Session Script

Introduction (2 minutes)

Teacher: "Hi Avinash! Welcome back. Today we’re going to work on staying on task by using your love of music. Over the next hour, we’ll practice two focus strategies and use music—your favorite topic—to help you notice when your mind wanders and bring it back on track. Sound good?"

Pause for Avinash’s response.

Warm-Up Focus Exercise (5 minutes)

Teacher: "First, let’s try a quick attention warm-up. This is our Warm-Up Focus Exercise. I’m going to play—or count—steady beats for two minutes. Your job is just to listen in silence and count the beats in your head. If your thoughts drift, gently return to counting where we left off. Ready?"

• Start silent counting task (2 minutes).

(After 2 minutes)

Teacher: "Great job! How did it feel when your mind wandered? What did you do to bring your attention back to counting?"

Pause for response.

Follow-up if needed: "Did you notice any moment when you realized you’d lost the count? What triggered you to refocus?"

Reading Activity (8 minutes)

Teacher: "Next, we’ll look at a short reading about focus strategies. Here is the Attention Strategies Reading. Please read it aloud or silently, whichever you prefer. As you read, highlight at least two strategies that seem most useful to you."

• Give Avinash the reading (2–3 minutes to read).

Teacher: "Which strategies did you highlight? Can you tell me the names of those two strategies?"

Pause and note his answers.

Teacher: "Do you have any questions about how those strategies work or how you might use them?"

Pause for questions.

Guided Discussion (8 minutes)

Teacher: "Let’s talk about how these strategies fit your life. I have some discussion prompts from our Guided Discussion Prompts."

1. Teacher: "Which strategy do you think would help most when you’re interrupted by your own thoughts at work?"

Pause for answer.

1. Teacher: "Can you share a recent example where your thoughts drifted, and you told a story from years ago? What might you do differently next time?"

Pause for answer.

1. Teacher: "How could you use self-talk reminders, like ‘Stay on beat, stay on task,’ during a meeting or conversation?"

Pause for answer.

Mindful Music Activity (15 minutes)

Teacher: "Now for something fun: our Mindful Music Activity. We’ll play three short music clips. After each clip, focus your attention on one musical element—rhythm, melody, or lyrics—for one to two minutes. Then we’ll talk about what you noticed. Ready?"

1. Teacher: "Clip 1: Focus on the rhythm. Listen closely and feel the beat."

• Play Clip 1 (1 minute).

Teacher: "What did you notice when you focused only on the rhythm?"

Pause for response.

1. Teacher: "Clip 2: Now focus on the melody—the tune the instruments or voice are playing."

• Play Clip 2 (1 minute).

Teacher: "How did focusing on melody help you stay in the moment?"

Pause for response.

1. Teacher: "Clip 3: Finally, focus on the lyrics—the words being sung or spoken."

• Play Clip 3 (1 minute).

Teacher: "How did paying attention to lyrics shift your thoughts away from other things?"

Pause for response.

Worksheet Completion (8 minutes)

Teacher: "You’re doing great. Let’s use what we learned on paper now. Here is the Focus Strategies Worksheet. On the left column are strategies; on the right are scenarios like work interruptions or wandering thoughts. Match each strategy to the best scenario and then write one sentence about when you’ll use it."

• Distribute worksheet.

Teacher: "Let’s do the first one together: ‘Anchor on external cues’—which scenario fits best?"

Pause for Avinash’s choice, then guide through completion.

Focus Builder Game (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Time for a quick game: our Focus Builder Game. I’ll play a short clip, and I want you to count how many times a specific word or beat happens. Try not to let your mind wander."

Teacher: "In this clip, count how many times you hear the word ‘love.’ Ready? Go."

• Play clip (30 seconds).

Teacher: "How many times did you hear ‘love’? What helped you stay focused?"

Pause for response.

Quiz Assessment (5 minutes)

Teacher: "You’ve practiced hard today. Let’s check your understanding with our Attention Skills Quiz. There are just a few quick questions about when and how to apply your strategies. Take about five minutes."

• Hand quiz; allow silent completion (5 minutes).

Wrap-Up Reflection (6 minutes)

Teacher: "Let’s review your quiz answers. I’ll use our Focus Strategies Worksheet Answer Key to give you feedback."

• Go over each question and discuss correct answers (3 minutes).

Teacher: "Now, Avinash: what are the two strategies you feel most confident using?"

Pause for response.

Teacher: "When and where will you use these strategies in the next week—at work or at home? Let’s set a goal together."

Pause for response; write goal.

Teacher: "Fantastic work today! Remember: when your thoughts drift, use your music anchors and self-talk reminders. I’m proud of your effort, and I know you can keep practicing these strategies in real life. See you next time!"

End of Session Script

Warm-Up Focus Exercise

Duration: 2 minutes
Objective: Practice brief, sustained attention by silently counting beats.

