Fostering Attention Development as a Professional
How Attention Develops
Attention in children develops from infancy through to the age of six years. At the age of 0 to 1 year, the child’s attention fleets from one item to another involuntarily. Stimuli determine the child’s attention. As the child approaches two years, the attention gains rigidity because the child chooses the tasks they wish to engage in. Attention is still involuntary, yet the child ignores other external elements to focus. At two to three years, attention is channeled to a single activity, which requires the child to concentrate on one aspect. However, assistance from adults can enable the child to shift their attention to another activity. At 3-4 years, the child can control their attention and focus on one element without assistance. They give a specific activity auditory and visual attention and can focus and refocus. At 4-5 years, children can concentrate on two activities, visually and auditory. This means that the child can deal with one activity and still listen to a speaker without halting the activity. At the age of 5-6 years, attention is properly established and easily sustained. The child can ignore unwanted information and focus on the key features (SLT for Kids, 2021). Attention development is important because of learning and acquiring information and its relation to cognitive measures such as IQ (Loyola University Chicago, 2021).
Executive Function
The executive function plays a critical role in controlling an individual’s thoughts, actions, and emotions. It is categorized into self-control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. Children’s executive function development is dependent on the slow maturation of the prefrontal cortex. Changes are visible in children when they can remind themselves about certain goals and analyze their surroundings. The slow process of maturation explains the children’s failure to follow specific instructions that appear logical to adults. Children with high executive function perform well socially, academically, and emotionally (Blair, 2016).
Activity 1: Red Light, Green Light
Red light and green light are intended to enable children to think and then act. It also enables children to match their thoughts to their actions. It is ideal for children aged three years and above. The children listen to the traffic officer, who vocalizes red or green. They are aware that red means go, and green means stop. Then, they act based on the command given by the acting traffic officer. This activity is ideal because it promotes the children’s ability to shut out other noises and listen to the traffic officer. Once the color is uttered, the process of thinking leads to the act (Emily, 2017). This demonstrates the child’s ability to act on their thoughts after obtaining information from an external source. Their ability to interpret this information is also demonstrated.
Activity 2: Playing Catch
This activity should help the child to sustain their attention towards specific aspects such as instructions. It also improves fine motor skills, increases attention span, and improves hand and eye coordination. It is recommended for children between 3 and 5 years. The activity requires a ball that can be soft to avoid injuries. Children can play in groups where one group throws the balls as the other one catches. The act of catching a ball is difficult for children due to the need for hand and eye coordination. The child’s mind must rely on the eyes to identify the ball’s direction and speed. The brain then prepares the muscles to catch the ball by directing movement toward the ball’s expected location (Emily, 2017). This activity gradually builds up the child’s confidence and enables them to hold their attention on one aspect for longer.
References
Blair, C. (2016). Executive function and early childhood education. Curr Opin Behav Sci., 102-107. doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2016.05.009
Emily. (2017). Improving Kids’ Attention Span with Fun, Simple Activities.
Loyola University Chicago. (2021). Attention In Infancy and Early Childhood: Why Do We Study It? Retrieved from Infant & Early Childhood Cognition Lab: https://www.luc.edu/infantchild/why_study_attention.shtml
SLT for Kids. (2021). Attention milestones. Retrieved from SLT for Kids: https://sltforkids.co.uk/ages-and-stages-developmental-milestones/attention-milestones/
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Question
Explain how attention develops and why it is important to child development.
Summarize the role of executive function in child development.
Identify two activities to support the development of attentional control in children. For each activity,
Describe the goal (or learning outcome) of the activity and its intended age group.
Explain all directions needed to complete the activity, as well as a list of any materials needed.
Describe your rationale for the activities, using the text or a credible outside source to support your thinking. The rationale must explain why you chose the activities, which should be based on the child development theories and content you are learning in this course.