A Comprehensive List of Chester County Resources to Address Community Needs during the COVID-19 pandemic

Series 

6 Ways to Help Your Child Focus

By The Understood Team

Trouble focusing can be a long-term or short-term challenge. Either way, it makes learning hard. It also impacts everyday life.

You can’t always change the circumstances that make it hard to focus. But there are ways to help your child cut through distractions and get things done.

If staying focused is hard for your child, try these six strategies.

1. Jump right into projects.

The longer you put off starting a task, the harder it can be to focus on it. That goes for projects for school and around the house.

That doesn’t mean your child has to do everything at once, though. To make it easier to get started, try breaking tasks into chunks. The important thing is to not delay getting started.

From the series: Trouble With Focus and Learning at Home

Distance learning can be extra tough for kids who struggle with focus. Find out why, and get tips to help your child focus on schoolwork at home.

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2. Limit directions to one or two at a time.

When kids struggle with focus, it can be hard for them to listen to, remember, and follow through on directions. So try not to overload your child with too many directions at once.

Let’s say it’s time for homework. You might tell your child to check the assignment book, get out the right materials, and start working. If that’s too much for your child to focus on and keep in mind, break it down into single steps.

3. Set a timer.

Knowing there’s a limit to how long they have to stay focused can make it easier for kids to hang in there. Set a timer for how long your child needs to work before having a quick snack or taking a play break. You can increase the amount of time little by little as your child gets better at focusing.

4. Try mindfulness.

Mindfulness exercises are all about paying attention and focusing. Studies have shown that mindfulness can help kids improve their behavior and their ability to focus on lessons and on schoolwork.

One way to practice is to sit quietly and focus on breathing in and out. Taking even a few deep breaths before class or a test could make a difference.

5. Be open to what works.

Some people need total quiet to focus. Others do better with noise. That’s why it’s important to ask kids what works best for them.

Maybe your child wants to listen to music while doing homework. Give it a try and see how it goes.

6. Direct focus back to the task.

Even when using these focus techniques, kids might still get distracted. That’s why they also need strategies to get back on task once they’ve drifted.

Come up with a signal for when your child’s mind starts to wander. It might be putting a hand on your child’s shoulder or saying a specific word. Tell your child’s teacher you’re trying these strategies at home.

Other Ways to Help Your Child Focus

There are lots of other strategies, techniques, and low-cost tools you can use to help your child with focus at home.

• Discover different types of fidgets, including ones you can make.
• Try free graphic organizers to help your child get through reading, writing, and math assignments.
• Learn ways to break down writing assignments so they’re easier to focus on.

Struggling with focus or any other skill can take a toll on a child’s self-esteem. Praise your child’s hard work to improve focus. Point out even small improvements. And let your child know that focus skills can get better.

And remember to talk about your child’s strengths, not just challenges. Celebrate focus wins, big and small. When kids understand what they’re good at, it builds confidence and helps them stay motivated when things get tough.

Series 

7 Examples of Focus “Wins” When Your Child Is Learning at Home

By The Understood Team on Apr 28, 2020

Many kids who struggle with focus have a hard time with distance learning. It’s not surprising, given all the distractions that come with learning at home (while also coping with the COVID-19 crisis). But that doesn’t make it any less frustrating and discouraging.

That’s why it’s important to notice and celebrate when your child has any success with focusing. Even the smallest wins can help kids feel better about themselves at a time when things are difficult.

From the series: Trouble With Focus and Learning at Home

Distance learning can be extra tough for kids who struggle with focus. Find out why, and get tips to help your child focus on schoolwork at home.

Show articles

You may need to adjust your expectations, though—at least in the short term. Completing just a little more work than last time or taking a slightly shorter break may not seem like a big deal. They may even be a step back from where your child was before this crisis. But they’re important wins to recognize.

Here are some examples of what a focus win might look like when your child is learning at home.

1. Your child listens to the teacher’s online presentation for 5 minutes straight (or 5 minutes longer than yesterday).
2. Your child gets halfway through the math packet or does a few more problems than last time before switching to something else.
3. Your child does most of the homework without having to re-watch parts of the lesson.
4. Your child follows the instructions for an assignment without asking you to repeat them.
5. Your child remembers all the materials needed for the project and gathers them ahead of time.
6. Your child moves to a different work area to get away from distractions.
7. Your child puts on headphones without a reminder in order to focus more on the lesson.

Encourage your child to keep track of focus wins like these and others that are unique to your child. Making an “accomplishment box” is a fun way for kids to see their accomplishments—and watch them grow. Download this kit to get your child started.

Celebrating focus wins can be a real confidence booster for your child. That’s especially true if distance learning is a struggle.

Up next: 6 ways to help your child focus

Supporting Children and Young People with Worries about COVID-19
Chester County Resilience Week
Supporting Your Gifted Child During COVID-19
Mental Health and COVID-19
Talking to Your Children about COVID-19
Helping Children Cope with Coronavirus and Uncertainty
Handling Your Kid's Disappointment When Everything Is Canceled
Tips for Kids with Special Needs during COVID-19 Outbreak
Talking with Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks
Talking to your Kids about COVID-19
Talking to Children about COVID-19: A Parent Resource
Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty
Supporting Kids during the COVID-19 Crisis

Social and Emotional Wellness Resources for Families

Over the past several months, schools, communities, families, and caregivers have experienced a disruption to their sense of security, structure, and routine as schools physically closed and transitioned to virtual learning environments because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During these uncertain times, our communities also have been impacted by racial and social unrest that has added an additional layer of stress to the overall situation that school communities are attempting to navigate. 

For many families, this added stress is relates to concern on how to balance being a parent or caregiver with helping further the education of their children, how to have difficult conversations about these uncertain times, and how address emotions in their children while they are also experiencing their own strong emotions.

With many schools across Pennsylvania moving to virtual or a hybrid model, more children will be learning from a home environment. These pages were designed to assist families with addressing emotions, moving forward with education for their children, and providing resources and ideas to promote a family balance while education is occurring in the home.