Getting sufficient, good-quality sleep can help to ensure that your child is well-rested and better able to focus during the day. It is recommended that children between the ages of 6 and 13 years old get around 9 to 11 hours of sleep. For children between the ages of 14- and 17-year-old, around 8 to 10 hours of sleep is recommended. Help your child to develop a sleep routine, such as dimming the light and avoiding screen time an hour before bedtime.

Train your child’s attention span by slowly increasing the period of study from 10 minutes to 15, 20, 25, and 30 minutes, with 5 to 10 minutes breaks in between. Let your child have a say on what he/she would like to do during break time. In school, teachers can include attention breaks by giving the child opportunities to move during lesson time, such as helping the teacher to erase the board or distribute worksheets or class material.

Help your child to break down his assignments into smaller, easier tasks. He may list down the things he has to do in a checklist and check off the items once he has completed them. Using a structured daily planner can also help him manage his time better.

In addition to breaking down tasks, it may be helpful to intersperse between high and low interest activities as well as the type of work to complete (e.g., pen and paper, hands-on work).

In school, your child may benefit from having preferential seating, away from distractions such as windows and doors. At home, you may consider creating a homework corner away from potential distractions (e.g. television and electronic devices). There should only be essential stationery on the worktable. In addition, you should find out what works best for your child. Some children need a quiet environment while others may find that they concentrate better with white noise or music in the background.