Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
The Attention Experiment: Free Printable Planner for Year 7
- ForYear 7
- StageKey Stage 3
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
The Attention Experiment is a free printable planner for Year 7 (ages 11 to 12). Children run a five day test on their own focus, log the evidence each day, then reflect on what they found. It needs only paper and a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes on how to use the sheet, help ideas, a stretch idea and answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children pick one task they can score, such as 15 maths questions, and use the same task type with a 10 minute timer each day. On focus days they do one task only, with the phone out of reach. On juggle days they allow pings and switch tasks, within the rules. After each timer they log the day, mode, task, score and how they felt from 1 to 5.
- Pick one task you can score, such as 15 maths questions.
- Use the same task type and a 10 minute timer each day.
- Focus days: one task only, phone out of reach.
- Juggle days: allow pings and switch tasks, within the rules.
- Day
- Mode
- Task
- Score
- Felt (1 to 5)
How to set up a fair test
Choose a task with a clear score
Pick something that gives a number, so days can be compared. Spelling words or maths questions work well. Avoid tasks where the score depends on opinion.
Keep everything else the same
Use the same type of task and the same timer each day. If possible, try the same time of day and the same place too. Only the mode should change.
Log it straight away
Write the score and the feeling rating as soon as the timer stops. Memory changes quickly, and the evidence is more honest when it is fresh.
Look for patterns, not single days
One odd day proves little. Read the whole table, compare focus days with juggle days, and use the lines for writing to explain what you notice.
Why test your own attention?
Attention is the ability to keep your mind on one thing. Sounds, messages and wandering thoughts can all pull it away. Many people feel they can do two things at once, but switching between tasks often makes work feel harder or slower. Rather than being told what works, Year 7 pupils can find out for themselves by collecting their own evidence.
The sheet is also a first taste of fair testing in a personal setting. Children change one thing, keep the rest the same, record results and draw a careful conclusion. One person over five days is a small test, so the result shows a pattern for that child, not a rule for everyone. That honest limit is a useful thing to talk about.
Skills and curriculum link
- Fair testing
- Recording evidence
- Self reflection
- Making predictions
- Comparing results
Ideas to help you guide the experiment
- Change one thing onlyA fair test changes just one factor and keeps the others steady. Here the factor is the mode, focus or juggle. Ask your child what they are keeping the same.
- Numbers and feelings both countA score is one kind of evidence. A rating from 1 to 5 is another. Together they can show whether doing well and feeling well always go together.
- Patterns need repeatsOne result could be luck or a bad night. A pattern shows up when something happens again across several days.
- Reflection looks forwardLooking back is only half the job. Good reflection ends with a decision, such as one habit to keep or one thing to try next.
Key words
- ExperimentA test you run to find something out.
- Fair testA test where you change one thing and keep everything else the same.
- EvidenceInformation you collect, such as scores and ratings, to support what you say.
- VariableSomething in a test that can change.
- PatternSomething that repeats or shows up again and again in your results.
- ReflectLook back at what happened and think about what it means.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Help your child choose one task they can score, using the same task type and a 10 minute timer every day.
- Start on Monday. Run the day's timer in the right mode, then spend two minutes on the log entry straight after the timer stops.
- Keep to the rules for focus days and juggle days. Talk about how each day felt, but let your child fill in their own ratings.
- On Friday, read the whole table together, write the reflection and check against the notes on page 2.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Choose an easy task with a clear score, such as ten spelling words. Fill in the first row of the table together so your child sees what a good entry looks like. Then let them log the next days on their own.
To stretch confident children
Repeat the experiment for a second week with a different task. Do the patterns match? Explain any difference. Ask whether the new task, the day of the week or something else could have changed the results.
Make it a game
Predict your results before you start. Write down which mode you expect to score higher and which you expect to feel better. At the end, compare your guess with the evidence and note anything that surprised you.
Talk about it
- Which mode do you think will give you the better score, and why?
- What kinds of distractions did you notice, and where did they come from?
- Did your feeling rating match your score, or were they different?
- What would make this a fairer test?
- Is five days enough to be sure? What would you do to be more certain?
- What is one thing you could change about how you work after seeing your evidence?
Take it off the page
Distraction map
Draw the place where you usually work. Mark everything that could pull your attention away, such as noise, objects or other people. Circle the one you could easily change.
Two paper aeroplanes
Plan a fair test of two paper aeroplanes. Use the same paper, the same throw and the same spot. Decide what to measure, then record several tries before choosing a winner.
Prediction chart
Make a simple chart of how you expect each day of the week to go for focus and mood. Keep it somewhere safe and compare it with real life on Friday.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first log entry, then step back. Ask open questions such as "What did you notice?" rather than judging scores. The aim is to learn about their own habits, not to catch them out.
Teachers
Use it as a PSHE starter across a school week, a homework task or a tutor time project. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Pupils can compare patterns in pairs on Friday, and page 2 supports mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Run it over five days alongside your other learning, and link it to science through fair testing. Siblings can each run their own version with different tasks, then compare how their results differ and why.
Where this fits in learning
Before this, children usually meet simple ideas about noticing feelings, routines and habits in earlier years. In science they learn that a test is fairer when only one thing changes. This sheet brings those ideas together and applies them to the child's own concentration.
After this, children can use the same method to look at other habits, such as sleep, exercise or revision routines. Collecting evidence, spotting patterns and choosing a next step are useful skills across Key Stage 3, in PSHE, science and study skills.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is The Attention Experiment for?
It is written for Year 7 (ages 11 to 12), in Key Stage 3. The reflection and fair testing ideas also suit older pupils, and younger children can try it with an adult working alongside them.
- What will children practise?
Children practise fair testing, recording evidence and self reflection. They collect scores and feeling ratings over five days, then look for patterns to understand how their own concentration works best.
- How long does the experiment last?
It runs across five days, starting on Monday. There is one timed task each day, with a short log entry straight afterwards, and a reflection on Friday. Each timer lasts 10 minutes.
- Is the sheet free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or another week of the experiment, and black and white printing works well.
- Do children need a phone or screen?
No screen is needed for the sheet itself. It needs only paper and a pencil. On focus days the phone is kept out of reach, and on juggle days pings are allowed within the rules.
- What if my child does not want to share their results?
That is fine. The evidence belongs to them. Ask them to share only what they choose, such as one pattern they spotted. Keep conversations curious and kind, and avoid using the scores to judge their effort.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a PSHE starter, a homework task or a tutor time activity across a school week. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 offers help and stretch ideas.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.