Many parents and teachers report children who have simply “lost it”. They are not focused in class, there is restlessness in the classroom, difficulty finishing homework and staring at screens. And not only among children, but also among older individuals, the students. An international study recently published presents scientific strategies for restoring learning after mass trauma.
The war and the frequent disruptions to daily life in recent months have left a deep mark not only on the psyche of Israeli children and adolescents, but also on their grades and report cards. Many parents find themselves frustrated and exhausted מול children who until recently were reasonable and focused students, and suddenly are unable to sit for ten minutes with a workbook, daydream, or display extreme restlessness and ants in their pants. Older students also suddenly feel that they do not recognize themselves and their abilities and this can be very stressful.
The natural tendency is to get angry, to blame, to look for discipline, or even to fear that attention deficit disorder has developed. But science says otherwise! It is impossible to expect a brain that has experienced a crisis or chronic stress to learn normally.
The study: How do you restore education after trauma?
The fascinating study published in the scientific journal International Journal of Educational Development addressed exactly this question: How do you restore learning after dramatic disruptions.
The researchers examined how people recover from trauma and stress, and reached a clear conclusion: It is not possible to simply “catch up quickly” and push back into the learning routine as if nothing happened.
Traditional learning characterized by passive sitting, frontal memorization and a requirement for prolonged concentration is not effective for a brain that is in a survival state. The study emphasizes that educational recovery must include different tools, adapted to the currently limited capacity for containment, and provide effective learning strategies that bypass the emotional blockage.
“Situational attention disorder”: What is really happening in their brain?
During periods of stress, uncertainty and anxiety, our body is flooded with stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones put us into a “fight or flight” state.
When the brain is busy surviving and scanning for dangers (sirens, news, tension at home or concern for those mobilized), it significantly weakens the area responsible for higher thinking, planning, concentration and working memory located in the prefrontal cortex. Not surprisingly, this is exactly the area of the brain that functions differently in people with real attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.
The result is the experience of a phenomenon called “situational attention disorder”. That is, experiencing high distractibility, difficulty in emotional regulation, cognitive fatigue, forgetfulness and procrastination. For those already diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, this period is several times more difficult, as their basic difficulties are dramatically intensified in situations of uncertainty.
How do you help them? 4 strategies for a sane return to learning
Based on the conclusions of the international study on educational recovery, and on therapeutic tools from the world of attention disorders, here are some practical ways that will help you and the education system get children back on track:
1. Introducing certainty
A brain in trauma hates surprises. To reduce stress levels and allow availability for learning, there needs to be as predictable a daily routine as possible. Even if the routine is disrupted, create fixed anchors at home: A fixed dinner time without phones, a clear bedtime ritual, or a defined time for doing homework (without surprises of “sit now and do the work”).
2. Learning in small portions
Working memory is currently overloaded and flooded, so it is not possible to expect sitting for long periods of time. It is recommended to break down large tasks into small bites. For example, to complete only two questions now, and then go eat something. You can use a visual timer to work for short periods of time and then a complete break for jumping or resting.
3. Experiential learning
One of the prominent recommendations in the study is to change the learning format from passive memorization to more attractive and interesting learning, preferably incorporating experience (such as building, projects). The brain is more available to learn through action and emotion than through reading dry text. If it is possible to learn the material for the test through joint work, role-playing or drawing a mind map, it will be possible to remember things much better.
4. Normalizing the situation
When getting up in the middle of learning for the tenth time, the tendency is to get angry at the child or at ourselves. Instead, give validity to the difficulty. You can say to the child (and also to ourselves!): “I see that it is hard for you to concentrate today, it is completely logical because all of our brains are a bit overloaded right now. Let’s take a break and jump around a bit to release tension”. Once a feeling of understanding and containment arrives, the feeling of stress and guilt decreases, and attention can slowly return.
The bottom line, our brain responds biologically to an abnormal reality. By adjusting our expectations, having a lot of patience, and implementing smart learning strategies, it is possible to restore not only grades, but (no less important!) also the psyche and the sense of self-efficacy.
Dr. Shirley Hershko is a senior expert in Israel in the field of attention, a researcher and author, a lecturer at the Hebrew University, the owner of a diagnostic and treatment institute for children and adults, and has five best-selling books behind her as well as a new additional book.