How to extend the attention span of your children.

Kids today are bombarded with video games as well as fast action cartoons and movies. Picture book publishers are requesting shorter and shorter picture books for young children. No wonder our children have problems keeping their minds focused on one thing for very long.

What can you do to help your kids have a longer attention span? My advice is not some new technical invention or app for your phone or tablet, but something easy and inexpensive that you can do in your own home.

You can extend your children’s attention span by reading to them.

What better way to show them you love them and help them at the same time. Kids love getting attention from their parents and grandparents. This one-on-one time without any distractions from phones or TV is important. Children can later illustrate the stories you read together so you have a visual reminder of the time you have spent together.

Reading books to your children:

1. Helps their creative imagination to develop.
2. Expands their vocabularies
3. Instills a future love of reading on their own
4. Gives children time to slow down and unwind
5. Creates a bond between the child and the reader
6. Gives you an opportunity to teach life lessons through discussions of the stories
7. Improve reading comprehension so they get better grades in school
8. Opens the doorway to creative writing
9. Is not expensive

For older kids who are able to read on their own, establish a family reading night when parents and children each read their own books. TV and cell phones are off-limits during this time. When children see their parents reading they know how important it is.

See the thought balloon in the top right corner for comments and replies.

If you have written a children’s picture book and would like to discuss it with an illustrator, contact me below.

 

 

Name(required)

Email(required)

Comment(required)

Subject(required)

Submit

Δ