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QUESTION…
I work with a group of children aged from six months to two years old. I am concerned about a girl who finds it difficult to concentrate on any activities. She is turning two years old next month but doesn’t seem to understand simple questions such as ‘Where’s the teddy?’ Her father tells me that at home her attention is fleeting and she cannot concentrate on an activity even if she has chosen the toy. What can I do to support her?
Attention and listening skills are essential for a child to master in order to learn new skills. Attention is linked to concentration and so is an important component in listening. Attention and listening are skills that develop gradually and are important in learning to talk and understand language.
The term ‘receptive language’ is often used to describe how much a child recognises and understands words and phrases. It is receptive language that develops first, meaning that a young child can understand far more than they can say.
In order to answer your question about the little girl in your care, it is useful to look at how attention, listening and receptive language skills develop.
ATTENTION AND LISTENING SKILLS:
How they develop
Birth to 6 months
Babies will be able to recognise and be soothed by their primary carer’s voice. From the age of three months, they will show excitement when they hear a familiar voice and start to watch people’s faces as they talk. They will also increasingly make eye contact with their primary carers. They will be startled by loud noises and will turn to look when they hear their primary carer’s voice.
6 to 12 months
At this age, babies will be able to pay attention to an activity, although this will be fleeting and they will be easily distracted. Their attention will be drawn and held to the most exciting thing in their environment. For example, the noisy light-up bus toy will hold their attention over the teddy bear.
In this period, babies start to notice where sounds are coming from and should turn their heads in the right direction when they hear a sound.
Babies will also be developing their understanding of language and by 12 months will be able to understand simple frequently used words such as ‘no’ or ‘all gone’. Babies are also likely to recognise their name and will turn to look when their name is called.
12 – 24 months
During this period, young children will be able to concentrate on an activity of their own choice for a few minutes at a time. In order to do this, they will need to block out other distractions, so you may find that they do not respond to you when they are playing.
The skill of being able to talk while doing something else is known as divided attention and is developed much later. This means that most two-year-olds will find it difficult to be directed by an adult while concentrating on their chosen activity.
From the age of 12 to 24 months, children’s receptive language skills take a leap forward as their understanding of words develops. Between 12 and 18 months, children will be able to understand simple instructions such as ‘kiss teddy’. By 24 months, children will be able to understand anywhere between 200 and 500 words. They will be able to follow instructions such as ‘put the cup on the table’ and know simple question words such as ‘what’ and ‘where’.
WHEN TO BE CONCERNED
Children’s attention, listening and receptive skills develop at different rates, so it can be hard to tell when you should be concerned. Some indicators that might be a cause of concern would be the following – if by two years old, the child is not able to:
- respond to their name when called
- understand basic questions such as ‘Where is your coat?’
- make eye contact during interactions with primary carers
- hold their attention and sustain any play or activity, even when self-chosen, for more than a couple of minutes.
From what you have said about the girl you work with, it may be that she is having some difficulties with attention and following instructions. It will be worth considering whether a referral to a speech and language therapy team is needed.
ATTENTION AND LISTENING SKILLS:
Providing support
There are many strategies and things you can consider in order to support the girl you work with.
As you have already identified that she finds attending to activities difficult:
- Think about how noisy your environment is. Background noise such as music playing or areas where there are many voices will make it harder for her to concentrate.
- Think about creating quiet, calm spaces with minimum clutter. Providing too many toys and activities at the same time can make it hard for children to choose and focus. Consider rotating toys and materials instead throughout a session.
- Consider what you are asking the child to do. Is it developmentally appropriate? Many two-year-olds will find it hard to concentrate on an activity for long periods of time, so are you expecting too much of the girl given that she is still a month away from her second birthday?
- Say a child’s name, gain eye contact and get down to their level before giving them an instruction or telling them something.
- Use plenty of gestures and facial expressions when talking to children as these will help them to understand what you are saying.
- Play ‘ready, steady, go’ games such as rolling a ball or knocking down a tower as the anticipation before the action may help to increase a child’s attention span.
- Give a child plenty of time to process what you have said before saying something else or moving on to another activity.
- Use repetition when talking. For example, ‘Shoes. Why don’t we look for your shoes?’ Look out for songs with actions which have repeated phrases, such as ‘The wheels on the bus’, as this helps children to process the repeated words for meaning.
Part 5 of this series will be published in the 3 September issue of Nursery World
MORE INFORMATION
SMIRA – Selective Mutism Information & Research Association – has lots of useful information and leaflets on how to support children who are reluctant talkers or have selective mutism, www.selectivemutism.org.uk
