If you haven’t already noticed, a lot is going on in your preschooler’s mind, leading to rapid cognitive, emotional and social development between the ages of 2 and 5! It’s an exciting time that can feel like a wild ride. One specific aspect of growth you may see happening is your child’s ability to pay attention. You may also feel like it’s not happening fast enough, as your child’s attention span is short and they struggle to sit still for long. The science behind your preschooler’s developing attention is fascinating, and understanding it might help you keep your cool while you wait for your child to develop longer stretches of calm and focus.
What’s Happening in Those Busy Brains?
We at Heartland know that Preschoolers are not just learning letters and numbers—they’re developing the foundations of attention itself. Researchers often break attention into three types: Sustained attention, Selective attention and Executive attention, and all three are rapidly evolving between the ages of 3 and 5, making the preschool years critical! So what are these three types of attention and how do they develop in your preschooler?
Sustained attention is one’s ability to stay focused over time. Research shows that attention span increases with age and practice. For example, your 3-year-old may be able to sustain attention for 5-10 minutes, while your 5-year-old can mange 15 minutes of focused attention, depending on their interest.
Selective attention is the ability to tune out distractions. This means your child can focus on a task, even when other things are going on around him.
Executive attention is about managing impulses and intentionally shifting one’s focus from one thing to another.
All of these areas are in rapid flux during the preschool years because the prefrontal cortex of the brain, responsible for focus and impulse control, is undergoing a major growth spurt! It’s important to keep in mind, then, that attention is something that grows over time, not something your child innately has or does not have. So, how do we help our children gain these important attention skills? The answer might surprise you, and Heartland can help!
How Preschoolers Actually Learn to Pay Attention
There are four key aspects to building your child’s attention span: Play, their Bodies, Interest and Relationship. Let’s take a look at each of these aspects to understand how your preschooler actually learns to pay attention.
Pretend Play
Studies have shown that pretend play that is child-led and open-ended actually improves executive function, especially attention control. That’s why at Heartland we provide large amounts of time for children to free-play, create, and use their imaginations! Maria Montessori said that “play is the work of the child,” and you may also say that kids need to “pretend, to pay attention!”
Bodies Lead Brains
No doubt you have sat back and marveled at the not-stop energy of your preschooler at some point. Their bodies seem to be in continuous motion, and this is often seen as an inability to focus. But the truth is, preschoolers learn through motion, not stillness. Their bodies lead their brains. Research shows that physical activities actually help to increase attention. At Heartland we utilize music with motion, incorporating fun activities like freeze dance or acting out as animals. Yoga positions are a great way to incorporate fun and motion that lead to focus. While we practice sitting still for short periods of time, we encourage standing, kneeling and wiggling, because this is how little ones learn. You can incorporate these busy body ideas at home, as well!
Interest is the Engine of Attention
Here’s the simple truth. Preschoolers can focus deeply– when they care. Isn’t that true for most of us? Research shows that intrinsic motivation leads to greater focus in early childhood. Our job as parents and educators is to get them interested and keep them interested! Here are few simple ways to do that:
- Rotate toys and books based on your child’s current fascinations.
- Incorporate their names, stories, or favorite animals into everyday talk.
- Offer choice whenever possible!
The good news is, preschool children are naturally curious, like little scientists. They notice things we miss and make amazing connections. It doesn’t take much to get them and keep them interested. Just show interest in what they are interested in, and you can feel good about contributing to their growing ability to focus.
Relationships Matter
Studies have also shown that preschoolers exhibit stronger attention and persistence when they are guided by warm, responsive caregivers. This is true for a few reasons. As caregivers, we model for our preschoolers what attention looks like. Remember, attention doesn’t come naturally, it is learned. We teach them how to pay attention when we use gentle cues like: “Let’s look with our eyes” or “Listen for the quiet sound.” We can also use visual timers, and give them small tasks, broken down into manageable steps.
Additionally, we teach them attention by teaching emotional regulation. It has been said that a calm brain can pay attention, but an anxious brain cannot. This is because attention and emotional regulation share the same cognitive system. By teaching our preschoolers to regulate their emotions and bodies, they are learning to pay attention! We can do this by offering cozy corners to calm down, by teaching them to breathe (smell the flower, blow out the candle), and by teaching them to pay attention when they are feeling big emotions and need to use a calming technique.
How Heartland Can Help
As you can see, attention doesn’t develop by magic, it’s shaped by your child’s environment. At Heartland, we play a powerful role in strengthening your child’s attention by offering predictable routines, social learning opportunities, varied and structured activities, and supportive relationships for your preschooler.
The classroom schedule aids in your child’s attention because children focus better when they know what to expect! You can create simple but meaningful routines at home that will also be effective brain boosters. Additionally, watching friends concentrate serves as an incentive for your child to model focused behavior. There is nothing quite like positive peer pressure to foster growth! We also offer all kinds of play- sensory, dramatic, outdoor, fine-motor-, which is the powerhouse for paying attention, and helps to develop all types of attention skills. Lastly, our skilled educators create scaffolding for your children to learn through verbal prompts, visual cues, and movement breaks.
Attention is a Growing Superpower
Now we know that attention isn’t just about sitting still—it’s about helping children build the internal tools to explore, wonder, and learn. Preschoolers through connection, curiosity, and play, and the preschool experience is at the heart of that growth.
We can’t wait to collaborate with you to create environments that nurture focus and turn daily routines into magical moments of brain development! Book a tour today!