5 Keys to Encouraging a Focused Student

Youngsters are just about ready to go back to school. In the midst of back-to-school shopping, you undoubtedly will buy pencils, erasers and a host of office supplies for the child's desk. Fast-forward a couple of months down the line, and you might just be wondering why a youngster -- properly supplied with all the latest and greatest technology -- has such a hard time focusing on the work at hand. Bad grades that reflect inattention to detail, and returned homework assignments with a "sloppy" notation written into the margin, tell the tale of an inability to focus. Raising a focused student takes a bit of doing -- and some deprivation.

1. Time the homework just right

It is tempting to ask junior to start his homework as soon as he gets home from school. Unfortunately, doing so is not necessarily wise. The child has just spent six to eight hours forced to sit still, pay attention and do school tasks. Breaks were few and far between. The odds are good that there is plenty of energy penned up inside your child that just needs to come out. Rather than making the child sit down right after getting home, let him go outside and play -- a lot!

2. Limit access

Once the child does sit down for homework, limit access by friends, family members and also virtual friends and their online distractions. Take messages from friends, instruct siblings not to bother their big brother or sister and do not ask for a hand with dinner. An older child needs to know to exit email programs, turn off chat functions and close the Facebook browser window. If the child has a cell phone, be sure to turn it off completely; in this way not even received text messages or voice messages will derail the train of thought.

3. Tabula rasa

Provide the child with a completely empty desk or table. I have found that the calendar, books, pencils and even dictionaries were offering too much distraction for a child naturally given to daydreaming. Instead, let the child use a basic table and chair, a simple pencil and an eraser. Yes, you might just have to deprive her of the pen with the spinning wheel and the eraser that smells like candy. Go back to basics and in this manner limit any distractions. A child who must tend to a boring task will be able to avoid the trap of focusing attention elsewhere.

4. Timers, anyone?

If the child is bored by pretty much all of the work that is assigned to her -- and in some cases a gifted child may actually experience this problem -- make a deal with her: She completes 10 minutes of focused work in return for a five-minute break to do whatever she wants. Use an egg timer to keep track of time.

5. Supply brain food

High-protein foods give the brain an energy boost it can use right now. Complex carbohydrates keep the fuel coming steadily. Offer some snacks to go along with the homework. Good choices include cheese sticks, nuts, whole grain crackers or bread sticks.

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