Pay Attention

I have noticed as a teacher that many kids have a hard time listening to what is being said to them the FIRST time it is said. Sometimes kids have to be told a direction even 10 times before they can comprehend and follow through on what they have been told to do. Now, I am not talking about kids who don't want to do what they are told. I am just talking about kids who do not listen and pay enough attention to get the directions. Being able to focus during school is crucial. In early grades (K-2) many tests (especially standardized) are given orally. Often, the teacher will not be able to repeat the instructions more than once or twice. It would be a shame for a student to miss a question that he knows the answer to just because he did not hear it. Oral tests continue through the upper elementary years as well. Most students in upper elementary are still taking oral spelling tests. When the days of oral testing draw to a close, it is time to start taking notes (middle and high school.) Students need to be able to catch what a teacher is saying and write notes after hearing it only once or twice.

What can a parent do to help their child pay better attention? Start by practicing at home. Focus in on how many times you repeat directions for your child. Are you saying the same things several times? If you are you need to talk to your child and explain that you are going to help them learn to pay attention. Then, start saying things once (maybe twice) without any more repeats. Expect kids to listen to what you say the first time you say it, and have consequences if they do not. Obviously this may take awhile if bad habits are already in place. It can be tiring for you and for your child, but it is important that you are consistent. I have had many parent teacher conferences that start out with parents who wonder about their child's grades. Often by the end of the conversation, it boils down to this: the child is not paying attention. Many parents have even told me that they don't think about it. They just repeat themselves until the child follows the directions. This is an easy rut to get into, but trust me it flushes out in their school work. I find that it often affects more than just listening. Often these same children (many of whom are not found to have Attention Deficit Disorder) have a difficult time following written directions. That starts affecting every test at that point.

So, what if your child does have Attention Deficit Disorder? Many times parents with elementary aged kids use this as an excuse. I understand that it is a legitimate problem, but I also understand that eventually the child has to become responsible for what he hears ADD or not. In high school the teacher will not repeat 20 times because your child did not listen the first time. I have dealt with many ADD kids. The best thing you can do for them is to help them practice paying attention while they are young. It will be time consuming and require extra effort, but it is so helpful for them down the road. That way when someone does expect them to be responsible for what they are told, they won't have years and years of bad habits to break.