It is in children’s nature to become distracted easily. What they really want is to play and have fun. At school they learn to focus on particular task and pay attention, however, it takes a while for them to learn that those skills should also be used at home. We as parents know how difficult it may be to encourage the child to sit and complete their homework. Over time we learn to adapt and develop new skills as they grow. Our understanding of behavior, communication and how the child’s mind works is much better, thanks to science. I have looked into the latest research and selected methods that have proven to improve concentration and performance in children when completing academic tasks. Selecting those that will be particularly useful in the home environment, and as a herbalist I have also provided a good selection of herbal teas to help with this too.
1 Daily routine
Many studies have been carried out on the efficacy of daily routines, and it has been established that it improves on the well being of the whole family, affecting the emotional as well as the physical health of the child. Many studies have focussed on children with Autism and Attention Difficulty/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), showing the effectiveness of daily routines in the management of their emotional health, education and the accomplishment of daily tasks. There are also several studies and books on children’s psychology and importance of building healthy habits.
“Daily routine doesn’t only build strong family relationships, but it also brings comfort, sense of security, and develops self-discipline in children”
The evidence shows that families who do not have daily routines tend to argue more in comparison to those who have, also chaotic environment makes it difficult for the child to perform and complete tasks [1]. Daily routine doesn’t only build strong family relationships, but it also brings comfort, sense of security, and develops self-discipline in children, which is particularly important in the management of homework [2]. Bad behaviour in young children is often observed when they are tired or hungry. Daily routines such as at bedtime, and eating habits will limit the chances of overstimulation, and therefore improve concentration and performance in completing tasks [3]. Routines, directly and indirectly will support your child’s ability to focus and complete their schoolwork while at home.
2 Reward as motivation
It makes sense that reward increases motivation. Athletes receive medals for their achievements, students – high marks, adults – promotions. All of these are forms of rewards that give us motivation to achieve better results… But could reward stimulate children to effectively complete a task? We already know the answer, don’t we! Current scientific evidence indicates that children are not that different from adults, in this respect [4, 5].
“..the group of children who received the reward showed better performance than the ones who didn’t..”
A study was carried out on children playing a computer game. They were separated into two groups, one earned “coins” by giving the right answer, while the other one did not receive anything for their achievements. Yes, you guessed it, the group of children who received the reward showed better performance than the ones who didn’t [6].
Most of the trials have used money or candy as rewards [7]. I don’t know how much we as parents would agree with this approach! Food as a reward seems like a good idea for some children, however, this strategy has been linked to obesity in children [8, 9]. Positive feedback, however, has shown beneficial effect on focus and performance, in short and long term conditions [10].
Do you have a reward system that you use? If so share your experience in the comment box.
3 Physical exercise
Here is another obvious one. There are several trials providing evidence that exercise improves focus, concentration, and cognitive function. Truly this space will just not be enough to discuss its benefits. There is also plenty of information on the effects of exercise and cognitive function in children. Some examples include: A trial conducted by D. Ellemberg and M. St-Louis-Deschenes has discovered that children performing acute exercise between cognitive tasks have better performance in comparison to children watching TV [11], improvement of behaviour and academic achievements in children working out have been further recorded [12]. Therefore, dedicating time for exercise in your weekly, or even daily routine will support your child’s mental, physical health and performance. Unfortunately, there isn’t much research currently available on the type of exercise, amount, frequency and timing that is suitable and most effective for children [13].
4 Distraction free environment
Often you’ll see authors talking about the importance of quiet environment during the studying process. Children, as well as adults, most often find it difficult to concentrate with background noises, the main distractors being TV, other electronic devices, people chatting in the room and outside noises. Certainly quiet environment will play an important role in one’s ability to focus. However, there is also evidence suggesting that some people concentrate better while listening to music, it has shown to improve performance and increase motivation better than when studying in a quite environment [14, 15].
“they have better performance on completing academic tasks while listening to “calming” music”
Studies show that “relaxing” music (regardless of the music preference of the listener) helps to decrease anxiety, it slows heart rate and improves performance in adults and children [16, 17]. Moreover, a study with children, aged 10 – 12, found that they have better performance on completing academic tasks while listening to “calming” music, in comparison to those being in a quite environment [18]. So playing a soft background music could actually be an effective tool in concentration and performance, it could also help masking background noises. Shall we give it a try?
