Attention Training

Attention — Focusing thoughts when dealing with symbols

Dyslexic children are not generally inattentive — but as soon as symbols like letters or numbers come into play, attention decreases. The child must learn to direct their thoughts to the symbol and ignore distracting influences.

Trains attention control: the child practices keeping their thoughts on task and suppressing automatic but incorrect reactions.

Attention — Suppressing automatic reactions

Attention is the A in the AFS Method. The child must learn to slow down their quick thoughts and consciously pay attention to the correct information — the color instead of the word.

Strengthens the ability to consciously direct one's thoughts. Once the child has experienced this, many mistakes caused by inattention when dealing with symbols will no longer occur.

Attention — Counting items while ignoring interfering numbers

The child must count how many digits appear on screen while ignoring what the digits actually say. This creates a classic attention conflict between quantity and symbol — exactly the kind of interference that dyslexic children must learn to manage when letters and numbers demand focused, deliberate processing.

Trains attention control in the number domain, teaching the child to suppress automatic but incorrect responses and focus on the relevant information.