Introduce your student to Superbrain Yoga to improve focus and concentration. Have her follow your lead. Stand up and place your feet shoulder-width apart. Take your left hand and grab your right earlobe. Extend your right arm over your left arm to grab your left earlobe. Bend your knees and blow a breath out, keeping your back straight as you drop towards the floor. Breathe in and straighten up to return to a standing position. Repeat for 30 seconds and sit down.
Dump a pile of coins or colored counters on the table. Arrange five coins in a row and ask the student to look at them. Cover the coins with a piece of cardboard and ask the student to draw five similar objects from the pile and repeat the pattern. Time the operation as you repeat it several times, increasing the complexity of the pattern. Repeat the game often and challenge the student to beat his previous record. This game encourages the student to practice focus and sets up the next activity for success.
Direct your child to close her eyes prior to beginning the assignment and quickly visualize completing it. Ask her to see the steps necessary to complete the task. Tell him to open his eyes and complete the steps as she visualized them.
Monitor the child and direct him to return his focus to the assignment if you observe his concentration has strayed. Stand next to the desk to remind him you are watching and he needs her to stay on task. Speak his name to draw his attention back to the task at hand, if necessary.
Vary positive reinforcement when your student remains focused and completes the assignment. Reward her with praise when she completes the assignment, for example. Offer incentives that matter to her. Inform her that the next 20 minutes will contain the activity of her choice if she finishes within the predetermined time limit. Tie the reward to an assignment accomplished correctly. Have her redo the assignment if she rushes through it without attempting to do it correctly.