Dumb Question Time...

[training5]

Besides my two up and coming 5th graders, I have a three and two year old. How do I train their attention spans as recommended in Jessie's Teaching Reading Notes on the home page?

[angela in ohio]

I don't know specifically what JW recommends, but the way I did it was to require them to do increasing amounts of "on task" work, starting at around age 3. If you ask for a little more than they want to give each time, it eventually stretches them.

[Ali in OR]

Endangered Minds by Jane Healy is an interesting book that talks about how children's television shows (Sesame Street in particular) actually train kids brains to expect diversion and scene changes frequently. So don't watch television--and it is easiest imho to just never watch it at all so they don't even think to want it or ask for it. And then if you read to them a lot, I think the attention span just develops naturally as they get involved in the story. As they get older the books get longer. If they aren't used to t.v., this will be their entertainment and it all works pretty painlessly.

[OneRoomHomeSchool]

Endangered Minds by Jane Healy is an interesting book

I loved that book! I've not read it in years...I think I'll revisit. ;)

[Kimber]

For me no tv is difficult. (I have my reasons.)

But my dc naturally prefer to play rather than watch TV. So, I keep them busy, and then turn 'em loose in the back room and let them play to their hearts content. Their attention spans naturally develop as they spend hours involved in imaginary play.

And as a natural consequence, the TV gets crowded out by more fun things. But the imaginative free play has helped my kids a ton.

[OhElizabeth]

Well I don't know if it would work for every child, but with my dd, she has always sat in church (gradual process, very guided, with concessions such as picture Bibles) and we did a lot of listening to books on tape and chapter book read alouds, like WTM describes. When she was 2 and 3 she would listen to Charlotte's Web over and over. I would read Lang's Fairy Tales to her while she played outside.