Learning about Learning Workshops:
PAYIN G AT T E N T I O N
HELPING STUDENTS MANAGE &
STRENGTHEN ATTENTION
U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S
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PA R T I C I PA N T J O U R N A L
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LEA R N IN G A BOUT LEARNING WORKSHOPS
PAY I N G AT T E N T ION
PA RTICIPANT JOURNAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Reflection ................................................................................................................1
Workshop Goals ......................................................................................................2
Attention Video Viewing Guide: Mental Energy System ...........................................3
Mental Energy System Activity ............................................................................. 4-6
Attention Video Viewing Guide: Processing System..................................................7
Processing System Activity ................................................................................. 8-10
Attention Video Viewing Guide: Production System ...............................................11
Production System Strategies .................................................................................12
Attention Action Plan ...................................................................................... 13-14
Workshop Reflections ...................................................................................... 15-16
Resource Section ...................................................................................................17
Adult-Child Reading and Reflections ................................................................ 18-24
Strategies for Strengthening Attention............................................................. 24-27
a. Mental Energy System Strategies...................................................................24
b. Processing System Strategies ................................................................... 25-26
c. Production System Strategies ........................................................................27
Attention Glossary ........................................................................................... 28-32
a. Mental Energy System Definitions .................................................................28
b. Processing System Definitions ................................................................. 29-30
c. Production System Definitions ................................................................. 31-32
Additional Resources ....................................................................................... 33-37
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PAY I N G AT T E NT ION WOR KSHOP
REFLECTION
Complete the following sentence:
I have trouble paying attention when…
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PAYING AT T E NT ION
WORKSHOP GOALS
> Appreciate that there are all kinds of minds
> Understand that Attention has many parts to it
> Learn strategies for helping children manage and strengthen the different parts of Attention
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ATT E N T I O N V I D E O VIE WING GUIDE : ME NTAL E NE R GY
Follow along during the video by reading and/or taking notes on this chart. Use the bottom margin to record
helpful strategies that appear in the video.
Vocabulary
Definition / Notes
3 Attention Systems
1. Mental Energy
2. Processing
3. Production
Mental Energy
Regulates and distributes the fuel or energy supply needed for the brain to take in and
interpret information and to regulate behavior
Alertness
Regulates the flow of energy so a child can concentrate when necessary and keep
away mental fatigue
Sleep / Arousal
Balance
Affects the brain’s ability to promote a good night’s sleep so a child can stay fully
awake during the day
Mental Effort
Supplies the energy required for a student to start, work on, and complete a task
Performance
Consistency
Works to ensure a steady, reliable flow of energy from moment to moment and day
to day
Strategies I’d like to remember:
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M E N TA L E NE R GY SYST E M AC T IVIT Y
DIRECTIONS
In this activity, you and a partner will choose strategies to help Clara, a child who struggles with Mental Energy,
strengthen her Attention weakness so she can learn more successfully.
Read about Clara on page 5. Choose up to three strategies to help Clara with her Mental Energy. You may use
management strategies from the lists on page 6 and your Video Viewing Guide, or you may come up with your
own strategies. Customize the strategies based on what you know about Clara. An example has been provided on
the activity sheet.
After you’ve selected the strategies, jot down some notes about why you chose the ones you did.
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M E N TA L E NE R GY SYST E M AC T IVIT Y
CLARA
Clara is full of surprises. Some days she is on top of everything, right there with the answers, getting her
homework and chores done. Other days, it’s like she’s a different person: sluggish, uninterested, yawning. Her
mother never knows from one day to the next whether it will be a good one or a bad one. Neither does Clara.
Clara puts things off, especially when it comes to things she doesn’t like to do. For instance, Clara loves to read. In
fact, she’s one of the best readers in her class! Therefore, she completes her daily reading assignments the minute
she walks in the door. Math is really not fun for Clara, so she does math homework last. By the time she gets to it,
she is already tired. Then she really has a hard time with the homework. On those nights, Clara often doesn’t get
to bed until midnight. Even then, she has trouble going to sleep because she insists on listening to the radio. She
loves all types of music!
PO S SIBLE STRATEGIES
Example: MUSIC
If Clara agrees to finish her math homework first, her mom could allow her
to listen to her favorite jazz station while she works.
Strategy #1:
Strategy #2:
Strategy #3:
Why I chose these strategies:
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M E N TAL E NE R GY SYST E M
STRATEGIES
1. LEVERAGE STRENGTHS & AFFINITIES
Take advantage of a child’s strengths and affinities (things they enjoy). For instance, if a child is an excellent
basketball player, encourage him to choose a book about basketball for his book report. That way, when it is
time to start reading, he will be motivated because he enjoys reading about sports. He will be able to put his
Mental Energy toward completing the book.
2. EXPERIENCE
Reinforce learning through direct experience. Trips, tours, and other active projects are likely to increase levels
of alertness.
3. GETTING STARTED
Help your child by getting things organized initially by writing the first line of a report with him or by helping
him develop a plan of action for what he intends to do.
4. FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Provide a healthy snack such as carrot sticks, cheese and crackers, or a piece of fruit.
5. SIGNAL
Signal your child when something especially important is about to be said. Looking right at your child, you
could say, “Now listen very carefully. I’m about to give you very important instructions.”
6. MOVE
Some children benefit from changing the location of their work site frequently. They may need to spend 10
minutes working at a desk, 10 minutes at the kitchen table, and 10 minutes doing mathematics on the living
room floor. Each time there is a change of locale the student may experience a burst of energy.
7. MUSIC
Some students can improve their alertness by listening to music while they are working. Music should be
instrumental; lyrics might be distracting.
8. FIDGET
If your child seems to have “too much energy,” allow him to do something with his hands while seated for
extended periods of time. It may be doodling, handling a piece of clay, or performing some other manual
activity that helps keep him alert.
