| Learning Skills 101 - Selective Attention | | | | Mike begins to hear himself think. However, Mike needs |
| Learning skills are the underlying mental skills formally | | | | this class and a good grade too because he thinks he |
| known as attention, visual/auditory processing, | | | | may pursue science as a career. He knows he cannot |
| memory, processing, word attack and auditory | | | | afford to drift off and lose track of the discussion. In |
| analysis. Most of our children experience these skills | | | | order to be successful, Mike needs to pull away from |
| through reading, writing, spelling, paying attention, | | | | his friends, his fellow peers, stop the internal thoughts |
| remembering, recalling and how quick we can respond | | | | about the discussion that was just occurring and quiet |
| to a request. | | | | his overall mind to begin focusing on the teacher. |
| In my last article, I discussed the "attention" learning skill, | | | | Mike engages his selective attention and literally blocks |
| I cited an example of a student with weak attention | | | | out the noise in the classroom. The girls giggling, the |
| skills, specifically, weak divided attention. In our example, | | | | guys whispering, the pencils falling, the teacher |
| this student also displayed weak ability to process | | | | coughing, the students walking by the room in the |
| more than one item at a time. | | | | hallway are just a few distractions that Mike chooses |
| Another type of attention is selective attention. | | | | not to attend to with his focus. Mike's prefrontal cortex |
| Selective attention is the skill that enables us to literally | | | | has just kicked into gear. This area of the brain |
| choose what we will pay attention to. We can still take | | | | decides what will receive attention, which cognitive |
| in everything in our visual span but we only "select" | | | | resources will be used to analyze the incoming |
| one thing at a time to pay attention to. The following is | | | | information and which distractions will be eliminated. |
| an example of a student with weak selective attention | | | | Lucky for Mike, his selective attention skills are strong |
| skills. | | | | and he is able to focus on the teacher speaking, ignore |
| Mike is a 10th grade student in his local public school | | | | the distractions around himself and his classroom and |
| district where the number of students in his science | | | | process the incoming information that will be on the |
| classroom is now approaching 28 fellow peers, thanks | | | | next test. Not many students are as lucky as Mike and |
| to school budget issues. The teacher is a bit | | | | find it very difficult to block out distractions. |
| overworked and underpaid, the students in the class | | | | Try a selective attention test yourself direct from |
| are a good mix of high performers, middle of the road | | | | Experience it from two different perspectives. One |
| workers and average to slightly below average | | | | from being successful and paying attention to what |
| students. The student population just happens to be | | | | was asked of you and nothing else. Second, from the |
| mostly young ladies and only a few young men. Mike | | | | perspective of weak selective attention and not being |
| is the pick of crop according to the young ladies in his | | | | able to pay attention to what is being asked of you no |
| class. The few males in the class cling to Mike for | | | | matter how hard you try to focus and you understand |
| dear life to try and survive the uneven balance of | | | | what you are to pay attention to. |
| gender population. They also see Mike as their leader | | | | The good news is that the above skill is just one of |
| because he presents so cool and collective. This | | | | many that you are able to strengthen due to the |
| semester the class is exploring Human Biology. | | | | brain's ability to develop and grow. A student doesn't |
| A typical class scenario in his science class is Mike | | | | need to struggle with this weak skill set any longer. |
| arrives and the girls swarm to him. The remaining | | | | The Enhanced Learning Skills System was designed to |
| males follow along and hope for some attention. The | | | | strengthen learning skills required to learn and read |
| teacher tries her best to gain control, separate the | | | | easier and more efficiently. Email me today for an |
| students and get everyone organized and focused. | | | | assessment, save 50% off the cost of the |
| The teacher begins first with lecture to prep and gain | | | | assessment and let's begin working together to help |
| interest in what will be a long "lecture" with visuals on | | | | your child learn with ease. |
| basic genetics and chromosomes. Yawn ... is what | | | | |