Comments on: How Do You Teach Kids to Pay Attention? http://pjmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/ Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:12:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Manchester http://pjmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-1757303 Manchester Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:34:22 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-1757303 In my opinion, best way (it is me thinking! :-))to get kids paying attention is "we first pay attention to kids needs, what they are doing, what interests them, listen to them what they are saying (no matter it relates or not, just listen) build trust... and then use those strong areas to strengthen they attention skills. Meaning use their positives to address their improvement areas. It's like a water, don't just make them spread it haphazardly, just channel them and bring it to one area and build dam around it!... In my opinion, best way (it is me thinking! :-) )to get kids paying attention is “we first pay attention to kids needs, what they are doing, what interests them, listen to them what they are saying (no matter it relates or not, just listen) build trust… and then use those strong areas to strengthen they attention skills. Meaning use their positives to address their improvement areas. It’s like a water, don’t just make them spread it haphazardly, just channel them and bring it to one area and build dam around it!…

]]> By: charlene chen http://pjmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-112611 charlene chen Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:34:02 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-112611 My son's teacher, who said she taught for 37 years asked us to take our son to the pediatrician . She thinks drugs work. But this is the first time I heard of the short attention span she is talking about after the school starts this month. I asked her if there is other suggestions, but she just said "see a doctor". My son can concentrate at other outside classromms, like chess, musci and foreign language. I questioned if the class is teaching something he already knows. She interruped me. From how the teacher talks, I can see she accepts no ideas other than her own: drugs. My son’s teacher, who said she taught for 37 years asked us to take our son to the pediatrician . She thinks drugs work. But this is the first time I heard of the short attention span she is talking about after the school starts this month. I asked her if there is other suggestions, but she just said “see a doctor”. My son can concentrate at other outside classromms, like chess, musci and foreign language. I questioned if the class is teaching something he already knows. She interruped me. From how the teacher talks, I can see she accepts no ideas other than her own: drugs.

]]> By: Brad Ovenell-Carter http://pjmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-96524 Brad Ovenell-Carter Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:22:20 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-96524 For two years now, I’ve scheduled so-called Silent School mornings, several times a year. After our morning announcements, the whole school goes quiet. No one speaks a word and the doors to the office are closed so the students and staff aren’t interrupted by phone calls. All teaching is done silently–usually this means the students are working on projects and other works in progress. But I once had my grade 6 math class construct a huge 3′ x 5′ times table wall chart out of a hundred or so bits of coloured paper without anyone saying a word. The first time we ran this was an odd experience in a school full of 11- to 14-year olds. Part way through the morning it started to snow and I thought all was lost. You could feel the students vibrate with excitement. But no one said a thing. At lunch they all walked down to our meeting room, quiet as monks and nuns, and waited for me to speak again. The students loved the exercise: most said they could concentrate better and that they finished far more work than they usually do. I found they asked better questions because they had to think first before going to the trouble to write down their problem. Indeed, a significant number of students wanted a weekly Silent School day. We haven’t gone that far. Not yet. For two years now, I’ve scheduled so-called Silent School mornings, several times a year. After our morning announcements, the whole school goes quiet. No one speaks a word and the doors to the office are closed so the students and staff aren’t interrupted by phone calls. All teaching is done silently–usually this means the students are working on projects and other works in progress. But I once had my grade 6 math class construct a huge 3′ x 5′ times table wall chart out of a hundred or so bits of coloured paper without anyone saying a word.

The first time we ran this was an odd experience in a school full of 11- to 14-year olds. Part way through the morning it started to snow and I thought all was lost. You could feel the students vibrate with excitement. But no one said a thing. At lunch they all walked down to our meeting room, quiet as monks and nuns, and waited for me to speak again.

The students loved the exercise: most said they could concentrate better and that they finished far more work than they usually do. I found they asked better questions because they had to think first before going to the trouble to write down their problem. Indeed, a significant number of students wanted a weekly Silent School day. We haven’t gone that far. Not yet.

