Six reasons your child might not be concentrating at school.

Maybe your child’s teacher has pointed it out, or maybe you’ve worked it out for yourself – your child is having problems concentrating in the classroom.

Before you get too stressed though, you should realise that all sorts of things can affect children’s ability to concentrate. It might be an issue you can resolve simply by yourself.

Here are six very common reasons why it might be happening – and what to do about it.

1. Not getting enough sleep.

It’s hard to get everyone to bed early when we all lead such busy lives, but kids need at least nine hours of sleep – even teenagers. Research has shown that children who sleep more usually do better at school.

Sleep-deprived kids don’t always act sleepy, though. Often they’re overactive, moody and irritable. To help your child get a good night’s sleep, don’t let them play with electronic devices last thing at night, and make sure their bedroom is as dark as possible.

2. Not having a good breakfast.

It’s well known that kids who skip breakfast are more likely to struggle with concentration and memory at school. But it’s not just a matter of eating something – they really need to eat the right kind of food.

Highly processed, sugary cereals aren’t going to give your child sustained brain power. Better options are porridge, wholegrain cereal, boiled eggs, wholegrain toast, fresh fruit with plain yoghurt or smoothies. And yes, that might mean setting the alarm 10 minutes earlier in the morning, unfortunately.

3. Dehydration.

There’s been some interesting research done into water consumption and its effect on kids. In one study of six and seven-year-olds, some were given a drink of water before doing tests such as “spot the difference”, while others were not. The ones given the water beforehand did better.

So how much do kids need to drink? Between the ages of five and eight, they need one litre of fluids (five glasses) a day. Between the ages of nine and 12, they require 1.5 litres, and kids over the age of 13 should be having two litres.

Because kids often won’t realise they’re getting dehydrated, you need to keep offering them water throughout the day, and get into the habit of taking a bottle wherever you go.

4. Poor eyesight.

Vision problems in kids sometimes go undetected, and they have no way of knowing that they don’t see as well as everyone else. They can act bored, fidgety and frustrated in the classroom.

If your child is having problems copying from the board or keeping their place on the page when reading, or if they’re rubbing their eyes or complaining of headaches, or if they seem to sit too close to the TV, you might want to book an eye examination.

5. Bullying.

If your child stops speaking up in class and can’t seem to focus on schoolwork anymore, it could be because they’re being bullied. At home, you might notice that they’ve become secretive, oversensitive or quick to anger, and they might not want to go to school anymore.

This is a serious mental health issue. Talk to your child, be understanding and come up with ways to support them. You also need to approach your child’s teacher and stay in touch with the school until the bullying stops.

6. ADHD.

If all other possible problems are ruled out, your child could have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Signs to look out for include being unable to sit still, finding it hard to follow instructions, being easily distracted, having an endless supply of energy and finding it hard to resist temptation.

One in 20 kids in Australia is diagnosed with ADHD. The earlier children are diagnosed, the earlier they can get help.

How do you help your child to concentrate and stay on track at school?