9. BREAK IT DOWN
Break large tasks into smaller, shorter, or simpler “mini-tasks.” Allow your child to take a brief break after
completing each mini-task.
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ATTEN T I O N V I D E O V I EWING GUIDE : P R OC E SSING SYST EM
Follow along during the video by reading and/or taking notes on this chart. Use the bottom margin to record
helpful strategies that appear in the video.
Vocabulary
Definition / Notes
Processing System
Helps students select, prepare, and start to interpret incoming information
Saliency
Determination
Selects important information for use and puts non-important information aside
Depth and Detail of
Processing
Controls how deeply students concentrate on details in order to capture the
information in the mind
Cognitive Activation
Triggers prior knowledge and experience when students are learning new information
Active processing: connects new information to what is already in the mind
Inactive processing: new information doesn’t “ring any bells” in the mind
Overactive processing: new information triggers a “mind trip”
Focal Maintenance
Allows students to focus for the right amount of time on important information
Satisfaction Level
Helps students concentrate on information and experiences that may not be
entertaining or stimulating
Strategies I’d like to remember:
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P R O C E S S ING SYST E M AC T IVIT Y
DIRECTIONS
On the next page, you will find a description of Jason, a child who has a strength in the Processing System of
Attention but struggles with spelling.
On page 10, you will find a list of Processing System management strategies. Choose one strategy from this list or
your Video Viewing Guide, or come up with your own strategy to manage Jason’s weakness by taking advantage
of his strength.
After selecting the strategy, jot down some notes about why you chose the one you did.
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P R O C E S S ING SYST E M AC T IVIT Y
JASON
Jason’s father has always been impressed by Jason’s ability to maintain his focus and motivation in the middle
of complete chaos. He manages to complete his homework and his list of chores while babysitting his younger
brother after school. Sometimes he’ll even have time to work on his model planes until his dad gets home. Jason
loves to make model airplanes. He follows the instructions exactly and attends to the tiniest details. For instance,
he even paints tail numbers on his WWII fighter planes.
Despite his great Processing System, Jason struggles with writing assignments. He has excellent ideas. One idea
triggers another idea and so on until he has a very interesting story. In addition, he includes a lot of details to
support his ideas. However, Jason’s spelling weaknesses take the fun out of writing. He gets stuck on a word and
cannot move forward until his dad can help him. Unfortunately, that means waiting until after dinner. Jason gets
frustrated and decides to put off all of his work until later. As a result, he has to miss out on family time.
PO SSIBLE STRATEGY
Strategy:
Why I chose this strategy:
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P R OC E SSING SYST E M
STRATEGIES
1. CHECKLIST
Encourage child to follow a writing process. For instance, use the COPS proofreading strategy
(Capitalization-Overall appearance-Punctuation-Spelling) to create a checklist. If the child knows he will
check for spelling later, he will not feel the need to labor over a word while he’s writing.
2. BRAINSTORM
If child has a strength in cognitive activation (ideas trigger other ideas), encourage him to brainstorm a list of
words that relate to the topic and to look up their correct spelling before he begins writing.
3. SPELL LATER
Help child prioritize his focus. Ask him to decide how much time to set aside for each part of the writing
process. For instance, he might spend 10 minutes brainstorming, 15 minutes writing, and 10 minutes editing
his work.
4. MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
Help child make a list of all the materials he needs to gather before starting homework. If he is good at
figuring out which materials will be most useful for each homework subject, he can collect the materials as he
approaches each subject. Either way, he should be encouraged to have a dictionary or spell checker on hand
when beginning a writing assignment.
5. WAIT 24 HOURS
A child is more likely to catch his mistakes if he waits at least 24 hours before proofreading his work. At that
point, he should use his attention to detail to go back through and pick up on his mistakes.
6. HIGHLIGHT
If child is particularly focused at a certain time of day (e.g., an hour after school), encourage him to
complete his assignments during that time. If there is no one around to help him during that time, encourage
him to keep track of his questions or concerns. For instance, he might highlight all of the words he has
difficulty spelling.
7. INTERNET SEARCHES
Online dictionaries and spelling aids exist. If child is adept at looking up information online without getting
distracted by other interesting information, he might enjoy using this electronic resource.
8. PRIORITIZE
Before he begins his homework, encourage child to decide which assignments can be done without assistance
and which require the help of an adult. Child should complete the simpler assignments before he completes
the others.
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ATTEN T I O N V I D E O V I E WING GUIDE : P R ODUC T ION SYST EM
Vocabulary
Definition / Notes
Production System
Controls students’ “output”: their behavior, their academic performance, and their
social interactions
Previewing
Helps students consider more than one action or response and anticipate the outcome
of a choice
Facilitation and
Inhibition
Allows students to exercise restraint and not act immediately, to consider various
options, and to choose best response or strategy in a situation
Pacing
Adjusts the rate at which students complete a task; enables students to produce things
at an appropriate rate
Self Monitoring
Allows students to evaluate how they are doing while performing and after completing
a task
Reinforceability
Helps students respond or act based on prior experience
Strategies I’d like to remember:
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P R O DUC T ION SYST E M
STRATEGIES
1. WHAT IF?
Engage your child in “What if . . .” exercises in different situations. For example: “What if I only skim the
chapters when I study for the test; then I . . .”, or “What if I keep interrupting my teacher while she is talking;
then she . . .”, or “What if I called my friend (or new kid) a moron....”
2. GOAL SETTING
Help your child set long-term goals and then break these long-term goals into easily achievable short-term
goals. For instance, a child’s long-term goal might be to save $150 to buy a guitar. To help the child see
his progress and not get discouraged or give up, an adult can help him set six short-term goals of $25
monthly installments.
