The next Cracking the ABC Code podcast discusses why is it so difficult for students to sustain attention and how can we improve attention and consequently learning.
This study high lights the importance of very regular micro-breaks on improving learning and suggests the breaks should occur every 10 minutes. The challenge for teachers and parents is to remember to/schedule in these breaks and to keep them extremely short so that they don’t interfere with the flow of the lesson.
In terms of teaching the Cracking the ABC Code programs, a useful strategy might be to get into the habit of having a micro-break at the end of each different activity or if the activity is stretching out a bit longer than usual, to have the micro-break part way through.
Micro-breaks could include:
-Stretching
-Closing eyes (and perhaps counting to 10)
-Having a drink of water
-Massaging ears
-Do a finger exercise (e.g., touch thumb to each finger)
-5 star jumps
-Blow up a balloon
-Use a calming bottle (preferably a small one to keep the activity very quick)
-Cross body marching – 10x
-Stand and shake every part of the body quickly
-Balance on each leg for 10 seconds
-Throw an eraser or small ball from one hand to the other 10x
-Close eyes, stretch hands out to the side horizontal to the floor and then touch nose with alternate hands 10x
-30 second Simon Says
Remember that having students change position – stand up to do an activity, then sit down, then use a balance board – all have a similar effect.
Some children might also benefit from a slightly longer break in the middle of the lesson or after an activity they found particularly challenging.
Reference
Sharpe, B., Trotter, M., & Hale, B. (2025). Sustaining student concentration: The effectiveness of micro-breaks in a classroom setting. Front. Psychol. 16:1589411. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1589411