Making It Stick: Instructional Strategies that Boost Attention

As educators, we often focus on the big things like data, diagnostics, and curriculum pacing, but what about the simple, foundational stuff like attention? If we want our students to really learn, we need to start by getting their brains in the game. That means planning with memory and focus in mind.

Here are 8 Strategies to Boost Student Attention

1. Start with Attention

Learning can’t happen without attention, it’s the gateway to memory. So the question becomes: how do we help our students focus?

First, know your learners. Some kids may need something like a designated “Tell Me Spot,” while others won’t. The key is designing an environment that’s structured for success, and tailored to the unique needs of the students in front of you.

One way to do this is by beginning each lesson with a short, confidence-boosting warm-up. This isn't direct instruction, it’s more like stretching before a workout. Think alphabet sequencing, quick letter reversal drills, or rapid recognition tasks. These "low-stakes retrieval" activities prime students' brains, activating memory pathways and bringing their attention to the present task.

2. Structure Matters

Orton-Gillingham lessons, for example, often start with a review. This isn’t just habit, it’s cognitive science in action. Spaced and repeated retrieval practices help build automaticity, and that’s how we move information into long-term memory.

But attention doesn't stop at the beginning of a lesson. It should be woven throughout. That means being intentional with how you design your materials, manage your pacing, and break down complex skills into manageable, bite-sized chunks.

3. Be Strategic

We’ve all been there: overplanning. We cram too many awesome ideas into one lesson, only to run out of time for the essential pieces. Instead, ask yourself: What’s the most critical thing this student needs today? Then, protect the non-negotiables like phonemic awareness drills or oral reading time and trim the excess.

Chunk meaty content (like the doubling rule) into digestible steps. Guide discovery through intentional questioning, and think ahead: How can I set conditions so my students feel successful from the get-go?

4. Set the Stage

Setting up a learning environment that fosters attention doesn’t take a lot, it just takes intention. One favorite strategy? Simple visual cues. Draw a quick little chart showing an eye, an ear, a mouth, and a lightbulb. These stand for: look, listen, speak, and think. Before starting the task, ask your students: What’s your job right now? Then draw those cues with them as memory anchors.

This kind of priming works. Not only does it focus attention, it also helps students feel part of the learning process. They know what’s expected, and they’re more likely to meet those expectations.

5. Games That Reinforce Focus

One easy and effective activity is Beat the Teacher. It’s a fun, low-prep game that rewards on-task behavior. Every time the group shows they’re doing their job is attending, responding, and following through, they get a point. If someone’s off-task, the teacher gets a point. Spoiler alert: students love this, and they usually win.

Another great twist? Let students “flip the script.” Have them lead a part of the lesson or quiz you with a word or rule they’ve learned. This role reversal sparks attention and reinforces their learning in a new way.

6. Memory Aids

Memory aids are essential in structured literacy instruction. Whether it’s a drawing on the board, a keyword card, or a small physical object (like a mini apple for short ‘a’), these cues help strengthen associations and support students with working memory challenges. Importantly, memory aids also include nonverbal cues. Instead of over-verbalizing or correcting excessively,  something that can overwhelm our students, we can silently point to a mouth card or hold up a visual of “sneaky e” to guide them back on track.

These memory cues are not filler, they are precision tools. They assist with retrieval practice during instruction and error correction. For example, if a student confuses “a” and “e,” a quick flash of the keyword card or pointing to a tactile object can help them independently access the right sound or rule. This keeps students in a state of empowered learning without constant verbal redirection.

7. Set the Stage with Structure and Routines

Consistency in structure and routines is crucial for maintaining attention and preparing the brain for learning. Before moving into tasks like decoding, spelling, or writing, we preview what’s expected. 

For example:

•  “What do we look for first?”
• “Prefixes and suffixes!”
• “Then what?”
• “Vowel teams or final silent e!”

By rehearsing these steps aloud, we create clear mental maps for our students. Over time, this becomes second nature. Kids begin anticipating what’s coming, getting their binders, highlighters, or whiteboards ready without being told—freeing us up to focus on instruction instead of logistics.

Even physical posture becomes a memory cue. Before handwriting, we “stack our blocks”, feet on the floor, back against the chair, pencil in hand. This was a routine I co-developed with an occupational therapist years ago, and it remains a go-to today. It’s a quick way to signal that we’re entering a new learning mode, both mentally and physically.

8. Framing Questions to Spark Thinking

Another critical piece of the attention puzzle? The way we ask questions. Using Socratic questioning helps us frame prompts that draw out the student's thinking. For example, rather than telling a student they misspelled a word, we might ask, “Why did you choose ‘tch’ instead of ‘ch’ here?” or “What spelling rule tells you to double that letter?”

These kinds of questions promote metacognition and reflection without overwhelming the learner. They are not about “tricking” students into getting the answer, but about guiding them with thoughtful, concise prompts. Children with language-based learning differences thrive when we use explicit, predictable language that leads them toward discovery in a supportive way.

We want our students to think about their own thinking, to notice when something doesn’t look or sound right, and to take steps to fix it independently. This builds both confidence and competence.

Bringing It All Together: The Power of Purposeful Planning

Attention and memory don’t happen by accident, especially for the students we serve through structured literacy approaches like Orton-Gillingham. Every choice we make in our instructional design, from how we start the lesson to how we correct errors, is an opportunity to either capture attention or lose it.

What’s most powerful is that none of the strategies shared here require big, flashy interventions. They rely on consistency, clarity, and intention. Whether it’s drawing icons for “look, listen, speak, think,” using nonverbal memory cues, reinforcing routines, or carefully crafting our questions, these small but mighty moves add up. They reduce cognitive load, provide predictable structure, and help students feel safe and capable in their learning.

And perhaps most importantly, they position our students not just as passive recipients of instruction, but as active participants. When students know what’s expected, when they feel seen and supported, and when they’re encouraged to think about their thinking, that’s where growth happens.

So as you plan your next lesson, ask yourself:

• How am I intentionally cueing student attention?
  
• Where can I embed memory supports—visual, verbal, or physical?
  
• Are my questions guiding my students toward clarity and understanding?
  
• What routines and structures help my students feel steady in this challenging work?
  

Because when we plan with attention and memory in mind, we’re not just teaching reading, we’re teaching students how to learn.

For the full discussion, check out our latest episode of the Together in Literacy podcast. If you like what you hear, don’t forget to rate, leave a positive review, and subscribe!

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