Short Attention Span In Children

Have you ever wondered why the average attention span in children is so limited . . . why your little one can't stick with anything for more than a nanosecond? Well, much of that is just typical young child; however, did you know that reading to your little ones helps to develop the average attention span in children and the ability to concentrate at length?

Reading to young children encourages them to sit down and focus as they listen to a story . . . to sit down and focus as they look at the pictures . . . to sit down and focus as they follow the story being read to them. The average attention span in children, and their ability to concentrate at length, develops gradually over time as you continue to read and as the books you read grow in length and detail. This development continues as your child grows and becomes an independent reader as well. This is why it is so important to make reading a part of your daily routine.

Skills can only develop if they are practiced, and reading to your child gives her the ability to practice focusing and developing her attention span. And . . . having the ability to stick with a task and finish it through to completion is a necessary and invaluable skill to have as your child grows older, not only for academic success but also for future success in general.

Did you know that watching too much TV will have a detrimental effect on the average attention span in children, and on their ability to concentrate at length? TV is a constantly changing medium that jumps from one topic to another in hopes of gaining and retaining viewership. Add in a couple of commercials and you're lucky if any one, continuous, focused stream of thought stays the same for more than a couple of minutes! Yes, minutes!


Throw in the remote control on top of that, where viewers flip from station to station, and your continuous and focused stream of thought is reduced from a couple of minutes to mere seconds. And we wonder why the average attention span in children is so short. How can we possibly expect our children to focus and stick with anything when TV reinforces immediate gratification?


It is important to remember here that TV isn't the problem - it is the amount of TV that children watch that is the problem.


* This is so very true! It is very important for all parents to understand and be aware of this..... Reo.


So, make a point to read a book together . . . often . . . daily, if possible . . . and help your child develop her attention span and the concentration skills she needs to perform and to succeed.



" A man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them." -- Mark Twain


Article by Little Ones Reading Resource.

Top 10 Advantages Of Having ADD

Compassion
People with ADD have a tremendous power to connect with other people. But it goes a step further than that. We also have an advanced ability to empathize with others, and to see many different perspectives.

Creativity
I've never met an ADDer who wasn't creative! Writers, Painters, Musicians, Film-makers, Designers, Sculptors, Comedians and the list goes on! Artistic talents are abundant. Composers Mozart and Beethoven are believed to have had ADD.

Drive
When an ADDer is bored with a task, completing it can seem like torture. But give an ADDer an interesting project to work on and watch out! When we want to succeed, and we have the necessary tools to do so, there is no stopping us!

Problem Solving Ability
ADDers thrive on solving problems and puzzles. Give us an interesting problem to solve and we won't be able to drop it until we've found the solution! Important historical inventors such as Thomas Edison and Thomas Jefferson are believed to have had ADD.

Hyper-Focus
The ability to hyper-focus is something that ADDers can use to our advantage. When we kept under control and directed towards productive tasks, like accomplishing goals and living dreams, it can be an incredible asset that allows us to get the job done, and done well.

Sense of Humor/Comedic Flair
Most ADDers love to laugh, and many also have a knack for making others laugh! Famous comedians such as Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams are rumored to have ADD.

Resiliency
There's no denying that even though there are many great qualities that come along with ADD, there are also challenges.But ADDers have an incredible ability to bounce back from those challenges, and others' criticism of those challenges that we've endured.

Intuition
ADDers have a sharp sense of intuition. This may be due to highly tuned levels of perception, or great insight into the human mind, or something else that we have yet to understand. Whatever the reason, it's a very useful gift!

Idea Generating
ADDers are wonderful idea generators. We don't usually like to be bothered with details, but we can come up with ideas at lighting speed! We're a true asset in  brainstorming meetings!

That "Special Something"
Many ADDers feel that they have a unique was of looking at the world, a perspective that others just dont understand. That is, until the ADDer meets other people with ADD! You might say that we're on our own wavelength!


Article by ADD Coach Jennifer Koretsly.