TALi for Education.

Attention—the foundation of successful early childhood development.

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The impact of attention on education and learning.

Attention has been shown to be a strong predictor of academic achievement. Studies also show that even a few inattentive behaviours at the age of 3 are risk factors for poor academic achievement and tertiary education completion.¹

The early years of development from conception to age 6 set the base for competence and coping skills that will affect how a child learns and behaves throughout life. This is when the brain is at a point of high neuroplasticity and appropriate developmental stimulation can boost a child’s development and readiness for school learning.

Early intervention programs during these years of early childhood development can help children:

‘Relations between preschool attention span-persistence and age 25 educational outcomes’, Early Childhood Research Quarterly Vol: 28, Issue: 2, 2013, McClelland, Acock, Piccinin, Rhea, Stallings

Focus their attention
Persist with tasks
Be receptive to more complicated instruction and activities

Attention in the classroom

Children who struggle with attention often find an educational setting challenging. A child unable to focus or attend in class may exhibit disruptive or “daydreaming” behaviours and is sometimes perceived to have learning difficulties. In some cases, a hyperactive child can impact the entire class.

If a child is unable to sit still and focus they are powerless to absorb information being presented to them. Children need attention skills to thrive in a classroom environment.

Help early childhood students learn with better attention

Attention and learning

Learning begins with attention. Attention skills are what children use to remain focused, switch between activities, finish work, and filter out distractions. Improved attention also allows information to be taken in and to select what’s important so that your working memory can then recall what’s important later on. These fundamental skills not only help children learn from an academic point of view, they are also linked to improved social relationships and increased self confidence. Without attention, children are at a disadvantage.

Studies have shown that attention performance at the age of 4 can predict childrens' mathematics and reading at the age of 21.¹ Given that attention provides the foundation for classroom engagement and learning, it’s important that all children who are entering an educational setting have the opportunity to improve their attention.

1. McClelland, Acock, Piccinin, Rhea, & Stallings (2013)