3. WHAT’S THE “BEST BET”?
Many children do not check their first response because they have no strategies to pull from. Provide your child
with checklists, written reminders, a “quick list” of alternative responses to typical problems (e.g., “What are
my options if someone bugs me on the playground”), and then have her choose the “best bet.”
4. STOP-THINK-ACT
Offer your child this formula to repeat to herself before she makes a decision or acts.
5. PLAN OUT LOUD
With your child, say out loud the different steps of a plan while you are doing them. (e.g., “Now we’re going
to check to be sure there is no recyclable glass in the trash bin before we put it out for pick-up.”)
6. MAKE A SCHEDULE
Set up a schedule with your child for when tasks are to be started and completed. Detailed plans (e.g., read
chapter 1, read chapter 2) should be written down in a daily planner. Major projects (e.g., book reports) or test
dates should be recorded on a large wall calendar where the child will be likely to see it everyday.
7. GUESS THE TIME
Help your child estimate how long a task should take, and then time to see how long it really takes. You might
chart how close your child’s estimation comes to the actual time. Help her come up with ways to slow down or
move faster to come closer to her initial estimation.
8. MAKE A LIST; CHECK IT TWICE
Have your child create a checklist of a task’s components and then check the task completion against the list.
Check off each task as it is completed.
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AT T E NT ION AC T ION P LAN
PART 1
Think about what you saw and learned about the different parts of Attention and then answer the following
questions about your child. Refer to the descriptions of children with Attention strengths and weakness in the
activities you have done. You may also want to consult the definitions of the different Attention systems in the
Video Viewing Guides, pages 3, 7 and 11, or the Attention Glossary on pages 28-32.
I SEE…
Describe one of your child’s learning behaviors that makes you think about a possible strength or weakness in one
of the Attention Systems we discussed today.
I THINK…
Based on what you see, which system might be a strength or weakness for your child (check one, two, or
all three)?
Mental Energy System
Processing System
Production System
-or I’m not sure my child has a strength or weakness in Attention
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AT T E NT ION AC T ION P LAN
PART 2
Now, refer to the strategies from the activities, strategies you generated with your teammates, as well as any other
ideas you may have, and create an action plan about how you will work with your child to help him/her strengthen
or “get around” those parts of Attention that might be getting in the way of learning. Be sure to think about how
to leverage any strengths or affinities.
I WILL DO…
Two strategies I will try:
Other ideas for helping my child manage or strengthen his/her Attention:
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W O R KSHOP R E FLE C T IONS
Think about what you learned about Attention in today’s workshop and complete the following
three sentences:
I was surprised to see…
I was happy to learn…
I think I’ll try…
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W O R KSHOP R E FLE C T IONS
“Planet earth is inhabited by all kinds of people who have all kinds of minds.
The brain of each of us is unique. Some minds are wired to create symphonies
and sonnets, while others are fitted out to build bridges, highways, and
computers; design airplanes and road systems; drive trucks or taxicabs; or seek
cures for breast cancer and hypertension. The growth of our society and the
progress of the world are dependent on our commitment to fostering in our
children, and among ourselves, the coexistence and mutual respect of these
many different minds. Parents [and caregivers] have a special responsibility
and joy as they get to know well and to cultivate their children’s
individual minds.”
— Dr. Mel Levine, A Mind at a Time
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PARTICIPANT
re s ources
res
ou rce s
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A D U LT- C H I L D R E ADING AND R E FLE C T IONS
N O TE TO PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS:
Children need to understand their kind of mind and that everyone has strengths and weaknesses—even adults!
It can be very helpful for children to know that the adults in their lives struggle with and celebrate some of the
same things that they do. For example, nobody has a perfect mind for Attention; everybody has strengths
and weaknesses.
On the pages that follow, you and your child have an opportunity to read an essay that Dr. Levine wrote
especially for children about Attention. Then answer some questions together to reflect on your own strengths
and weaknesses in the areas of Attention.
Use this reading and reflection as an opportunity to form an alliance with your child, to talk about the idea of
“all kinds of minds”, and to discuss the ways you can work together to help strengthen his or her parts of
Attention that may be getting in the way of successful learning. For strategies on strengthening Attention at
home, see the pages that immediately follow Dr. Levine’s essay and visit the All Kinds of Minds Web site, at
www.allkindsofminds.org.
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A D U LT- C H I L D R E ADING AND R E FLE C T IONS
PAYING AT TENTION*
BY DR. MEL LEVINE
THE IMPORTANCE OF ATTENTION
Paying attention is sometimes called concentrating. In this article we will use both terms attention and
concentration, since they mean about the same thing. The ability to concentrate or control your attention is
needed to do well in school, although just about everybody has some trouble with attention sometimes. Most
of us have been warned: “Pay attention,” “Watch what you’re doing,” or “Keep your mind on your work.”
Yet, as we will see, concentrating is not always easy. Attention is a complicated function. For some students,
concentrating is especially hard because their minds get out of control. They find that they keep “tuning in” and
“tuning out” as their minds wander or drift off in the classroom. Students may not listen well or hear what the
teacher is saying, and this causes problems for them. To understand attention and problems with it, it is important
to understand how attention is controlled by our brains.
HOW ATTENTION IS CONTROLLED
Deciding What To Concentrate On
In school there is so much to watch, to listen to, and to think about. When you sit in a classroom, you can watch
the teacher, the other students, the chalkboard, the bulletin board, or the tree outside the window. You can listen
to the teacher, the clock ticking, some noise in the corridor, or the ventilation system. You can be thinking about
what your teacher is saying, about what you’re doing after school, about the clothing that the kid next to you is
wearing, or about some problems that you’re having with your brother or sister.
