Building Self-Control and Focus in Young Children

Focus and the ability to maintain self-control are important life skills as well as indicators of a young child’s school readiness. Our colleagues at Mind in the Making offer tips and suggestions for activities that adults can do with young children that lay a foundation for self mastery in School Readiness Promoting the Life Skill of Focus and Self Control in Preschoolers: Five Strategies That Work in Moving from Managing Children’s Behavior to Promoting Life Skills. For example, simple games like those you may remember from your own childhood (“Simon Says,” “Red Light/Green Light,” and “I Spy”) involve paying attention, remembering rules, thinking flexibly and exercising self-control. Learn how other forms of play contribute to school readiness in this two-page fact sheet from Mind in the Making.