What happens if you keep a child at a practice or lesson longer than he can concentrate, which in kid terms means beyond his wanting to be there? When a student is unable to focus . . . for five minutes but you keep him there for thirty minutes, you have let him practice how not to concentrate for twenty five minutes. If day after day this happens, it is no wonder that children have such poor concentration. It is in this all-too-common situation that the first seeds of resistance to practice are planted. We often see interest in learning go downhill very fast. -Jeanne Luedke (Parent Education Newsletter #3, March 1998)
This was part of a newsletter given to us by our Suzuki piano teacher that reinforces the Suzuki method. However, I think it holds true to schoolwork, etc. If I see DS getting distracted or his interest is slipping, I do try to re-engage him once or twice. If that doesn't work, we move on to the next thing and return to that topic later in the day. Yet another luxury of HS!
With that said, I know his concentration is better in the morning so we do the hardest/most boring things when he is at his best. I try to eliminate as many distractions as possible during work time as well. If he does lose interest and we have to temporarily abandon the work, I always return to it within a very short timeframe. I never want him to get the impression that this behavior is an escape route. Sometimes it is as simple as taking a quick stretching break or a snack break and he'll be ready to work again.
Finally, I try to stop/wrap-up his lessons while he is still totally engaged and interested. Then, not only is he is eager to continue working on that specific subject the next day but he also is in a positive mood going onto the next subject. This seems to improve his concentration too.