Doing well in school is in some ways like watching television. In order to see what you want to on TV, you have to
tune in the right channel at the right time. Not only that, you must concentrate on the right channel for the right
amount of time if you want to get enough out of the program. In school, attention is your brain’s channel selector
when you are trying to decide what to watch, to listen to, to think about, or to ignore.
Filtering Out Distractions
Let’s continue with the comparison of doing well in school and watching TV. To pay attention to TV, you have
to keep your eyes on the screen. In school, if your attention is going to work right, it must filter out all kinds of
noise and distraction. Many machines have filters in them. Air conditioners contain filters to remove dust from the
air. There are filters in a car that keep the gasoline and oil clean. Chemists use filters to purify chemicals. People
use filters to make coffee. That way they can drink a pure liquid without having to taste the coffee grounds. You
can think about your brain in the same way. You can imagine that your brain also has filters to help you clean
out distractions. Distractions are sounds, sights, or ideas that are unimportant or have nothing to do with the
important thing going on at the moment.
* Adapted from Keeping a Head in School (Education Publishing Services, Cambridge, Mass.) © 1990 Melvin D. Levine, M.D.
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A D U LT- C H I L D R E ADING AND R E FLE C T IONS
Here are some of the distractions you have to filter out.
1. Unimportant things you can see. There is no use in looking out the window when you’re supposed to
be reading.
2. Unimportant sounds you can hear. It’s a waste of time to listen to an air conditioner when a teacher is
explaining your homework assignment to you.
3. Your body. You can’t keep thinking about how you look, about how you feel, or about little body sensations
such as the itchy feeling of a wool sweater against the back of your neck.
4. Daydreams. You can miss a lot if your imagination carries you away from reality. Somehow, you have to be
able to filter out your daydreams most of the time in school, even though you think up some good ideas and
exciting possibilities while you’re daydreaming.
5. Thoughts about the future. If you should be concentrating on the present, you can’t be thinking about the
coming afternoon or night or weekend. To pay attention to the present, you have to filter out the future (at
least for the moment).
6. Things you want. We all have needs and wants. Some of them have no connection with what we’re doing at
the moment. Concentrating too much or too often on such wants makes it hard to focus on anything else. If
you keep thinking about chocolate or about a new game or some clothes you’d like to buy, you will find it hard
to stay tuned in when there are important ideas to understand in class.
7. Other kids. Fellow students are sometimes the hardest things to filter out! In a classroom, they surround you.
It’s almost impossible to ignore them completely. But, for at least some of the time, you need to filter them out
so that you can read a book, listen to the teacher, or think about your work.
You don’t need to filter out all of these seven kinds of distractions all of the time. You need to pay some attention
at certain times to friends, to the future, to the things you want, to sights, to sounds, to your body, and to your
original ideas. There are even times when it’s good to daydream. You can come up with some excellent ideas when
you let your mind wander off. There are also times when it’s good to gaze all around you at interesting things. A
lot of artists are good at noticing things other people miss. It’s really a matter of how you divide up your attention
and when you concentrate on what. When your attention is working properly, your “filters” are adjusted just right.
They know exactly how much distraction to let in.
So, we have talked about two important controls over attention: choosing the most important thing to
concentrate on and filtering out the unimportant things. These controls affect information coming into the brain.
But there is another kind of concentration that is just as important; it is called reflecting or planning.
Reflecting or Planning
When you reflect or plan, you concentrate on things before you ever say or do them. By planning things, your
brain predicts what you will do and how it will sound or look. If, during the time you are planning, it looks as if the
results will be bad, you can think of some other way to do what you need to do. In fact, you can keep thinking
up different ways of doing something until you come up with the best way. Planning takes time. When you’re in a
hurry, you can be impulsive.
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A D U LT- C H I L D R E ADING AND R E FLE C T IONS
An impulse is a feeling that you get that makes you do something very quickly without thinking or planning.
You might have the impulse to say something mean or to take something away from someone or to guess at a
question on a test. If you are impulsive, you sometimes act too quickly, and often you don’t make the time to
notice how things are going. By slowing down and concentrating before doing something, it is possible to control
impulses so that you get better results. You can see that control over impulses is needed for good behavior and for
good learning.
Concentrating While Doing Something
It is also important to be able to concentrate while you are doing something. By concentrating at that point, you
can control what’s happening. You are much more likely to get the right answer or do the best job when you’re
watching what you’re doing. Unfortunately, concentrating while you’re working also takes time. If you don’t
concentrate, you can work much faster. But then the results are often terrible, loaded with careless mistakes. So,
you can see that working at the right speed—not too fast and not too slowly—plays a big part in attention. It
takes time to concentrate, and it takes concentration do things at the right speed!
Self-monitoring
You even need to go back and concentrate on what you’ve finished. This is called self-monitoring, and it can be
one of the hardest jobs of all. A monitor is someone who makes sure things are done right and who reports back
when something or someone has gone wrong. In the same way, there are “monitors” in your brain that check on
what you’ve done so you can make corrections or changes if they are necessary. When you take a spelling test, for
example, a monitor inside you might go back over the words to make sure that they look right before you hand
them in. When you do a math assignment, your brain acts as a monitor when you check over the problems to
make sure they’re accurate. After writing a book report, the monitor helps you look it over to find any mistakes in
spelling, punctuation, or capitalization.
So, we can see that you have to have good attention before you start something, while you’re doing it, and even
after you’ve finished.
Being Alert
In order for your attention to work well, you have to be alert and wide awake. When you’re tired, it’s really hard to
concentrate. When you’re sleeping, it’s impossible to concentrate (except on your dreams)! There are parts of your
brain that actually control how awake you are. There are bundles of nerves (in the brainstem) which turn down
your concentration at night so you can fall asleep and then turn it up in the morning so you can be tuned in and
alert all day. If your attention is not completely turned on, you become tired in the classroom. When you’re tired,
you become fidgety, and you’re much more likely to tune out. Alertness is critical for attention.
