Does your child have difficulty with attention? Let’s first look at the average attention span by age.

• Before age 2: about 3 minutes
• Age 2: about 6 minutes
• Age 3: about 9 minutes
• Age 4: about 12 minutes
• Age 5: about 14 minutes
• Age 6: about 20 minutes

Apart from how long it lasts, attention can be further divided into five different types:

• Focused Attention
  • Definition: The ability to respond to external stimuli.
  • Example: Noticing when the phone rings or when someone calls their name.
• Sustained Attention
  • Definition: The ability to focus on an activity for a period of time.
  • Example: Paying attention throughout an entire class, or reading a book without distration.
• Selective Attention
  • Definition: The ability to choose and focus on important information among multiple stimuli.
  • Example: Talking with a classmate in a noisy classroom during break time, or working in a café while ignoring background music and conversations.
• Alternating Attention
  • Definition: Also known as shifting attention, it is the ability to switch quickly between different tasks.
  • Example: Copying homework instructions from the blackboard while alternating attention between the board and the notebook without losing focus.
• Divided Attention
  • Definition: The ability to focus on two or more activities at the same time.
  • Example: Listening to music while doing homework, or toasting bread while making coffee.

How Parents Can Help Children Improve Attention:

1. List the tasks that need to be completed each day in order. Provide encouragement when the child completes them well.
2. Break down difficult tasks into smaller steps with appropriate breaks in between, and remind the child to stay focused within the allotted time.
3. Have the child work in a simple, quiet environment with few distractions.
4. Give advance notice when transitioning between activities.
5. Maintain a balanced diet, avoid processed foods and sweets, and ensure appropriate exercise and sleep to help stabilize the child’s mood.