How Kumon helps children to grow their attention spans

A common concern shared by both parents and educators is what appears to be a pronounced reduction in children's attention spans over the last few years. A survey of 504 teachers, commissioned by the online subject resource Kapow Primary, reported sharply reduced attention spans among children, with nearly 70% of surveyed teachers reporting increased inattention and daydreaming in class compared to similar cohorts pre-Pandemic.

This is a clear issue for education – students who can't concentrate on the work they are doing will retain less information and miss out on crucial material, often falling behind their peers. Outside of the classroom, diminished concentration can affect a child's confidence and readiness to explore new ideas and experiences. Addressing this growing challenge is vital, not only to help children succeed academically but also to help them develop into more capable, independent adults.

Fortunately, the Kumon Maths and English Study Programmes are here to help. As well as having a long history of providing proven academic results, the Kumon Study Programmes are also perfect for helping students gain resilience and improve their attention spans because, at Kumon, we understand that focus is a skill like any other, and that means it can be trained.

By having children study little and often with our worksheets, they aren't just practising their maths or English, they're also practising concentrating as part of their daily routine. Like exercising a muscle, their concentration and attention span will develop over time as they become more used to focusing on something for a twenty-minute period. This becomes increasingly easy for them as they advance through the levels and gain mastery over the material.

A key part of the Kumon Method that allows the worksheets to function so effectively in training a learner's focus is that children are started with material that is a little easy for them. Their starting level isn't as much about mastering maths or English skills as it is about building the student's confidence and focus. This subtle encouragement prevents the student from feeling overwhelmed and leaves them feeling empowered and capable – and keeps them focused and studying.

Daily progress, especially through small wins like the Kumon programmes provide, help children to see that effort leads to results and the value of focusing on a task. Most importantly, this adds up over time, leading to incredible progress, both academically and personally. If you're concerned about your child's attention span and want to give it a boost, or if you think your child needs a greater challenge than what they're getting in school, then contact your local Kumon Instructor today.