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DR 2: Children are effective learners
⇣ Indicator: LRN—Children show interest, motivation, and persistence in their approaches to learning
⇣ Measure 21: Attention Maintenance and Persistence—
Child persists in attending, mastering, and understanding an activity of his/her choice in the face of difficulty or challenge
	Descriptors	Examples
8	Continues with long-term activities, returning to them over several days or more	Continues at a pottery activity that involves shaping the clay, letting it dry, painting it, and letting it dry some more. For several days, attempts to pour water into a bottle at the water table until he or she is successful. Tries to climb higher on the climbing structure until he or she can climb to the top.
7	Usually works through difficulties encountered in activities	Works at completing a challenging puzzle, even if having trouble fitting the right pieces. Rebuilds house made out of sticks when it tumbles. Persists at trying to trace hand, even though it is hard to keep fingers still.
6	Continues activities on own even in a distracting environment	Completes a puzzle even though another child has started to play with a noisy toy nearby. Continues to look intently at a bug, even though other children are riding trikes around him or her. Looks at book or listens to story on headphones from beginning to end.
5	Attends to more than one thing at the same time	Maintains play with play dough while saying something to another child. Sings song while doing an art project.
4	Maintains attention for a short time	Stays interested in toy for a short while even though other children are playing nearby. Tries to position self to look at book even if view is partially blocked. Continues play with other children even through adult is setting up another activity.
3	Pays attention to things of interest, but may be easily distracted	Listens intently or “dances” when hearing a familiar song but stops upon seeing a new child. Stops playing at sand table after noticing other children playing with blocks.
2	Responds in different ways, depending on the situation	Watches or listens intently to new people, objects, or events. Makes eye contact, smiles, or coos in response to adult. Tracks something as it moves through space.
1	Reacts to external events by change in state or attention	Attends to moving object. Quiets to adult’s voice. Orients to sound or light.

Measure 21 — LRN 2

Attention Maintenance and Persistence

Child persists in attending, mastering, and understanding an activity of his/her choice in the face of difficulty or challenge

Throughout infancy and early childhood, children become increasingly able to pay attention when it is called for, to shift their attention when it is needed, and to work, even when there are challenges or distractions in the environment. As they become able to attend appropriately to objects and events in the environment, to other people, and to their own actions, children are increasingly able to engage in purposeful activities and to learn. Ultimately, it is their ability to pay attention and to be persistent that constitute two of the essential ingredients for all future learning and goal-oriented activities.

Newborn infants are sensitive to events around them and react by attending (by turning toward a sound, for example) or by changing their state (such as by quieting to a sound that attracts them). As their vision and motor skills improve, infants are increasingly able to attend to and interact with the world around them. They begin to respond and pay attention to specific cues. For example, an infant may stop crying when she notices her father moving to pick her up, or she might move her arms and legs in delight upon seeing a familiar face. Infants can focus their attention for short periods of time and are particularly attentive to novel sights and sounds. As they develop their ability to manipulate objects, their sustained attention increases, although they are still easily distracted by other people and events. For example, an infant may stop feeding when the doorbell rings, or turn away from a peek-a-boo game when another child enters her field of vision. Infants are also developing their ability to persist in activities that interest them. This can be seen as they explore cause-and-effect relationships, by dropping a toy to the floor and dropping it again each time someone hands it back, for example.

Toddlers’ insatiable curiosity spurs them to explore new and interesting things and activities. Although they may still be easily distracted from their pursuits by other people or activities near them, toddlers are increasingly able to focus their attention. They are particularly attentive and focused when involved in a goal-directed activity, such as trying to climb up on a stool while holding a toy, or putting all the housekeeping dishes in a shopping cart. While these challenging, self-imposed activities may lead to frustration and tears from time to time, they also lead to feelings of mastery and accomplishment, which are critical for developing the persistence needed to continue to learn and master new skills.

Young preschoolers are developing more mature strategies for relating to people and objects and are increasingly able to attend to more than one thing. For example, a young preschooler learns at mealtime that she can shift her attention back and forth between eating and chatting. At this age, young children also begin to be able to stay focused, even when there are distractions. It is important to remember, however, that the active imagination and creativity of the young preschooler also lead to distractions, especially in tasks imposed by others. So while a young preschooler may be able to focus her attention on sorting numerous toy cars by color, for example, oblivious to the distraction of a signal to clean up, that same child may be distracted by a bug on the sidewalk when she is part of a group taking a walk together around the block.

Older preschoolers are better able to direct and sustain their attention and to work, even when there are distractions in the environment (by finishing painting a wood sculpture, for example, even though two other children are hammering in the block area). They are also more able to persist in challenging situations in order to solve a difficult problem or master an activity (such as by continuing to practice printing their own name, even though the letters are challenging to form). Because older preschoolers have developed the memory and the ability to think about and plan for the future, they are also interested in and able to follow through with longer-term activities, such as completing multi-step projects or mastering a skill through practice. As children try to do things and experience successes, they develop a variety of purposeful strategies that they can bring to new learning situations. They also develop the motivation to be persistent, which is essential to their current and future learning.

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