Parents would find it frustrating when they find out that their child is facing problems in school. This is especially when the school environment is a place not within their control and be there for their child. However, having trouble paying attention in school is a common problem among children at some point in time during their school years.
Some common signs that your child is losing focus in school include showing a dislike for school, disruptive behavior in class as well as low grades.
Losing focus in school may seem worrying as it may be difficult to find the reason or a solution behind it. Many parents may even wonder if their child has a learning difficulty. However, all parents must know that not every child having difficulty focusing in school is having a learning difficulty as there may be various other reasons causing this problem:
Not Understanding the Material
When students are confused and unable to catch up with the lesson and materials, they tend to stop paying attention in class which causes them to fall further behind.
Too Much Distractions
There are many forms of distractions found in school and the classroom. This could include messy classrooms and noisy classmates. Some students have more difficulty filtering out such distractions thus making it challenging for them to remain focused in school.
Lack of Motivation
Some reasons behind your child’s loss of motivation could be the disinterest towards the lesson material. Every person has their preference and not everything in school would garner the same amount of interest in every child. Your child might lose focus in school due to the lack of motivation.
Not Being Challenged Enough
For some children who may be more advanced and faster learners, the materials taught in class may not be challenging enough for them. They might have learnt ahead of other students or have understood what had been taught in class faster than other students while the teacher might still be catering to the majority of the class. As a result, they could lose interest in the material as they think it is ‘too easy’ and hence lose concentration during class.
Mismatched Learning Style
Different students have their different learning needs and styles, just like anyone else. Some students learn better by doing, some by seeing and some by listening. However, in a classroom with many students of different learning styles, it may be a challenge for the teacher to use a certain learning style that suits every student. If the teacher does not use a learning style suitable for your child, it may lead to your child losing focus in class.
The list of reasons for your child losing focus is not exhaustive and it is important for parents to observe closely and determine the cause and then the solution. For certain cases, the school, a tutor, or other forms of support can help in their learning needs. If your child is having more severe issues with focusing in school, it would be advised that parents look into some possible learning difficulties including ADHD or Dyslexia. However, having difficulty concentrating in school is something parents can definitely work with their children on.