In today's educational landscape, we observe that students' attention is an increasingly sought-after resource and, at times, increasingly volatile. Like a mental spotlight, it must be directed, focused, and maintained for fundamental learning to take root sustainably. At Dynseo, we are convinced that digital tools, when designed with a clear pedagogical intention, can become a tremendous lever to support this essential skill. It is in this spirit that we have developed our tools and training: not to replace the teacher, but to offer complementary resources, allies in their daily mission.
Our approach is twofold. On one hand, we offer an application, COCO PENSE and COCO BOUGE, designed to train cognitive functions in a playful manner. On the other hand, we support education professionals through specific training to identify and assist students with DYS disorders. These two pillars of our action aim for a common goal: to enable every child, regardless of their strengths or difficulties, to mobilize their attention and concentration skills to succeed in their educational journey. This article aims to present our vision and the tools we provide to make attention the engine of learning.
Primary school is the crucible of fundamental learning. Reading, writing, counting: these foundational skills require intense cognitive mobilization. However, to achieve this, attention and concentration are indispensable prerequisites. Without them, information struggles to be processed, memorized, and reused. We find that in a world rich in stimuli, maintaining this attention in class represents a significant challenge for you, teachers, as well as for your students.
Why is attention the cornerstone of learning?
Imagine attention as the doorman of a large building that is the student's brain. This doorman decides which information can enter and be processed. If the doorman is distracted, tired, or overwhelmed, crucial information may remain at the door. In class, this translates to a student who "zones out," who does not hear the instructions, who struggles to follow the thread of an explanation, or who makes careless mistakes in their exercises.
Attention is not a monolithic skill. It encompasses several facets:
- Selective attention: the ability to focus on relevant information while ignoring distractors (noise in the hallway, a classmate moving).
- Sustained attention: the ability to maintain concentration on a task for an extended period.
- Divided attention: the ability to manage multiple tasks or sources of information simultaneously (listening to the teacher while taking notes).
These three forms of attention are constantly called upon during school time. Mastery of them is directly correlated to success in acquiring reading, writing, and mathematics skills.
The digital environment: a challenge and an opportunity
We live in a digital age. Children are exposed to it very early, developing habits of "zapping" and becoming accustomed to rapid and intense stimuli. This environment can sometimes make the effort of concentration required for long reading or solving a complex problem more difficult.
However, at Dynseo, we do not see digital technology as an enemy. We consider it a powerful tool that, if used well, can indeed respond to the codes of this new generation to help them develop their capabilities. A well-designed digital game can capture a child's attention where a paper exercise might discourage them. It can offer short, stimulating challenges with immediate feedback, thus creating a positive motivation loop that fosters engagement and, consequently, concentration. This is precisely the opportunity we seized with COCO PENSE.
COCO PENSE, an ally to strengthen concentration
In light of this observation, we wanted to create a solution that is not just simple entertainment, but a true cognitive training program. COCO PENSE was born from this ambition: to offer a collection of engaging educational games, designed in collaboration with health professionals (neuropsychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists), to stimulate the cognitive functions essential for learning.
Our philosophy: learning through play
Our deep conviction is that we learn better when we enjoy ourselves. Play is the natural language of the child. It helps to demystify effort and transform a task perceived as difficult into a fun challenge. The world of Coco, our mischievous little parrot, was created to be welcoming and motivating. The child does not feel they are being evaluated, but rather that they are playing. This playful approach, or "gamification," helps maintain engagement over time, which is crucial for effective training. The sessions are intentionally short (about 15 minutes) to adapt to the attention span of younger children and easily fit into the rhythm of the classroom or at home.
Games designed to target specific cognitive functions
Each game in COCO PENSE has a specific educational and cognitive objective. We do not train "attention" in a global and abstract way. We target the different functions that underlie it. For example, a sequence memorization game will directly engage working memory, the ability to retain and manipulate information for a short time. A well-functioning working memory is essential for understanding a long sentence, retaining an instruction, or performing mental calculations.
Other games will work on:
- Executive functions: planning, inhibition (the ability not to respond too quickly and to curb impulses), mental flexibility (switching from one task to another).
- Spatial-temporal awareness: essential for writing, geometry, or telling time.
- Logic and reasoning: to learn how to solve problems.
By strengthening each of these functions through varied and progressive exercises, we help the child build a stronger cognitive foundation, which will have direct repercussions on their ability to concentrate and succeed in fundamental learning.
COCO BOUGE: when the body helps the mind to concentrate
We know that children need to move.
Staying seated for long periods can be counterproductive for their concentration. That is why we have integrated into our program COCO BOUGE. It consists of short active breaks, offering simple and fun physical exercises to perform. These interludes allow for the release of accumulated energy, improve blood circulation to the brain, and "reset" attention. A short COCO BOUGE session before tackling a demanding task can make a significant difference in students' cognitive availability. It acknowledges that the body and mind are intimately linked and that one cannot take care of one without the other.The importance of a tool adapted to each child
One of the greatest challenges in the classroom is the heterogeneity of students. Each arrives with their own background, pace, and needs. A tool that offers the same path to everyone would be ineffective, as it would be too difficult for some and too easy for others. That is why we have placed adaptability at the heart of our application.