Imagine a soldier whose job it is to stand guard at night. In order for him to detect an enemy, he must be fully alert
and awake throughout the time he’s on guard duty. The more tired he becomes, the less he pays attention and the
more chance he has of missing important details, such as the approach of an airplane or ship. In the same way, in a
classroom, the more your brain feels tired, the less you can concentrate on important details. Sleeping soundly the
night before can help a student be more alert and tuned in during class the next day. When a kid feels too tired in
class, she or he must try hard to stay alert. Sometimes writing things down or repeating what the teacher is saying
under your breath can help you stay alert.
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U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S™
A D U LT- C H I L D R E ADING AND R E FLE C T IONS
ATTENTION DIFFERENCES
If you borrow money to buy more things than your allowance can pay for, you are said to have a “budget deficit.”
That means that either you need a bigger allowance, or you need to spend less money. In the same way, someone
with an attention difference needs to pay more attention than he or she seems able to. Either this person needs
to find a way to have better concentration, or he or she needs to think about things that require less attention.
Unfortunately, schoolwork requires a lot of attention. So, students who can’t pay enough attention are likely to be
thinking about the wrong things during the school day. They have problems with learning and with getting work
done in school. Sometimes they also have behavior problems that get them into trouble. Yet, it’s not really their
fault. They have trouble with the eight controls we have just listed. Most of the time they would like to do better in
school, but when they try to concentrate, it all seems too hard.
Attention differences are very common. They are probably the most common reason that some very good minds
do poorly in school. They are also one of the common causes of behavior problems. Of course, as we said earlier,
everybody has attention problems sometimes. Everyone’s mind wanders once in a while, and everyone does
impulsive things occasionally. The difference between people with attention weaknesses and people without
them is that people with them have poor control of their attention too often. This frequent lack of control affects
not only their grades in school but also their success in other parts of life. It is important to realize that kids with
attention weaknesses are not mentally ill or dumb. They are just a little different, and parts of this difference can
be good.
There is a lot that can be done to help a student overcome attentional problems. We probably can’t completely
“cure” attention differences, but we should not want to change anybody completely anyway. If we can help a
student with attention differences, he or she may have fewer problems in school, at home, and with friends.
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© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS
U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S™
A D U LT- C H I L D R E ADING AND R E FLE C T IONS
R E FLE C TIO NS ON DR. LEVINE’ S ESSAY
Dr. Levine describes a lot of different parts of Attention. Everybody has strengths and weaknesses in the different
parts of Attention. No one has a perfect mind for Attention. What do you think are your Attention strengths?
What parts of your Attention might need some improvement?
Adult Reflections
Strengths:
Areas in Need of Improvement:
Child Reflections
Strengths:
Areas in Need of Improvement:
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© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS
U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S™
S TRAT E G I E S F O R S T R E NGT HE NING AT T E NT ION AT HOME
S TR E N GTH E N IN G THE MENTAL ENERGY SYSTEM
Reserve time throughout the day for your child to rest from activity.
Modify homework schedule so that tasks requiring a great deal of effort are planned for times when your child
has high level of alertness.
Encourage your child to walk around, stretch, or exercise to revitalize herself or to burn off “extra energy.”
Prepare your child in advance by telling him how much effort or time a task will require.
If your child has trouble staying alert or shows reduced mental effort, encourage him to take frequent breaks
while studying or doing homework (e.g., every 15 minutes). Breaks can be set on a timer.
Praise your child for paying attention during difficult times, such as when a sibling is doing a noisy activity.
Some children need to participate in physical activity of some kind (e.g., playing outside or exercising) before
settling in to do homework.
Provide your child with bedtime clock/log to help establish consistent bedtime routines.
Other Strategies I Would Like to Try:
For more strategies and other ways to strengthen organizational skills, please visit www.allkindsofminds.org
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© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS
U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S™
S TRAT E G I E S F O R S T R E NGT HE NING AT T E NT ION AT HOME
S TR E N GTH E N ING THE PROCESSING SYSTEM
Use verbal cues to signify important information (e.g., “This is very important, so listen carefully to what
I say next”).
Establish eye contact with your child when communicating important information.
Repeat instructions and important information.
Ask your child to repeat or paraphrase instructions.
Play listening games to illustrate the importance of careful listening (e.g., the message game, “Operator”).
Alert your child to how long she will be required to focus on a task prior to beginning an activity.
When studying at home, background noise such as white noise (e.g., the whirring of a fan) may help your child
filter out distractions, allowing him to better concentrate on the specific task at hand.
A consistent period should be set aside each weekday evening for your child’s work. During this time,
distractions should be eliminated or minimized as much as possible. Television should be turned off,
telephone calls should be returned later, and other family members should also be doing quiet work that
requires concentration.
A child may read an entire chapter of a book and have no idea what she just read. She should be encouraged
to underline, to keep summarizing, to whisper important ideas under their breath, and to have opportunities to
stop and talk about what she just read with an adult.
Search for subject matter that excites a child’s passive mind (affinity). For example, if he is studying the ocean in
school, adults can discuss how what he is learning can make the next trip to the aquarium more interesting.
Encourage an insatiable child to take turns, share, and delay gratification. Once children understand their
problem with insatiability, they can be told when their need for instant gratification is out of control.
When answering comprehension questions, show your child how to find the important information in the text
and answer in his own words rather than reading directly from the text.
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© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS
U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S™
S TRAT E G I E S F O R S T R E NGT HE NING AT T E NT ION AT HOME
S TR E N GTH E N ING THE PROCESSING SYSTEM
At times children become too bogged down in details and fail toh see the big picture. Set time limits that
require your child to work more quickly or stop him and redirect his attention, even if the child is mid-task.
