Fully engaged

When children are really concentrating they're unlikely to be sitting still and listening, writes Penny Tassoni Being able to deliberately focus our attention on one activity is an important skill. It is often what is meant when we talk about 'concentration', although psychologists often refer to this as focal or selective attention. Most practitioners find that children's ability to focus their attention is quite variable. In some situations babies and children appear to concentrate for long periods of time, while in others they are...