The Focus Switch

A child's focus switch is described as fragile when they are unable to attend for the length of time expected for their developmental age or when they need to use strategies to stay focused that may not typically be supported by a classroom environment.

Fragile focus switches reduce the amount of exposure to concepts and content being delivered by educators and impacts significantly on learning progress.  Strategies that a child may use to keep their focus on the world around may also be interpreted incorrectly by adults as off-topic or inattention.  Many programs such as whole-body listening and criss-cross legs actually interfere with many children's ability to focus on the educator's delivery of information.

Enhancing Learning Assessors look for children who move frequently, request frequent toilet breaks, sit with unusual posture or use props around them such as walls/ chairs. We scan for children needing to be bought back to task by educators and who appear to be overly interested in us being in the room when we first enter or not aware of us during the first half an hour. We look at how the children commence set activities, continue with set activities and complete set activities.