Other Strategies I Would Like to Try:
For more strategies and other ways to strengthen organizational skills, please visit www.allkindsofminds.org
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© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS
U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S™
S TRAT E G I E S F O R S T R E NGT HE NING AT T E NT ION AT HOME
S TR E N GTH E N ING THE PRODUCTION SYSTEM
Encourage your child to delay impulsive responses. For example, if your child has a tendency to immediately
raise his hand even if he hasn’t thought of an answer to the question, teach him to count to 3 silently or on
his fingers before raising his hand. Stress and provide positive reinforcement for inhibiting first responses. For
instance, if you see your child counting on his fingers or mouthing 1, 2, 3, praise him for waiting.
Provide direct instruction for self-control, such as STOP-THINK-ACT. To implement this strategy, draw 3 circles
(similar to a traffic light) on a piece of paper. Color the 1st circle red and write STOP in the middle of the circle.
Emphasize the importance of stopping or pausing before doing something. Color the 2nd circle yellow and
write THINK in the middle. Discuss the importance of slowing down, thinking, and planning what you are
going to do and what the consequences might be. Color the 3rd circle green and write ACT in the middle.
Point out that now that you’ve stopped and thought about the situation; you are ready to act on it.
To reinforce the strategy, post the picture of the 3 circles throughout the house. Also, take advantage of your
time together when riding in the car or walking across the street. If you see a traffic light, point it out and
review the steps!
Model a “think aloud.” When you are solving a problem, think it through aloud so your child can listen to your
process. Next time, encourage the child to think through the problem aloud. As he gets comfortable with this,
encourage him to whisper his think aloud. Finally, he should learn to do the think aloud silently.
Encourage your child to evaluate her own work and self correct during and after tasks or chores. As a guide,
provide her with a self-monitoring checklist. For instance, if you ask her to clean her room, provide her with a
list of all the tasks involved in cleaning her room; you might even take pictures of a messy room and a clean
room so that she can compare her work.
Ask your child to compare her current performance to a similar performance in the past. “Do you think you
set the table better tonight or last night?” “What did you do differently?” “What can you do to make it even
better tomorrow?”
Other Strategies I Would Like to Try:
For more strategies and other ways to strengthen organizational skills, please visit www.allkindsofminds.org
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© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS
U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S™
AT T E NT ION GLOSSARY
ME N TAL ENERGY SYSTEM:
Regulates and distributes the fuel or energy supply needed for the brain to take in and interpret information
and regulate behavior
EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE
TERM
DESCRIPTION
STRENGTHS
ALERTNESS
SLEEP/AROUSAL
BALANCE
MENTAL EFFORT
PERFORMANCE
CONSISTENCY
POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES
Regulates the flow
of energy so a child
can concentrate
when necessary and
keep away mental
fatigue
At home: Responds to
directions; stays focused on
homework
At home: Has difficulty finishing
homework without exhaustion;
can’t sit still on car trips, at
church, at the table, etc.
In school: Listens to
instructions; is actively engaged
in classroom activities
In school: Yawns, fidgets,
contorts the body during class
Affects the brain’s
ability to promote a
good night’s sleep
so a child can stay
fully awake during
the day
At home: Goes to bed at a
regular time and sleeps through
the night
At home: Resists going to bed;
cannot fall asleep at a regular
time; has a hard time getting up
in the morning
In school: Appears wide awake
during class activities; increases
level of attention when given a
“heads up”
In school: Does not really wake
up until late morning; yawns,
stretches, appears tired during
class
Supplies the energy
required for a
student to start,
work on, and
complete a task
At home: Completes
homework without a fuss;
studies thoroughly for tests
At home: Requires heavy
prodding to do homework or
study for tests; have to “light a
fire” under him to do chores
In school: Gets started on tasks
right away; stays focused during
school work; sees a project
through to the end
In school: Lags behind other
students when starting an
assignment or project; puts off
tasks that are particularly hard
or unappealing
At home: Gives predictable,
steady performances on
household chores and
homework
At home: Energy level and
interest in tasks—even favored
task—are unpredictable
In school: Turns in schoolwork
that’s dependable in quality and
amount
In school: Turns in schoolwork
that’s inconsistent in quality and
amount
Works to ensure
a steady, reliable
flow of energy from
moment to moment
and day to day
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AT T E NT ION GLOSSARY
PR OCESSING SYSTEM:
Helps a student select, prepare, and start to interpret incoming information
EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE
TERM
SALIENCY
DETERMINATION
DESCRIPTION
Selects important
information for
use and puts
unimportant
information aside
DEPTH AND DETAIL Controls how deeply
OF PROCESSING
students concentrate
on details in order
to capture the
information
COGNITIVE
ACTIVATION
Triggers prior
knowledge and
experience when
students are learning
new information
STRENGTHS
POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES
At home: Focuses on the
important information when
studying for a test or doing
homework; focuses on the main
goals when given a household
task or chore
At home: When given a list of
chores, cannot distinguish which
are more important than others;
may have a hard time making a
decision when presented with
many options
In school: Focuses well in class
despite distractions; identifies
significant information when
summarizing or paraphrasing
In school: Distracted by sights,
sounds, or events happening
close-by; takes detailed notes,
not distinguishing between main
and less important facts
At home: Follows directions
and explanations without need
for repeating
At home: Has to be told
directions or information several
times before it “sinks in”
In school: Sees the “big
picture” when reading without
losing the details
In school: Misses critical details,
like operational signs in math or
punctuation in writing
At home: Engages in
dinnertime conversation,
relating other stories to his or
her own
At home: May either seem
unengaged and disconnected
(cognitive underactivation)
or bounce around seemingly
random topics (overactivation)
In school: Key participant in
school discussions; forms rich
