FOCUS and concentration

The ability to focus and concentrate is a key predictor of academic achievement and life success (as are all executive functions). Although the terms are often used interchangeably, there are some key differences:

In simple terms, focus, or focused attention, is the ability to selectively attend to specific incoming stimuli. This happens when the pre frontal cortex is able to fluently suppress both external distraction and the internal distraction of the brain’s Default Mode. Concentration is the ability to sustain attention for increasingly long periods.

In the classroom students must ‘tune out’ the distraction of superfluous thoughts, noise and movement to attend specifically to incoming information for it to be accurately encoded and stored.

When studying at home the distraction may take other forms but the process is the same.

Under exam conditions students will be assessed by an ability to fluently distill key information at pace. This is informed by mastery of relevant background knowledge, information processing speed and a disciplined cognitive process that enables the two to work together seamlessly.

I teach students how to develop these skills - ‘turning on the spotlight’ of focused attention and developing cognitive endurance (concentration).

contact me to learn more or book a coaching session.