Focus™, a game that children and teens have fun playing, is essentially a behavior modification program in a box, helpful for those with ADD or ADHD. It has the following learning objectives for players:

• improve their ability to stay focused on tasks until they are completed.
  
• learn to do a better job handling frustrations.
  
• learn to anticipate distractions and create strategies to overcome them.
  
• learn the benefits and rewards of focusing.
  
• learn to tune out distractions and keep focused.

The game has 3 sets of task cards that describe tasks that the players have to complete in order to earn their tokens. Each task requires concentration and continuing attention and includes:

1. Categories: Players have to list things that belong in a specific category, such as listing five fruits that have one large pit in the middle.
   
2. Forward and Back: Players have to recite things forward and/or backwards, such as reciting the alphabet forwards and backwards from A to F.
   
3. Problem Solving: The game comes with various cut-out shapes and cut-out words. Using shapes, the players have to create a specific design, like a triangle similar to the pattern on the card, using the shapes provided. Using words the players have to create a sentence, like a sentence in which someone throws something to someone else.

There are both competitive and cooperative versions for grades 1-12. There are three decks of Task cards with varied levels of difficulty: easier, regular, and challenge. The key is for the players to be able to complete the task most of the time if they concentrate and are not distracted. Difficulty of the tasks can also be varied by imposing a time limit and permitting the use of paper and pencil for certain tasks.

Playing Time: Flexible from 25 minutes to 50 minutes. Players: 2 - 5. Suitable for Grades 1-12 (three sets of cards: Easier - grades 1-5, Regular - grades 6-8, and Challenge – grades 9-adult). 2009.

IFL

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