and relevant connections with
new learning material
In school: Disengaged
from classroom discussions
(underactivation) or disrupts
discussion with irrelevant ideas
and associations (overactivation)
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AT T E NT ION GLOSSARY
PR OCESSING SYSTEM:
Helps a student select, prepare, and start to interpret incoming information
EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE
TERM
FOCAL
MAINTENANCE
SATISFACTION
LEVEL
DESCRIPTION
STRENGTHS
POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES
Allows a student
to focus for the
right amount of
time on important
information
At home: Watches a video or
TV show in its entirety; reads on
his own despite other activities
in the house
At home: Jumps from activity
to activity without finishing; may
overuse the TV remote
In school: Concentrates on a
task through its completion,
despite distractions; can move
from subject to subject and
refocus each time
In school: Stops focusing in
the middle of an activity; is not
prepared when class begins a
new subject
Controls how deeply
students concentrate
on details in order
to capture the
information
At home: Can follow through
on chores or other unexciting
tasks; does not need parents or
siblings to entertain him
At home: Only concentrates
on things that interest him;
may exhibit an extreme hunger
for material possessions (the
“latest” thing)
In school: Focuses in class, even
on “dull” topics; studies for
tests, regardless of his interest in
the topic
In school: Disrupts other
students when bored; does not
focus in class unless the topic is
of great interest
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AT T E NT ION GLOSSARY
PR ODUCTION SYSTEM:
Controls students “output,” including behavior, academic performance, and social interactions
EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE
TERM
PREVIEWING
FACILITATION AND
INHIBITION
PACING
DESCRIPTION
Helps students
consider more
than one action
or response and
anticipate the
outcome of a choice
Allows students to
exercise restraint and
not act immediately,
to consider various
options, and to
choose best response
or strategy in a
situation
Adjusts the rate
at which students
complete a task;
enables students to
produce things at an
appropriate rate
STRENGTHS
POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES
At home: Thinks through or
rehearses a conversation with
a parent to request something,
anticipating parental concerns
and coming up with supporting
arguments
At home: Has trouble
thinking through the possible
consequences of her actions,
even when prompted by parents
In school: Plans class projects
and reports; makes decisions
based on imagining the future
(e.g., this class will look good on
my transcript)
In school: Does not use outlines
to plan a paper or project; has
a hard time estimating answers
to math problems; difficulty in
predicting events in or endings
to stories
At home: Talks about possible
At home: Tends to do the
ways of doing tasks and chooses first thing that comes to mind
best option before starting them without considering possibilities;
can’t resist temptation (e.g.,
sneaking treats before mealtime)
In school: Raises hand to speak
in class discussion; does not
speak or act at inappropriate
times
In school: Blurts out responses
in class discussion without being
called on; says whatever is on
his mind
At home: Works efficiently at
chores without rushing through
or taking too long to complete
them; finishes homework in a
timely manner
At home: Either rushes through
homework or never seems to
allot enough time for it
In school: Meets deadlines;
takes timed tests well
In school: May do poorly on
timed tests, even when she
knows the content; is still
completing assignments when
others are done or finishes tasks
far too quickly resulting in errors
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© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS
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AT T E NT ION GLOSSARY
PR ODUCTION SYSTEM:
Controls students “output,” including behavior, academic performance, and social interactions
EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE
TERM
DESCRIPTION
STRENGTHS
SELF MONITORING
Allows students to
evaluate how they
are doing while
performing and after
completing a task
POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES
At home: Child does a good job At home: Child does not
of performing and completing
check his work, leaving chores
chores and tasks as requested,
unfinished or poorly done
rarely requiring adult supervision
In school: Checks over work by
finding and correcting mistakes;
asks for help when difficulties
arise
In school: Has trouble editing
his own work; doesn’t “pick up“
when his behavior is bothering
other kids
At home: Gets into trouble over
REINFORCEABILITY Helps students
At home: Responds to
respond or act based consequences for problematic
the same problem despite past
interventions or consequences
on prior experience
behavior (“never makes the
same mistake twice”) and
positive reinforcements for good
behavior
In school: Uses learning
methods that have worked in
the past (e.g., effective study
techniques for past tests)
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In school: Keeps making the
same mistakes despite tutoring
or re-teaching; is insensitive to
punishment and reward
U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S™
PA R E N T & C AR E GIVE R R E SOUR C E S
W EB SITES
All Kinds of Minds
http://www.allkindsofminds.org
The All Kinds of Minds Web site provides resources to help parents, educators, and clinicians understand why a
child is struggling in school and how to help each child become a more successful learner. The Web site provides
a free monthly newsletter, articles by Dr. Mel Levine and others, case studies, discussion groups, a LearningBase of
strategies, and much more.
The Hallowell Center
http://www.drhallowell.com
This Web site describes the Hallowell Center for Cognitive and Emotional Health which specializes in the
understanding and managing of attention deficits, worry/anxiety, and child and adult learning difficulties. The site
offers informative articles and materials by Dr. Ned Hallowell.
The Hello Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundation
http://www.hellofriend.org
This Web site is dedicated to helping you learn about Ennis William Cosby, about the foundation established in his
memory, and about learning and learning differences. The site offers resources and information on how parents
and teachers can help individuals with learning differences. Information is also available about the new video
“Ennis’ Gift: A film about learning differences.”
Family Education
http://www.familyeducation.com
Parents find practical guidance, grade-specific information about their children’s school experience, strategies to
get involved with their children’s learning, free email newsletters, and fun and entertaining family activities.
