Keep an Attention Log
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Skills
Keep an Attention Log
If your student struggles with attention or ADHD
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Objective: Students who have difficulty with attention will keep a journal throughout the day for 1-2 weeks to see if there are patterns to when they are most alert and when they struggle. -
Teacher Takeaways: Help students set up a log and track their focus throughout the day. Let students know that this tracking will only be for about a week, or just enough time to identify patterns in their focus.
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Use a notebook just for this purpose and keep it with you throughout the day. Use a new page for each day and write the date on top.
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Jot down times throughout the day when you are both noticeably alert and times you have totally lost focus.
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For each entry, write the time, where you were, and what happened before, during and after. For example: "12:30, after lunch outside, friends talking in a group and I completely lost track of the conversation." Time of day, location, and who was around are all important. If you take any medicine, include that in your log on days and times you take it.
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After a week or two, look for patterns in your days. Highlight your pages with times when you were alert in green and times when you struggled in yellow. Are there times of day, specific classes or circumstances where you seem to be always alert or always losing focus? Do this exercise with an adult to discuss patterns.
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Go over with an adult the strategies you can use now that you can anticipate when you are likely to lose focus. Can you stretch? Eat a snack? Get fresh air? Listen to music?
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Is there a way to re-organize your day around when you are most alert and leave things like watching TV or relaxing when your attention is most likely to wander?