Cues to Help Kids to Stay on Task

Transitions

• Before your child begins any task, chances are that he will need to move from one activity to another. For example, if your preschooler is playing with his cars and you want him to clean up, he needs to transition from playing to cleaning to stay on task. Instead of just springing the new task or chore on your child, give him a cue or two to help ease the transition. Use a song or a rhyme to signal that a transition is coming for your young child. Older kids may find a "clean-up song" or similar rhyme silly. Try giving your grade schooler a countdown or time limit warning at least 10 minutes before the transition happens. This will clear the way for him to move on and focus on the new task at hand.

Gesturing

• Yelling at your child to quit goofing off and focus won't do much to get her to focus. Instead, it's more likely that she will lose concentration and keep thinking about how bad you made her feel, or she may simply pout. Dr. Ida Rose Florez, an assistant professor of early childhood education at Arizona State University writing on the National Association for the Education of Young Children website, suggests using gestures to help keep kids on track. Young children may respond well to something simple such as pointing to a paper or gesturing your arms toward her toys that are still on the ground. Likewise, an older child will get the message if you use a nonverbal cue such as gesturing to the unfolded laundry that is left behind.

Visual Cues

• Hanging reminders near your child's at-home study area or in other places around the house can encourage him to stay on task. If your child has multiple tasks or a schedule of chores to follow, create a pictorial timeline. Younger children who can't yet read may need a schedule that only includes pictures, while older kids can have a picture and word version. Another option is to hang a one-word, or one-picture, sign. For example, a simple poster that reads "Focus" can help to remind your grade schooler that he needs to put his head back down toward his books instead of looking up and around the room.

Timer

• Some kids may lose focus when they become unsure of how much time they are expected to devote to a specific task. For example, if you tell your third grader that she needs to study for her vocabulary test for 15 minutes, she may begin to wonder if her time is up after five. Don't leave the timing of homework, studying or other tasks up to your child to figure out for herself. Instead, set a timer to count down the minutes. Using a visual time cue can help your child recognize how long she needs to spend on a task, keeping her engaged for the duration.