3 Tips for Maintaining Attention

By Brianna Frook

“Okay, look. Can you all just please sit still and listen to me?!”

Have you ever said something similar when teaching kids?

Maintaining the attention and focus of children can be a big challenge. We all as teachers want to make an impact and help change lives by teaching the truth, explaining concepts, and sharing life lessons to the next generation. But how can we impact their lives if they’re not paying attention?

Here are three tips you can use to help maintain kid’s attention.

1. Share who you are. Be real!

Tell the children about yourself. Share stories from your life that relate to what you’re teaching.

If you’re teaching on God’s faithfulness, share a time when God showed His faithfulness to you. If you’re teaching about God’s answers to prayer, share how God has answered some of your prayers. Be sure these stories relate to the teaching but are also on the children’s level.

2. Use visuals. Go all out!

When planning what visuals to bring, be creative! You could bring pictures, stuffed animals, food, or drawings that the children can look at or even pass around as you teach. Again, make sure those things relate to what you’re teaching.

If you’re talking about the creation of the world, you could use your phone or computer to show pictures of each of the things God created on each day. You could bring in frankincense and myrrh oils for the children to smell if you’re talking about the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus. Little kids would enjoy petting and passing around a toy stuffed sheep if you’re teaching about the parable of the Good Shepherd.

We all as teachers want to make an impact and help change lives by teaching the truth, explaining concepts, and sharing life lessons to the next generation.

3. Use quick reminders!

Sometimes no matter how much you prepare or how many interactions you have with the children, there will still be times when you need to get everyone’s attention. There are a couple of quick reminders that I use to regain the attention of the class.

• Clap a rhythm that the children copy. You may need to repeat that until all the children are listening again.
• Whisper, “If you can hear me, put your finger on your nose.” Some of the kids will hear and do it. Then maybe a little louder say, “If you can hear me, put your hand on your head.” A few more will hear and do the action. Repeat this with various actions until all the children are listening again.

For more ideas on how to regain kid’s attention, check out our other Sunday School Solution episode on regaining attention.

Use these ideas to maintain the attention of your class, and you will both minimize frustration and have a positive impact on the children you teach. When you seek to be the best teacher you can be, you will see God changing lives from the inside out.