Instructions:

1. Sit comfortably and face the teacher or audio source.
2. The teacher will play a steady beat (via a metronome, music clip, or verbal count) for two minutes.
3. Your task is to silently count each beat in your head ("1, 2, 3, 4…").
4. If you notice your mind has wandered, gently return to counting at the next beat—no judgment, just refocus.

Reflection Questions:

1. At what point did you realize your thoughts had drifted?
   
   
   
2. What helped you notice the distraction and bring your focus back?
   
   
   

Facilitator Tip: Offer calm, encouraging prompts (“Nice work refocusing!”) each time Avinash returns to the count to reinforce the refocusing skill.

Attention Strategies Reading

Maintaining focus can be challenging, especially when our own thoughts drift to old stories or worries. Below are three simple strategies you can use—anytime, anywhere—to bring your attention back to the task at hand.

1. Anchor on External Cues

When your mind starts to wander, pick something around you to focus on. This could be:

• A steady beat in a song you like
• The melody or rhythm of a musical clip
• The sound of your own footsteps or a ticking timer

By tuning into an external cue, you give your brain something real and immediate to notice. When a thought pulls you away, gently return your attention to that cue.

2. Use Self-Talk Reminders

Talking to yourself in short, simple phrases can keep you on task. For example:

• “Stay on beat, stay on task.”
• “Count one more.”
• “Keep your eyes here.”

These little reminders act like a coach in your head, guiding you back when you get distracted.

3. Set Short Timers

Long stretches of work can feel overwhelming. Instead:

• Break your work into 1–2 minute bursts.
• Use a timer or your phone to mark each interval.
• After each burst, take a quick—10 second—pause to notice how well you stayed focused.

Short timers help you practice attention in small, doable steps. Over time, you can slowly increase the length of each burst.

Try It Yourself

As you read, highlight at least two of the strategies above. Think about a time you got distracted at work or in a conversation. How could you use these strategies to stay on topic?

1. Which two strategies did you highlight?
   
   
   
2. Describe a situation at work or in a conversation where you will try these strategies next time.
   
   
   

Guided Discussion Prompts

Goal: Connect the focus strategies to your real-life experiences. Reflect on how you can apply each one.

1. Think about a time at work or in a conversation when your thoughts drifted and you started telling an off-topic story. Which strategy could help you bring your focus back? Explain why.
   
   
   
2. External cues can be powerful anchors. How might you use a musical element (rhythm, melody, or lyrics) to refocus when you notice your mind wandering? Describe a specific example.
   
   
   
3. Self-talk reminders can guide you. What short phrase (e.g., “Stay on beat, stay on task”) would you use to bring your attention back? Write your own self-talk reminder.
   
   
   
4. Short timers help break tasks into manageable steps. How could you use a 1–2 minute timer during a meeting or work task to practice sustained focus? Outline your plan.
   
   
   
5. Looking ahead, think of a recent distraction that caused trouble at work or at home. Choose one strategy and describe exactly when and how you will use it next time this distraction arises.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Facilitator Tip: Encourage Avinash to give concrete examples and to speak in full sentences to deepen his understanding.

Mindful Music Activity

Duration: 15 minutes
Objective: Use musical elements as anchors to practice sustained attention and shift focus away from distracting thoughts.

Materials:
• Three short music clips (30–60 seconds each)

Instructions:

1. Clip 1: Focus on Rhythm
   • Play Clip 1.
   • Spend 1–2 minutes listening only to the beat and drum patterns.
   • Reflection: What repeating patterns or beats did you notice? How did focusing on the rhythm help keep your mind on the music?
     
     
     
2. Clip 2: Focus on Melody
   • Play Clip 2.
   • For 1–2 minutes, focus on the tune—notice how the notes rise and fall, which instruments carry the melody.
   • Reflection: What new details about the tune stood out when you narrowed your focus? How did it feel to concentrate on the melody?
     
     
     
3. Clip 3: Focus on Lyrics
   • Play Clip 3.
   • Spend 1–2 minutes paying attention to the words—listen to each line and any repeated phrases.
   • Reflection: How did paying attention to the lyrics shift your thoughts? Did you find it easier or harder to stay on task when focusing on words?
     
     
     

Debrief Discussion:

• Which musical element was easiest for you to focus on? Why?
• Which element distracted you the most from your own thoughts?
• How might you use these types of anchors (rhythm, melody, lyrics) in a work meeting or conversation to stay on topic?

Facilitator Tip:

• Encourage Avinash with prompts like “Great listening—what did you pick up?”
• If attention drifts, gently remind him: “Let’s bring our focus back to the melody for one more breath.”

Focus Strategies Worksheet

Instructions: Match each focus strategy to the scenarios below by writing the letter of the strategy in the blank. Then choose two strategies and describe when and how you will use each one.

