strengthen his or her ability to multi-task.