Your child’s short attention span is actually helping them learn

a A child’s short attention span can be remarkableOne moment they are playing with trains, the next They go round and round and say they want to watch a TV show now. however, Recent research This wandering attention has been suggested to be an important part of the learning process.Something that helps them make sense of an uncertain environment. In some selected situations, this wandering caution Helps children avoid the learning traps that adults fall into by focusing their attention.

Distraction helps when you don’t know the rules

In this study, researchers had two groups of participants—One consists of 4- and 5-Year-old and The second consists of adults —They play a computer game that asks them to distinguish between two types of creatures without saying which is which. and recorded where the focus was.

Midway through the game, the ability to distinguish between these two creatures changed Without informing participants that the rules have changed. When this happened, adults who had learned how to play the game much earlier and had focused attention took longer to realize what was going on. Children who were far less efficient at That attention was all around and I noticed changes much sooner.

As Vladimir SlotskyOhio State University Faculty One of the researchers who conducted the study points out:, adults tend to have a good understanding of the rules of the world, including those that are stable and those that are highly dynamic. But for young children, he said: “We simply don’t know what is stable and what is dynamic.”

Young children are still learning how the world works, including what’s likely to change and what’s stable, so wandering around and paying attention can be all sorts of Helps you notice details. Selectively filter out as unimportant. But in the beginning when they are very young and still learning how the world works, this process of noticing everything is an essential part of understanding what is important and what is not. is.

In highly dynamic environments, wandering caution may be useful

In most cases, developing selective focus is very advantageous. “Adults don’t lose their ability to distribute their attention, they just want to perform tasks in the optimal way, so they tend to focus their attention,” he says. This includes developing the ability to concentrate in an academic or professional environment. This is very important.

However, in some situations it can be helpful to let go of that selective focus and instead notice all sorts of random details. For example, in another country with a different culture, there are always social expectations such as removing shoes at the door., otherwise it may escape notifications. “In a new environment, you don’t know what’s important and what’s not. That’s the key,” he says.

Children finally learn to concentrate

As Sloutsky points out, developing the ability to selectively focus on important details has distinct advantages. “It’s not that adults grow up to be stupid, but adults become efficient,” he says, Mr. Sloutsky. However, “this efficiency can come at a price.”

Ultimately, children learn how to control their concentration and most important detailsBut this process of noticing everything and jumping from random detail to another is an important part of their development. “Yes, it’s difficult and frustrating, but there’s a reason for it.”