Strategies

A. Anchor on external cues
B. Use self-talk reminders
C. Set short timers

Part 1: Match the Strategy

1. During a meeting, I start telling a story about something that happened years ago, and I lose track of the discussion.
   Strategy: _____
   
   
   
2. While writing a report, my thoughts wander and I forget what I was writing.
   Strategy: _____
   
   
   
3. I receive a text notification and begin thinking about weekend plans instead of my work.
   Strategy: _____
   
   
   

Part 2: Plan for Use

Choose two strategies from above that you think will help you most. For each, write the strategy name and explain when and how you will use it.

1. Strategy: __________________________
   When and how I will use it:
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Strategy: __________________________
   When and how I will use it:
   
   
   
   
   
   

Focus Builder Game

Duration: 5 minutes
Objective: Strengthen your ability to sustain attention by counting specific targets in a short audio clip without getting distracted.

Materials:
• A short audio clip (30–60 seconds) with clear beats, words, or sounds
• Timer or stopwatch (optional)

Instructions:

1. Set the Target:
   • Tell Avinash what to listen for (e.g., the word “love,” a drum beat, or a particular sound effect).
   • Example prompt: “Count how many times you hear the word ‘love.’”
2. Play the Clip:
   • Play the chosen audio clip once.
   • Avinash listens and silently counts each occurrence of the target.
3. Record the Count:
   • After the clip ends, ask Avinash: “How many times did you hear ‘love’ (or the target sound)?”
   • Have him say or write the number.
4. Check and Reflect:
   • Reveal the correct count.
   • Reflection questions:
     • What helped you stay focused on counting?
     
     
     
     • Did your mind wander at any point? If yes, when and how did you bring it back?
     
     
     
5. Variation & Progression:
   • Change the Target: Choose a different word, beat pattern, or instrument sound.
   • Increase Length: Use a longer clip or combine two short clips back-to-back.
   • Add Distractions: Play a quieter background sound or have a brief spoken prompt mid-clip to practice refocusing after interruption.

Facilitator Tips:

• Encourage Avinash with comments like “Great listening!” when he correctly identifies the count.
• If he becomes distracted, pause and say: “Let’s listen again—focus on just that one sound.”
• Gradually make the target less obvious as he improves (e.g., a softer beat or a less frequent word).
• Praise his effort in noticing when his mind drifted and bringing attention back to the clip.

Outcome:
By practicing this game, Avinash will learn to catch his mind wandering and use quick refocusing skills—applicable in work meetings and daily conversations.

Quiz Answer Key

This answer key provides the correct responses for the multiple-choice questions and a rubric for evaluating the open-response items.

Question 1 (Multiple-Choice)

Prompt: Which of the following is an example of anchoring on external cues?

Correct Answer: Silently counting beats in a song to stay focused
Explanation: Counting beats is focusing on an external auditory cue (the music’s rhythm) to bring attention back.

Question 2 (Multiple-Choice)

Prompt: Which strategy involves breaking your work into 1–2 minute intervals with a short pause between each?

Correct Answer: Set short timers
Explanation: Setting timers for brief work bursts and pausing for reflection is exactly the short-timer strategy.

Question 3 (Multiple-Choice)

Prompt: During a conversation you notice your mind wandering and want to tell a past story off-topic. Which strategy would help you bring your attention back right away?

Correct Answer: Use self-talk reminders
Explanation: A self-talk phrase (e.g., “Stay on beat, stay on task”) immediately redirects focus when you notice drifting thoughts.

Question 4 (Open-Response)

Prompt: Write a self-talk reminder phrase that you could use to bring your focus back during a meeting or conversation.

Rubric for Full Credit (2 points total):
• Phrase is short (1–5 words) and action-oriented (e.g., includes a verb: “Stay,” “Focus,” “Count”).
• Clearly reminds the speaker to refocus (e.g., “Stay on task,” “Focus right here,” “One more beat”).
• Applies to a social or work setting (e.g., mentions task, meeting, conversation, beat).

Sample Responses:
• “Stay on task”
• “Focus right here”
• “Count one more”

Partial Credit (1 point):
• Phrase is relevant but slightly long or missing an action word (e.g., “Keep eyes on speaker”).

No Credit (0 points):
• Phrase unrelated to refocusing or too vague (e.g., “Be happy”).

Question 5 (Open-Response)

Prompt: Describe a real-life work or conversation situation where you will apply one of the focus strategies. Specify which strategy you will use and how you will implement it.

Rubric for Full Credit (4 points total):
• Situation Description (1 point): Clearly describes a real distraction scenario (e.g., mind wandering in a meeting, receiving a text).
• Strategy Identification (1 point): Names one focus strategy by its correct name (Anchor on external cues; Use self-talk reminders; Set short timers).
• Implementation Plan (2 points): Explains when and how to use it (e.g., “When I notice my thoughts drifting in meetings, I’ll silently say ‘Stay on task’ to refocus on the speaker” or “I’ll set my phone timer for 2 minutes when writing my report and look at the ticking clock to stay present”).

Partial Credit (1–3 points):
• Missing one or two elements or explanation lacks clarity.

No Credit (0 points):
• Response is too vague, does not describe a real scenario, or omits naming/using a strategy.

End of Answer Key