A personalized path through adaptive intelligence
COCO PENSE integrates an algorithm that automatically adjusts the difficulty level of the games based on the child's responses. If a student succeeds easily, the level increases to continue stimulating them. If they encounter difficulties, the level decreases to avoid placing them in a situation of failure and discouragement. This adaptive intelligence ensures that each child is constantly working within their "zone of proximal development," meaning where the challenge is sufficiently large to help them progress, but not to the point of frustrating them. You, as a teacher, can thus propose a common activity to the whole class, while knowing that each student benefits from an individualized path.
A supportive and failure-free environment
Errors are part of learning. In COCO PENSE, we have ensured to create an environment where mistakes are not punitive. There is no harsh "game over" or devaluing message. The application encourages perseverance. This supportive framework is particularly important for children who have low self-esteem or fear of failure. By reducing performance-related anxiety, we free up cognitive resources that can then be allocated to the task itself, and thus to concentration.
Beyond the tool: supporting teachers facing DYS disorders
We are aware that sometimes, difficulties with attention and concentration are not just temporary or related to a lack of training. They can be symptoms of specific neurodevelopmental disorders, such as DYS disorders (dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysphasia) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). A tool, no matter how effective, is not enough. It is the understanding and pedagogical strategy of the teacher that are decisive. That is why we have developed dedicated training: "Identifying and Supporting DYS Disorders in Primary School."
Identifying to better help: the first step of our training
The first challenge is knowing how to spot the signs. A child who struggles to concentrate is not necessarily "lazy" or "dreamy." Their difficulty may mask a dyslexia that requires considerable effort to decode words, a dyspraxia that makes the act of writing exhausting, or a dyscalculia that turns numbers into an incomprehensible language. Our training provides you with concrete keys to observe your students and to distinguish temporary difficulties from warning signs that may suggest a specific disorder. We help you understand the cognitive mechanisms at play behind each DYS disorder.
Concrete strategies for the classroom
Once a disorder is suspected or diagnosed, the question is: what to do in class? Our training is eminently practical. We offer you a range of adaptations and pedagogical adjustments that are easy to implement:
- Adapting materials (font type, line spacing).
- Breaking down instructions.
- Using visual supports and color codes.
- Offering compensatory tools (computer, specific software).
- Valuing successes and adapting assessments.
These strategies benefit not only DYS students. They create a clearer, more structured, and more inclusive learning environment for the entire class. The teacher then becomes, to borrow a metaphor, a conductor who knows each musician perfectly and knows how to help them give their best.
Connecting DYS disorders and attention difficulties
It is crucial to understand that DYS disorders generate cognitive overload. The effort a dyslexic student must exert to read a text is immense. It is a true mental marathon. It is therefore logical that their "attention budget" depletes much faster than that of their peers. The attention difficulties you observe are often a direct consequence of this excessive effort. By implementing adjustments to lighten their cognitive load (for example, by providing the text in audio format), you free up their attentional resources so they can focus on understanding the content, rather than just decoding. Our training helps you make this essential connection to provide truly effective support.
Towards a global and inclusive approach to learning
Our approach at Dynseo is based on the conviction that there is no miracle solution, but a combination of complementary approaches. It is about creating a favorable ecosystem for learning, where every child can find the resources they need.
Our vision: the alliance of digital technology and human pedagogy
We believe in technology with a human face. COCO PENSE is a tool that offers individualized and motivating cognitive stimulation. But it only makes sense when integrated into thoughtful pedagogical practice, led by a trained teacher who is aware of the issues. The application can provide objective data on each student's progress and difficulties, thus becoming a valuable diagnostic tool for you. But it is your expertise, your human insight, and your relationship with the student that will transform this data into relevant pedagogical actions. It is this alliance between the efficiency of digital technology and the nuance of humanity that we seek to promote.
A partnership in service of each student's success
Ultimately, what we offer you is a partnership. We provide you with tools designed to be robust, relevant, and easy to use. We offer you training to sharpen your insight and enrich your pedagogical toolbox. Our common goal is the success of each student, helping them develop this fundamental skill of attention. Because a child who learns to concentrate is a child who gains autonomy, self-confidence, and the means to build their own knowledge. It is to this construction, stone by stone, that we are proud to contribute alongside you.
The article "Attention and Concentration: COCO PENSE in Service of Fundamental Learning" highlights the importance of educational tools to improve concentration and learning in children. A related article that may interest readers is What educational software can be used for recreational activities?. This article explores various educational software that can be used for recreational activities, thus offering innovative solutions to stimulate learning while having fun. These resources can be particularly useful for educators and parents looking to enrich children's learning experiences.
