There were a good many excellent suggestions about attention here. Sharon Rodgers, in post 7, offered the clearest description of attention issues, and it was written in 2020. The research is coming in fast regarding this issue. In 2017 a pilot study presented evidence that Mothers, or other earliest caregivers, train attention in the first year of a child's life if their behavior is "synchronous:" working closely with their child. The research is ongoing, but it would change many of the conclusions of the 2010 research that Sharon also presented for us. I'm excited to see experimental research raised as an important issue in early childhood education.
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Jack Wright
Child Development Consultant
Success With Children
St Ignatius MT
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-25-2021 10:14 PM
From: Joanie Calem
Subject: Published Research on Attention Span Norms for 0-8years
Aren really good points. I love the fact that kinesthetic learners cannot learn and listen if you make them sit still, because they are then expending all of their energy trying to sit still, but if you let them roam, they are able to listen and absorb whatever the lesson is. Attention and learning look so different from person to person.
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Joanie Calem
Music and Inclusion Specialist
Sing Along
Columbus, OH
Original Message:
Sent: 10-23-2021 09:18 AM
From: Aren Stone
Subject: Published Research on Attention Span Norms for 0-8years
That's an interesting question and I wonder if a number of minutes correlating with an age gives much useful information. If a four year old "should" be able to pay attention for 12 minutes I would ask questions like--Pay attention to what? What does paying attention mean? What does it look like? I see many teachers who say that children aren't paying attention when their learning style and the way that they process information is different than expected. Some children are paying attention while staring into space, laying on their stomachs, moving their body around, etc. Some can pay attention for half an hour to something that is interesting and engaging for them but for less than a minute to an adult lecturing them. Some can't pay attention easily to verbal input but an to visual input. For me, as someone who supports teachers and parents to understand child development, I don't know if it's a useful benchmark but it's been interesting to think about.
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Aren Stone
she/her/hers
Child Development Specialist
The Early Years Project
Cambridge, MA
Original Message:
Sent: 10-22-2021 11:12 AM
From: Adelicia Brienzo
Subject: Published Research on Attention Span Norms for 0-8years
Hello!
I realize this is an old thread, but I am very interested if anyone has found any research on this topic? I believe the general rule is 3 minutes per year (e.g., 4-year-olds = 12 minutes), but I can't find any reliable sources to back this up.
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Adelicia Brienzo
Education Specialist
Illinois Resource Center
Palos Heights IL
Original Message:
Sent: 05-15-2018 01:36 PM
From: Mary Wonderlick
Subject: Published Research on Attention Span Norms for 0-8years
I hadn't been aware of the Teaching Strategies Gold resource and will be tracking that down. TY so much.
What I have done is to contact CHADD.org (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). The National Resource Center on ADHD of the CDC( Centers for Disease Control) is based there. If/when I get references from them I'll will post them here.
Meanwhile for anyone needing info on ADHD, I highly recommend CHADD and the NRC on ADHD.
http://chadd.org/Understanding-ADHD/For-Professionals/For-Teachers.aspx
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Mary Wonderlick
co facilitator
At Risk & Special Needs Interest Forum
Chicago IL
Original Message:
Sent: 05-12-2018 04:04 PM
From: Jennifer Monson
Subject: Published Research on Attention Span Norms for 0-8years
You might want to check out the Teaching Strategies Gold Standards. They have a continuum from birth through third grade.
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Jennifer Monson
ECE, Denver Public Schools
Denver CO
Original Message:
Sent: 05-11-2018 12:12 AM
From: Claudine Dumais
Subject: Published Research on Attention Span Norms for 0-8years
Hello,
Can someone recommend research-based journal articles or books on the typical norms and development of the attention span in young children?
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Claudine Dumais
Mission Viejo CA
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