Focus and Attention
Infants and toddlers are beginning to focus and sustain their attention, and you can help them develop these skills
What You Need to Know
Infants may only sustain attention on a single thing for brief periods. Similarly, the attention span of toddlers may vary widely. And that’s okay! Teachers can foster young children’s focus and attention through engaging interactions, providing them with stimulating toys and materials, offering choices, and following their lead in play.
What It Looks Like
A quick glance at how you can help children develop their focus and attention through engaging activities
Explain What Will Happen
Explicitly draw children’s attention to the objective of a task or what they may experience. Notice how this teacher uses a visual to support focus before and during a balloon breath activity.
Promote Active Engagement
Getting young children physically and verbally involved in an activity helps them to stay focused longer. Notice how this teacher uses movement, chants, and actions that children can easily repeat.
Encourage Involvement
Prompting young children to actively observe and participate in tasks increases their focus and attention. Notice how this teacher gets children involved by inviting them to look and touch different ingredients for a recipe.
BUILDING FOCUS AND ATTENTION WITH BOOKS
All of Baby, Nose to Toes
All of Baby, Nose to Toes, written by Victoria Adler and illustrated by Hiro Nakata, invites young children to actively participate to identify different body parts.
Activity Cards for Infant and Toddler Classrooms
Part of the STREAMin3 curriculum, activity cards provide simple and fun ways you can help older infants and toddlers develop their focus and attention
Bean Bag Toss
Young children practice concentrating as they try to toss bean bags on targets.
Mindfulness: Growing Flowers
This mindfulness exercise builds children's capacity to focus and concentrate.
Music Tells A Story
As children listen to music, find creative ways for them to tell you about it.
Get Our Resource Guide
Includes questions and activities to guide your use of the videos, book suggestions, and activity cards featured for each of our core social-emotional skills
