Children pay attention in a way that is different (not worse!). Brain networks for attention capture are well developed at a time when brain networks for attention control are under-developed.

How we can use attention capture to drive children’s attention towards the things that we want them to pay attention to and away from the things that we want them to ignore. First, we talk about auditory noise, and second, we talk about visual noise, such as movement, bright lights and colours, and how they affect a child’s attention.

How predictability, repetition and understanding influence concentration. Why things that are too predictable and easy are hard to focus on, but things that are too unpredictable and difficult are hard to focus on, too. And we talk about how to use this understanding in your lessons.

We shift away from the brain and towards focusing on how children’s bodies – and, in particular, the level of arousal and alertness in their bodies – influence their concentration. We talk about a ‘Goldilocks zone’ whereby children find it easiest to concentrate when they’re half-way between being super relaxed and drifting off to sleep, and over-excited and bouncing. And we offer practical tips to help children stay in that Goldilocks zone for as long as possible.

We talk about two aspects of children’s environments that influence concentration. These are something of a contrast and we talk about how they can complement each other. First we talk about technology and second being outdoors. We discuss how each affects concentration in different ways, and how to minimise the downsides and maximise the upsides

A setting that might be optimal for one child to concentrate in is not necessarily optimal for another child. We talk about neurodivergent children and those who experience particular problems with attention and how practitioners can change their practice to create settings for them to flourish.