18.08.2023 Josephin Hartmann 39593

Sharpening focus: 7 effective concentration exercises for students

Whether in the classroom, doing homework or preparing for exams - without concentration, it is difficult to learn and make progress. The ability to concentrate is one of the most important key skills our children need to develop in order to succeed at school. These seven effective concentration exercises will help students sharpen their focus and block out distractions.

1. increase your ability to concentrate through breathing exercises

Breathing exercises are a simple but effective way of increasing pupils' ability to concentrate. One concentration exercise that is easy to integrate into everyday school life is the 4-7-8 breathing technique.

It works like this:

1. sit down comfortably and close your eyes

2. breathe in deeply through your nose and count to four

3. hold your breath and count to seven

4. exhale through your mouth and count to eight

5. repeat this sequence four times

This exercise helps children and young people to concentrate on the here and now. It promotes a calm, focused mindset, which can have a positive effect on learning ability and memory .

2. training mindfulness with fantasy journeys

So-called imaginary journeys are another wonderful way to promote mindfulness and concentration in children. As a parent, you don't have to make it too difficult. Of course, you could make up a story that guides the children to perceive sounds, smells or colors in their imagination.

You can also find numerous pre-recorded fantasy journeys on YouTube or other video platforms that you can play in the evening before going to bed. This form of concentration exercise is particularly suitable for younger pupils, but it can also be an enriching experience for teenagers.

A positive side effect: they not only improve concentration, but also help to reduce stress and increase general well-being.

3. practise concentration by counting backwards

Counting backwards may seem simple, but it is an effective and short exercise in concentration. The challenge of processing the numbers in reverse order challenges the brain in a different way and creates new connections.

The exercise could look like this:

4. scan your own body

Scanning one's own body is not so much a concentration exercise as a meditation exercise that calms the mind and thus promotes attention. By learning to focus their awareness on different parts of the body, students can strengthen their concentration and develop a better body awareness.

5. memory, Sudoku or puzzles train the memory

Concentration exercises for pupils don't have to be boring. Games such as memory, Sudoku or a simple quiz not only challenge the brain and improve its function, but are also simply fun. These games can be played at school, in study groups or at home with parents and are suitable for almost all age groups. There are numerous variations of these games available online or in print, making them an accessible and effective way to increase concentration in a fun way.

6. strengthen focus with memory games

Memory games are another excellent way to improve concentration. The well-known game "I'm packing my bags" is a prime example of this. Not only is it fun for the whole family, it is also an effective tool for training pupils' memory and focus.

The first player begins with the sentence "I'm packing my bags and taking ..." and adds an object, for example a ball. The next player repeats the sentence with the named object and adds another one. This process is repeated until someone makes a mistake or forgets an object. Then the game starts all over again. The aim is to repeat as many items as possible correctly.

7. combine concentration exercises with sport

It is even more effective if we combine concentration exercises for children with sport. Sports activities require coordination, balance and focused attention, which can be particularly challenging for children with ADHD or other neurodiverse conditions.

Possible combined exercises:

Sport and concentration exercises are a great combination, as both activate areas of the brain that are responsible for learning, memory and self-regulation.