Exercises to Help Students Concentrate on Reading

When youngsters are overstimulated physically, their reading typically suffers. They may read quickly and skip lines. They may have decoding difficulties as well as impaired comprehension, visual attention, and reading stamina. The good news is that there are several little and big movement tactics and supports available to help pupils with the underlying developmental components of reading.

I've put up a few simple tasks for students to undertake in class. I've also included some basic but useful techniques to aid improve their reading concentration.

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Crossing the midline (when one side of the body crosses to the other side, resulting in cross-hemispheric integration), tactile (touch), visual input, and proprioception are among the movement techniques (deep pressure to the joints to improve body awareness).

Students can use these tactics as stand-alone motions or in a sequence before reading as a preparation exercise, as well as as a break during the reading process to guarantee that their speed and attention are stretched by the subsequent sensory input.

Consider making a visual representation of these tactics to display near reading areas to remind students to perform the exercise sequences during the reading session to enhance prolonged reading and regulation and to build endurance.

EXERCISES IN SMALL MOVEMENT

Temple taps: Students gently tap the sides of their heads briskly and steadily five to ten times.

Students take a respite by rubbing their palms together until they feel warm. Close their eyes and lay their warmed palms lightly over their eyes for 10 to 20 seconds. This is a fantastic practice to do before reading and when kids' eyes start to wander while reading.

Students may suffer eye muscle fatigue while performing school-based tasks that require continuous visual attention (e.g., near and distant point copying, reading from a book and from the board). Taking an eye break at regular intervals or whenever the eyes begin to weary might provide a quick respite for tired eye muscles and increase endurance as well as performance in related tasks.

LARGE BREAKS

Tap-rub-squeeze combination for the entire body: Have pupils stand up with their feet flat on the floor and cross their arms, palms to opposing shoulders. They then tap up and down swiftly, starting at the shoulders and working their way down to the wrist. Students then brush their arms up and down in a continuous motion, from the shoulder to the wrists, while maintaining their arms crossed at the shoulders. Finally, pupils squeeze their arms up and down steadily from the shoulder to the wrists.

Make an 8: Tell your pupils to imagine an 8 on its side. Pretend you've created it. Consider how it seems and pretend it is right in front of you. Trace your right hand (moving your shoulder along with it) gently. Trace it with your left hand now. Now, join your fists (one fist on top of the other) and trace an 8 together."

Note: While the make-an-8 activity is for the entire body, it also works on visual attention and serves as an eye break, so it may be a good strategy to use when engaging in activities with significant visual motor and visual perceptual components, such as reading, writing, drawing, copying from the board, and maintaining visual attention during instruction.

USEFUL TOOLS

Textured bookmark: Ask your children if they ever have trouble keeping their eyes on the page, or if they frequently have to read the same word or sentence again and over. A bright, basic bookmark to track each line while reading may help them focus and keep their attention on the page for longer lengths of time.

Students can personalize their bookmarks (younger grades may need help). Cut out bookmark shapes from sheets of paper. Any sort of paper, such as construction paper or lined paper, would suffice.

Another option is to utilize pre-made bookmarks. To boost sensory feedback, try adding textured Velcro or stickers to the bookmarks. While reading, students can fidget with the Velcro.

A colored overlay is a colorful see-through sheet with a tiny window through which pupils may read one text at a time. Depending on the size of the letters and words the pupils will be reading, the window should be around 34 inches wide. Because the words are monitored within the window, kids may find it simpler to focus on their reading.

Purchase a see-through folder to do it yourself (the brighter and more lightweight ones usually work better). Each folder should provide around eight windows. Make a narrow strip (approximately the size of a sentence). Students can also use it as a bookmark.

DIY alternative: The color of an overlay can help with visual tracking and decoding. Determine which color kids read through the most fluidly. After that, split a transparent folder in half. Request that they read items via that perspective. It is critical that you utilize a transparent and thin folder for this method.

Using these exercises as reading preparation tasks and as breaks while reading, as well as adding basic aids, can help pupils read more effortlessly.