The Attention Gap: Instructional Routines That Heighten Focus, Boost Engagement, and Deepen Learning (Corwin Literacy)

Reclaim student attention with interval-based instructionStruggling with student disengagement and dwindling attention spans in your classroom?You're not alone. To meet the needs of today’s learners, teachers must find ways to transform instruction into a more dynamic and engaging experience. In The Attention Gap, author Michael McDowell tackles these urgent challenges head-on, proposing a new, actionable framework-the Interval Instruction Approach (IIA)-to reshape the rhythm of your classroom.Inspired by interval training and grounded in cognitive science, this approach alternates short bursts of direct instruction with immediate, active student practice to build focus, boost motivation, and make learning stick. This book will help you:Alternate your instructional routine between building the learner (metacognition, focus) and building the learning (academic content)Implement the five-step IIA approach of cognitive snacking, launch intervals, content intervals, pattern breaks, and coo