These days we hear most parents and teachers talking about how they are unable to get attention from their children or that he/she is not able to concentrate. A small child cannot do much about it because he/she wants to concentrate only on those activities which are interesting. As we explained in our earlier article on gaming gadgets we need to do some extra effort to bring back their interest. Can we do something about it? Yes, we can! The Montessori Method provides us with various activities to help children concentrate better. Not only are these activities fun and frolic but they have both direct and indirect aim concentration.

• Narrating a story to a child is a very good way to get back his concentration. One storytelling activity has so many hidden benefits in it, for example- Sound, Phonics, Vocabulary, Entertainment, Theater, Culture and Moral values. It is a wonderful method to bring back any child’s concentration. Make sure it’s an interesting session using sounds, soft toys or even enactment.
• ‘Walking on the line’ (a Montessori Method) and other similar formations help children to concentrate with lots of fun and learning. This is an activity which aims at benefiting in multiple ways. These activities can be easily replicated at home.
• Building blocks or puzzles, which we all are aware of on a large scale, starts from a very young age. This activity helps a lot for better concentration, but the child should be free to experiment with the blocks and puzzles as their imagination takes them. The child may need a parent or teacher to partner with them to keep them motivated during different occasions.
• A ‘Nature walk’ helps children to discover insects, plants, sunlight etc., helping them to learn about the unknown. This activity brings back their concentration to a large extent. A ‘Nature walk’ works much better if it is a group activity.
• Montessori provides lots of opportunities for the child to experiment with himself and explore new material. With the exercises of practical life, we may find plenty of opportunities where the child can concentrate and learn with the material. For example, we should encourage them to cut vegetables, roll the dough, dust and tie buttons etc.
• Board games help a child to learn, observe and calculate. But every child feels bored due to two reasons –firstly, due to the lack of company and secondly, he/she might not understand the game. Every child wants to win, and to win they need to understand it better. This is the point where an adult can help.
• We should play games of missing letters or numbers with them. Studies show that children get more attracted towards missing numbers. Make puzzles with the numbers. Use bright colours, animals, vegetables, and fruits to make it more interesting.
• Above all, Yoga can provide assured help to children to concentrate in a much better way. So, if teachers and parents can partner with each other and teach them yoga, they would definitely get very good results.

Allow your child to take his own time in doing things, such as dressing up, eating, washing, etc. Do not interrupt him or hurry him up. Otherwise, he cannot develop his concentration skill, which is the most important tool for learning.