5 Naps
Could naps improve concentration, memory or educational performance in children? The evidence suggests that brief sleep during the day does not necessarily improve on the above, however, benefits were found in longer lasting trials. It seems that afternoon naps in older children, helps the individual to assimilate what has been learnt and therefore, improve the long-term memory process Thus, effect of napping tends to show positive results on studying over time [19, 20]. However, there seems to be an argument in science as some debate that a good night’s sleep habits have a better impact on cognitive function and concentration than napping, while, bad sleep habits may lead to poor behaviour and performance [21]. Somehow returning the attention to the importance of routines! Effectiveness in naps seems to be highly individual and depended on the age of the child, their habits and energy levels, but defiantly worth the try.
6 Other strategies
- Short breaks between tasks: allows the child to disconnect from previous one and get ready for the next one.
- Communication: Tell them why they are studying, explaining the purpose of it will give them motivation.
- Some children are more active in the morning others in the evening. They tend to concentrate and complete tasks better when they are most active.
- Be an example: let them see you reading or working on a computer.
- Have fun – sometimes there is homework that could be potentially turned into a fun experience, take advantage of those.
- Be available: provide support, pay attention and try to help.
- Avoid excessive correction: It will reduce motivation
[23;24;25;26]
7 Herbs
Medicinal herbs have been used for centuries and were administered in many different forms for adults and children. Scientific research confirms some of their historical use, discovers new therapeutic properties and helps us understand how they work in a deep biological level. One herb of interest in relation to children’s concentration and memory is Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri), a medicinal plant well known in Ayurvedic medicine. Traditionally it has been used to improve memory and concentration [27], and studies on children with ADHD, have shown evidence of those therapeutic properties [28, 29]. Other herbs that have shown positive effect in concentration and cognitive function in children include: Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), Korean ginseng (Panax gingseng), Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) and more [30, 31]. It is recommended that before introducing any alternative medicine to children, to consult with a professional in the field. However, the beauty of herbal medicine allows large retrospective of the way a particular issue is viewed and permits creativity in applying different strategies.
For example if you have particularly active or easily irritable child herbs such as “nervines” could be effective in comforting them to sit down and do some homework. These types of herbs are known to calm the body and mind, and the good news is that you can easily find them in food stores. Perhaps when you were little and didn’t feel well or couldn’t sleep at night your parents gave you herbal teas such as chamomile, lime flower, peppermint, lemon balm. Interestingly all of the mentioned herbs are known for their calming effect on the body and mind. A cup of, any of the mentioned, warm teas, will improve sleep, reduce nervous irritation and therefore, improve the studying process… but their therapeutic action does not stop there, any of the above will also calm an upset tummy, abdominal pain and flatulence which are often seen in children [32].
Another good way of using herbs is through smell. The smell of rosemary has been used for centuries for the purpose of improving memory. In fact, back in time, the herb was called by the name “Forget me not”. It is an evergreen shrub you can find almost anywhere. Comparing to above “nervine” herbs, rosemary tends to be “stimulating” to the body and mind. There is a good amount of evidence supporting rosemary’s aroma potential to increase memory, concentration and mood [33, 34, 35]. You can simply pick some fresh rosemary and put it in a vase in the room where homework is completed. Alternatively you can buy an essential oil and put a drop in your diffuser. Don’t overdo it as rosemary has quite a strong aroma. Internal administration of therapeutic doses before speaking to a herbalist is not recommended. Sometimes as little as smell, goes a long way.
The aroma of rose has been known to lift the spirit and improve mood [36, 37], if you have a park nearby with a rose garden don’t hesitate to visit.
Were you given any herbal teas as a child, share your experience.
Following scientific research, these were the selected strategies that could support your child in completing their homework while at home. Undoubtedly there is enormous amount of information about children’s psychology and wellbeing, and everyday there is new evidence of how we as parents can understand and support them better.
These tools should be very effective in helping our children focus at home on their work, but remember before anything else, what children really need is love, attention and support from us, their parents.
References:
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