Early Years Impact Take Action on Distraction: Improving Attention & Focus
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Jul 27, 2025 Professor Sam Wass, a child psychologist and neuroscientist, sheds light on the intricacies of attention in young children. He discusses the flaws in traditional concentration models, emphasizing the importance of adapting environments to support focus. Sam highlights how play, predictability, and routines enhance learning. He reveals the surprising effects of stress on attention and advocates for noticing more and intervening less. This engaging conversation equips parents and educators with practical strategies to foster resilience and deep engagement in children.
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Rethink The 'Rider And Elephant' Model
- Traditional 'rider controlling elephant' models of attention are incomplete for young children.
- Sam Wass shows training inhibition alone rarely improves early concentration outcomes.
Decade Of Trials On Training Games
- Sam spent a decade and substantial grant funding testing attention-training games on infants and young children.
- The trials consistently showed inhibitory-control training had limited practical impact on concentration.
Use Predictability To Boost Tuning In
- Use predictable, repetitive content to help young children generate predictions and tune in.
- Adjust task difficulty so it's neither too hard nor too easy to maintain attention.
