Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision

Attention and engagement in the early years

What is attention and engagement?

This is the ability of a child to focus on a task or activity for a sustained period of time without becoming easily distracted. It can also involve the level of interest, curiosity and motivation that a child shows towards a learning activity.

In the early years it is important to bear in mind the child’s age and stage of development when identifying need.

  • Identification – what you may see in the child

    • Doesn’t always accept adult instruction or direction.
    • Find it challenging to start and/or end an adult-directed task or take part in an adult-led group activity.
    • Demonstrate impulsive behaviours, for example shouting out, moving around or getting up and leaving an activity or group.
    • Struggle to understand and follow setting expectations, structures and routines.
    • Easily lose focus and is easily distracted.
    • Is often fidgeting or squirming; may find it hard to sit still.
    • Talk or makes noises excessively.
    • Blurt out words, noises or phrases.
    • Struggle to follow verbal instructions.
    • Struggle to filter sensory input in order to attend or focus.

  • Planned provision in the setting

    Based on need, some of this provision will be effective.

    • Support waiting, or ending learning by using visuals, sand timers or countdown buttons. Use terminology of and model ‘my turn your turn’, ‘ready steady….go’ and ‘finished’ to support understanding.
    • Deliberately use indirect communication including:
      • physical prompts (for example tapping shoes instead of saying “Please put your shoes on”)
      • visual prompts (showing the child an object of reference, moving onto cards or pictures)
      • asking someone else to do something whilst in the child’s earshot
      • communicating using role play or via a third party (for example, communicate through a favourite toy or by adopting the persona of a favourite character).
    • Repeat directions and instructions using the same language again, avoiding the use of negatives, for example don’t, no, instead using positive, repetitive language for example ‘I need you to walk…’.
    • Adults adjust task expectations and reduce demands.
    • Use personalised visual supports, for example objects of reference, real photos, visual timetable, a now and next board.
    • Praise and feedback given is meaningful and specific to the achievement, for example ‘You kept on trying even when it didn’t work the first time’ rather than ‘well done’.
    • Use agreed cues between adult and the child to remind them to focus on the task or to ask for help.
    • Plan provision to support executive functioning (attention, working memory, inhibitory control, planning and organisation, cognitive flexibility and emotional self-regulation).