]]> By: The Sound of Silence « Primoris Res http://pjmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-95485 The Sound of Silence « Primoris Res Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:34:15 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-95485 [...] 25, 2008 This story, How Do you Teach Kids to Pay Attention, appeared in Pajamas [...] [...] 25, 2008 This story, How Do you Teach Kids to Pay Attention, appeared in Pajamas [...]

]]> By: Wednesday morning links « Casting Out Nines http://pjmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-88186 Wednesday morning links « Casting Out Nines Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:41:10 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-88186 [...] importance of teaching kids to pay attention, over against the phenomenon of “multitasking”. Lord knows I’m trying to do this [...] [...] importance of teaching kids to pay attention, over against the phenomenon of “multitasking”. Lord knows I’m trying to do this [...]

]]> By: Mary http://pjmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-85171 Mary Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:42:51 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-85171 It is very surprising to observe what we are teaching our kids. I am with Joanna here - that ad would disturb me as well. There is a lot to be said for getting things done and being creative as it helps kids and adults alike to have a sense of self worth and accomplishment. That takes discipline. Most of the activities that I see kids involved in do not help with communication skills but isolate them. John makes some good points about schools and drugging our kids - did anyone stop to take a look at who is running our school systems? I'm pretty sure it is the drug companies promoting their drugs to "help" our kids. It is very surprising to observe what we are teaching our kids. I am with Joanna here – that ad would disturb me as well. There is a lot to be said for getting things done and being creative as it helps kids and adults alike to have a sense of self worth and accomplishment. That takes discipline. Most of the activities that I see kids involved in do not help with communication skills but isolate them.

John makes some good points about schools and drugging our kids – did anyone stop to take a look at who is running our school systems? I’m pretty sure it is the drug companies promoting their drugs to “help” our kids.

]]> By: Stacy http://pjmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-84424 Stacy Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:19:33 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-84424 In prior generations, mom's stayed home with their children, kindergarten was half day, and the expectation at the elementary level were pretty basic. We keep upping the amount of time our kids spend in controlled environments, like schools, daycare and activities. Why should they pay attention? They know that every 40 minutes or so some bell or whistle will blow and they'll be onto the next, possibly unrelated, task. And, when they're not in these environments, they're plugged into some electronic device via TV, computers or video games, where they DO train their attention. In prior generations, mom’s stayed home with their children, kindergarten was half day, and the expectation at the elementary level were pretty basic. We keep upping the amount of time our kids spend in controlled environments, like schools, daycare and activities. Why should they pay attention? They know that every 40 minutes or so some bell or whistle will blow and they’ll be onto the next, possibly unrelated, task. And, when they’re not in these environments, they’re plugged into some electronic device via TV, computers or video games, where they DO train their attention.

]]> By: Learning to pay attention at Joanne Jacobs http://pjmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-84352 Learning to pay attention at Joanne Jacobs Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:18:05 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-84352 [...] Paying attention is a lost art in our noisy, jumbled, hyperactive age, writes Maggie Jackson on Pajamas Media. We’ve forgotten how to single task. [...] [...] Paying attention is a lost art in our noisy, jumbled, hyperactive age, writes Maggie Jackson on Pajamas Media. We’ve forgotten how to single task. [...]

]]> By: John Moore http://pjmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-84252 John Moore Wed, 30 Jul 2008 04:35:03 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-84252 Perhaps we should build schools with no windows, so the kids wouldn't be distracted... Oops... we've been doing that for a while now, and the prisoners err kids are revolting, so we label them hyperactive and drug them. Perhaps we should build schools with no windows, so the kids wouldn’t be distracted…

Oops… we’ve been doing that for a while now, and the prisoners err kids are revolting, so we label them hyperactive and drug them.

]]> By: Night Owl http://pjmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-84057 Night Owl Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:57:55 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/how-do-you-teach-kids-to-pay-attention/#comment-84057 BTW- I am not a mental health specialist, so please do not give my off the cuff speculations above any more attention than they deserve- which is probably none. I certainly meant no disrespect to families dealing with ADD or Autism. BTW- I am not a mental health specialist, so please do not give my off the cuff speculations above any more attention than they deserve- which is probably none.

I certainly meant no disrespect to families dealing with ADD or Autism.

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