Just because school is ending for the year doesn’t mean that learning stops.
Silent Ball, included in our Online Certification Bundle, is a fun game kids can play outdoors (or in) to develop executive function skills that are critical for learning and self-control. These skills are typically underdeveloped in children with ADHD (weaknesses in impulse control and the ability to sustain, shift, or divide attention), so the game is especially beneficial for them.
As the video illustrates, eye contact helps kids give their undivided attention, without the mind wandering or being hijacked by other sensory input. Often children will be playing or watching a screen and robotically say “I’m listening” when you have something important to say. Regular practice of eye contact can short-circuit that inner robot and prompt your child’s focus.
Attention cues – using a phrase like “listen up,” for instance – can provide additional help with orienting attention and to get attention, over and over again.
Practice these at home when your kids are watching videos, gaming, or are otherwise distracted. Teachers are encouraged to use them at the beginning of the school year, too, to help develop classroom habits that will be useful throughout the academic term.
You can learn these and other activities at our one of our Summer Intensives or in our Online Certification Bundle. Teachers can take advantage of our $100 off “Summer School for Teachers” special on the Bundle until June 5th.
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Learning Through Action: The Importance of Teaching Skills to Kids Struggling with ADHD (& Other Behavioral Disorders)