Every Tuesday, we open up one lesson of the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program here on the blog, all 48 of them, one week at a time. Whether you are a teacher, a parent, or an education professional, this series shows you exactly what certified dyslexia trainers learn, and how the program works from the inside.
This week: Attention Training. Building Focus for Learning Success
Attention is the foundation of all learning, and for dyslexic and dyscalculic learners, staying focused on letters and numbers is especially hard. This lesson explains what attention training is, how attention differs from concentration, and why situational inattentiveness around symbols is not the same as ADHD. It closes with a practical toolkit, including kinesiology-based exercises, to help learners reach and hold optimal focus.
What this lesson is about
Attention is a vital foundation for all learning. Without it, even the most carefully designed training cannot be fully effective. For learners with dyslexia or dyscalculia, maintaining attention on symbol-based tasks, such as reading, spelling, writing, or math, can be especially challenging. Attention training in the AFS Method addresses this challenge directly, using structured exercises to prepare the brain for focused work.
Attention training refers to structured, targeted exercises designed to help learners focus their thoughts and sustain concentration on a specific task over a period of time. In the AFS Method, attention training is one of the three core pillars, alongside function training and symptom training, because it addresses a key barrier to learning for many individuals with dyslexia and dyscalculia: the difficulty of maintaining mental focus on written symbols and numbers.
What you will learn in Lesson 10
- What attention training is, and how attention differs from concentration
- Why dyslexic learners lose focus around letters and numbers
- Situational inattentiveness vs. ADHD
- A practical toolkit, including kinesiology-based exercises
About the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program
Since 1997, more than 17,000 dyslexia trainers in 64 countries have been certified. The certification gives you more than knowledge: all the tools you need to actually work with dyslexic children are included as well. Worksheets, training programs, assessment materials, everything ready to use in your practice. You get the whole package.
The program is accredited by the American Dyslexia Association (ADA) and follows the training standards of the International Federation of Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Associations (IFDDA).
Catch up and start free
Lesson 1 is free for everyone. Register in a minute and see the program from the inside: dyslexiacertificate.com
You can find all published lessons of this series under the tag Lesson Series.