KidsHealth
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/
Created by The Nemours Foundation’s Center for Children’s Health Media, KidsHealth provides families with
accurate, up-to-date, and jargon-free health information they can use. KidsHealth has separate areas for kids,
teens, and parents—each with its own design, age-appropriate content, and tone. There are literally thousands
of in-depth features, articles, animations, games, and resources—all original and all developed by experts in the
health of children and teens.
Misunderstood Minds
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/index.html
PBS has created a companion Web site to the Misunderstood Minds special on learning differences. Within the site
are stories from the show and information and resources for parents.
PBS Parents
http://www.pbs.org/parents/
The PBS Parents Guides address important aspects of your child’s early years such as school readiness and social
and emotional development. You can also find information about your children’s favorite PBS KIDS programs:
schedules for your local area, educational activities related to the programs, and explanations of educational goals.
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W EB SITES
Schwab Learning
http://www.schwablearning.org
SchwabLearning.org is a “parent’s guide to helping kids with learning difficulties” that emphasizes useful
information and practical strategies for children in kindergarten through high school. With over 350 research
based articles, resources, message boards, email newsletter and more, parents will find the guidance and support
they need.
BOOKS
A Mind At A Time
Author: Dr. Mel Levine (2003)
ISBN: 0743202228
This book explains how to identify individual learning patterns in children and maximize their success in life.
All Kinds of Minds-Guidelines
Author: Dr. Mel Levine (1993)
ISBN: 0838820980
The Guidelines explain the purpose and rationale behind the book (see Child Resources), the book’s organization,
and a chapter-by-chapter analysis of how to present the content to students in the classroom or at home.
Educational Care
Author: Dr. Mel Levine (1994)
ISBN: 0838819877
This book presents a model, a way of thinking about many of the common forms of learning disorders, their
recognition, their implications, and their treatment.
Learning to Learn
Author: Carolyn Olivier and Rosemary F. Bowler (1996)
ISBN: 0684809907
This book gives guidelines for creating education programs tailored to individuals’ needs and abilities.
Learning to Learn: Strengthening Study Skills and Brain Power
Author: Gloria Fender (1996)
ISBN: 0865306079
Filled with ideas, practical hints, methods, procedures, and resources that provide hands-on materials for study
skills including note-taking, organizational skills, test-taking, memory skills, power reading, problem solving, and
time management.
The Myth of Laziness
Author: Dr. Mel Levine (2002)
ISBN: 074321367X
As it explores the dysfunctions that result in output failure, this book uncovers some of the principal ingredients of
successful output.
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PA R E N T & C AR E GIVE R R E SOUR C E S
MULTIMEDIA
Developing Minds
Author: Produced by WGBH
The Developing Minds multimedia library fosters a thorough understanding of differences in learning and the
process for working with each child’s unique learning profile.
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C H ILD R E SOUR C E S
W EB SITES
Aesop’s Fables
http://www.aesopfables.com/
Online collection of Aesop’s fables includes a total of over 655 fables, indexed in table format, with morals listed.
AOL@SCHOOL
http://www.aolatschool.com/
AOL@SCHOOL is a series of six online learning stations designed for grades K-2, 3-5, middle school, and high
school. Each station provides a suite of functional online tools such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, a calculator and
many other research tools.
BrainConnection.com – Brain Teasers
http://www.brainconnection.com/teasers/
The games here are designed to exercise the processes involved in attending to and remembering information and
to exercise the neural pathways involved in distinguishing subtle differences in sound, this group of games works
at training the basic fundamentals necessary for language, listening, and reading.
Discovery Channel School
http://school.discovery.com
DiscoverySchool.com, designed for all ages, is dedicated to making teaching and learning an exciting, rewarding
adventure for students, teachers, and parents. The site is constantly reviewed for educational relevance by
practicing classroom teachers in elementary school, middle school, and high school and includes learning tools
such as online puzzle maker, clip art, and learning adventures that explore everything from Ancient Egypt to the
Space Station.
KidsHealth
http://www.kidshealth.org
Created by The Nemours Foundation’s Center for Children’s Health Media, KidsHealth provides families with
accurate, up-to-date, and jargon-free health information they can use. KidsHealth has separate areas for kids,
teens, and parents—each with its own design, age-appropriate content, and tone. There are literally thousands
of in-depth features, articles, animations, games, and resources—all original and all developed by experts in the
health of children and teens.
PBS Kids
http://pbskids.org/
Join your kids as they learn and play with all of their favorite characters through games, music, stories and more!
For kids up to 8 years old.
PBS Kids Go!
http://www.pbskids.org/go/
PBS site for older children where they can share their opinions and stories, play games, and solve puzzles. For kids
ages 6-12.
SparkTop
http://www.sparktop.org
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© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS
U N D E R S TA N D I N G A L L K I N D S O F M I N D S™
C H ILD R E SOUR C E S
BOOKS
All Kinds of Minds
Author: Dr. Mel Levine (1993)
ISBN: 0838820905
This book was written to help children in the elementary grades (7-11 years old) understand how they learn and
how they may have different strengths and weaknesses in some areas of learning.
Keeping A Head In School
Author: Dr. Mel Levine (1994)
ISBN: 0838820697
This book was written to help older students (from 11 years and up) understand and appreciate their own distinct
learning profiles.
MULTIMEDIA
All Kinds of Minds–Cassette Recordings
Author: Dr. Mel Levine (1993)
This collection of five 90-minute cassettes feature the author, Dr. Mel Levine, reading the text of All Kinds of
Minds verbatim.
Keeping A Head in School–Cassette Recordings
Author: Dr. Mel Levine (1994)
This collection of six 90-minute cassettes feature the author, Dr. Mel Levine, reading the text of Keeping A Head in
School verbatim.
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© 2006 ALL KINDS OF MINDS