In classrooms across the United States, educators are increasingly turning to brief physical activities known as "brain breaks" to combat the declining attention spans of their students. Teachers report that keeping young learners engaged has become a greater challenge, a trend many attribute to heightened screen time and the rapid consumption of short-form digital content.

William Werner, a first-grade teacher in Toledo, Ohio, uses short bursts of movement, such as jumping jacks, to help reset his students’ focus during the school day. He observes that many students struggle to maintain concentration for extended periods, often becoming restless or distracted soon after beginning assignments. Such moments prompt the use of brain breaks, which are designed to invigorate students physically and mentally, allowing them to return to their work better able to concentrate.

This approach aligns with findings from a recent international survey conducted in 2025, where 88 percent of over 3,000 teachers reported a perceived shortening of their students’ attention spans. A separate study focused on early elementary classrooms in the U.S. found that 75 percent of educators noted diminished attention since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a period marked by greater reliance on laptops and other digital devices for learning.

Research suggests excessive screen exposure and engagement with fast-paced digital content like TikTok may contribute to students’ reduced ability or willingness to focus. However, experts disagree on whether screen time directly impairs attention or instead affects students’ motivation to maintain attention, with some developmental psychologists contending that it is possible to rebuild longer attention spans through targeted interventions.

Educators are responding by implementing a suite of strategies, ranging from limiting screen time and breaking lessons into smaller, more manageable segments to incorporating hands-on activities and mindfulness exercises such as meditation. Andrea Bennett, an instructional coach at a K-8 public school, notes that while classroom time alone cannot offset all external distractions, these practices can help reduce phone usage during class and improve student engagement.

Emily Elliott, a psychology professor specializing in memory and attention development, emphasizes the importance of repeated, spaced exposure to information for long-term retention. She explains that memory consolidation benefits from cycles of focus, retrieval, and rest, underscoring why learning in focused, manageable intervals is crucial.

In some schools, policies prohibit cellphones to reduce distractions, while teachers like computer science educator Laurel Daniels employ micro-lessons and group discussions to sustain students’ engagement. Daniels sees ready access to technology as a hurdle to developing what she calls "productive struggle," the process of grappling with challenging material to deepen understanding.

Educators like Curtis Finch, superintendent of an Arizona school district, highlight the need for lessons that are not only concise but also interactive and relevant, a trend described increasingly as "edutainment." For example, fifth-grade science students engaged in a physical activity to grasp Earth’s rotation and revolution, while eighth graders used candy to model genetic traits, making abstract concepts more tangible and entertaining.

Experts also suggest transparent communication with students about the purpose and duration of tasks can build their capacity to focus on difficult work. In kindergarten classrooms, daily meditations and affirmations aim to instill a mindset that embraces learning challenges, equipping young learners with tools to persevere even when lessons feel tedious.

While educators acknowledge that not all aspects of learning will be enjoyable, they stress the overall value of education as a means to develop problem-solving skills and lifelong knowledge, even if moments of struggle are inevitable. The growing adoption of brain breaks and related methods reflects an effort to adapt teaching practices to the evolving realities of modern students’ attention spans.