Focus

Focus is the thinking skill that helps an individual begin a task without procrastination and then maintain his attention and effort until the task is complete. Focus helps an individual to keep paying attention in the midst of distractions and setbacks and to sustain the effort and energy needed to reach a goal. For example, a child would be using Focus skills when sitting down to write an essay and then diligently writing until the assignment is done without getting distracted by the television, Internet, or friends.

Video games can help improve Focus by allowing kids to practice their focusing skills while in the midst of a fun and immersive gaming experience. Many games, particularly fast-paced action games, require sustained focus, attention, and effort in order to "beat" levels and to be successful in the game.

Watch the video below to learn more about how video games can help your child improve her Focus thinking skill.




Featured Focus Games and Beyond Games
Pick a Focus game or other digital technology (Beyond Games) from the lists below.

Learn More About Focus

Focus involves the ability to begin a task without procrastinating, to maintain one's effort and attention levels in the presence of distractions, and to continue the task through to its completion. It involves the ability to return to an activity after being interrupted and to persist in attending to a tedious or boring task. It may also involve the process of attending to multiple sources of information and being able to selectively choose what is most important to attend to.

Focus may require a child to remain seated at school or throughout an entire lunch or dinner.  Displays of focus increase in all children when tasks are particularly interesting and varied. Persistence is needed when a task becomes boring, when it is interrupted, and when one needs to change strategies. Focus involves sequencing, willfulness, and the ability to learn from one's experience.  Focus is particularly important when tasks involve long-term demands.

Focus is very helpful when children are engaged in activities that require sustained practice in order to improve. It is useful for developing a skill such as playing an instrument or learning individual and team-based skills for a sport. Focus involves a willingness to delay gratification and an ability to visualize or imagine the future.

Skillful application of focus is seen when children:

• are unlikely to waste time at the beginning of a test, chore, or other task.
• develop strategies at the start of playing a game or participating in an activity.
• prioritize their actions in order to get started on tasks.
• complete tasks such as chores or homework efficiently and without interruption.
• achieve long-term goals, such as increasing their rank in activities like Boy/Girl Scouts or karate.
• read a lengthy novel or write a book report.
• are able to overcome an obstacle, such as an interruption, in order to achieve a goal.
• sit and complete their homework in a timely fashion.
• continue to work on tasks that may be boring or dull, such as chores.
• tend to complete one play activity, such as coloring a picture, before starting another, such as playing with other toys.

Unskilled use of focus is seen when children:

• get up and down frequently while doing their homework.
• are easily distracted by noise and activities surrounding them.
• frequently report being bored.
• have difficulty sitting though an entire meal.
• experience difficulty watching a television show or movie from start to finish.
• cannot sit or listen to a story for more than 5-10 minutes at a time.
• procrastinate and have difficulties getting started on tasks.
• require repeated prompting or directions in order to get started.
• turn in incomplete or hastily-completed schoolwork.
• may have many good ideas for schoolwork but have difficulty following through with them.
• don’t finish what they start.

Home and school situations that require focus:

• getting started on an assignment and then completing it
• preparing for the school day
• writing a paper or a book report
• completing chores around the house
• maintaining focus in conversations and discussions
• continuing to work on tasks that may be boring or dull, such as chores
• sitting still through a short ceremony, such as a wedding, graduation, or confirmation
• completing one play activity or homework assignment before starting another
• ignoring surrounding noise and activities in order to concentrate on the task at hand
• reading a novel or a lengthy chapter
• completing a lengthy video game
• developing an expertise in dance, art, or music

Hints and strategies to improve Focus:

• Allow interesting and stimulating tasks to follow boring and mundane tasks. It may be difficult for your child to sustain his attention to tasks that he finds to be uninteresting. He may be more inclined to pay attention to and complete such tasks when he can look forward to doing something he enjoys after the task is completed, such as going outside to play after he has finished his homework or having dessert after he has eaten his dinner. Model this strategy to help your child take on greater responsibility and to reduce conflicts. For example, discuss how you sometimes complete an uninteresting chore prior to an enjoyable activity, such as doing the dishes prior to relaxing.
  
  
• Initially, provide external support for your child that tapers off over time. This could involve coaching her through her first few homework problems or prompting her to start a chore at home. Support could also consist of helping her to form a list of the smaller tasks that each larger task entails and to then assist her in identifying which of these tasks should be worked on first.
  
  
• Encourage your child to participate in activities that require his full attention. For example, in baseball, have him play catcher, pitcher, or first base. These positions will require him to sustain his attention more than those in the outfield. In music, he should be encouraged to play instruments that are a regular part of the band or orchestra rather than something like cymbals, which are rarely used. Helping your child to recognize the differences surrounding attention levels and involving him in activities that require higher attention levels could improve his choices as he matures.
  
  
• Reward stick-to-it-iveness. When your child experiences the rewards of sticking with a difficult task and completing it, he will be more motivated to do so again the next time. Activities such as playing sports or a musical instrument can build up goal-directed persistence. Provide meaningful rewards, such as praise, an outing, or a desired game, for chores that he completes to his satisfaction. Offering treats, privileges, or simply verbal praise when chores are satisfactorily completed without your providing any reminders can be very rewarding.
  
  
• Give your child the responsibility of caring for a family pet. Taking care of a family pet can be good training in task persistence. Help her to see the need for ongoing daily care of a pet that includes feeding, brushing, walking, etc. By taking on these jobs, your child will develop responsibility and cultivate persistence on behalf of the creature’s well-being. Digital technologies, such as "Nintendogs" (from Nintendo DS) and Tamagotchi (Virtual Pets), or online games such as "Neopets" can help prepare your child to be the main caretaker of family pets.

Further Reading About Focus:

• Cooper-Kahn, Joyce, Ph.D. and Laurie C. Dietzel. Late, Lost, and Unprepared: A Parent's Guide to Helping Children with Executive Functioning (Chapter 13). Maryland: Woodbine House, 2008.
  
  
• Cox, Adam J., Ph.D. No Mind Left Behind (Chapter 3, 5). London, England: Perigee Press, 2007. Dawson, Peg, Ed.D. and Richard Guare, Ph.D. Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents. New York: Guilford Press, 2010.
  
  
• Dawson, Peg, Ed.D. and Richard Guare, Ph.D. Smart But Scattered (Chapter 14, 15). New York: Guilford Press, 2009.
  
  
• Emmett, Rita. The Procrastinating Child: A Handbook for Adults to Help Children Stop Putting Things Off. New York: Walker and Company, 2002.
  
  
• Espeland, Pamela and Elizabeth Verdick. See You Later, Procrastinator!Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing, 2008.
  
  
• Faber, Adele and Elaine Mazlish. How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and How to Listen so Kids Will Talk. New York: Harper Collins, 1999.
  
  
• McCloskey, George, Lisa A. Perkins, and Bob Van Divner. Assessment and Intervention for Executive Function Difficulties. New York: Routledge, 2009.
  
  
• Pohlman, Craig. How Can My Kid Succeed in School? San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2009. Richard, Gail J. and Jill K. Fahy. The Source for Development of Executive Functions. East Moline, IL: Lingua Systems, 2005.

What's Next?

Next, it's time to play Shape Switcher. Click the "Shape Switcher" link in the navigation bar or click here.

Remember, you don't need to play all three games in one session. In fact, in order to give the lessons a chance to sink in, it would be best to play them on separate days.