The statements “Everyone knows what attention is” (James, 1890) and “No one knows what attention is” (Hommel et al., 2019) may seem contradictory, but they can coexist. William James refers to a common, intuitive understanding of attention, seen in everyday phrases like “give me attention.”

On the other hand, Hommel and colleagues highlight the evolving and sometimes contradictory scientific accounts of attention. While lay individuals agree on what attention is, scientists can have ongoing debates.

How can caregivers master the art of observing children? What can we learn by simply following a child’s natural instincts and development? And how does that challenge traditional approaches to education?

This blog post offers some thoughts and reflections from parents, a Montessori guide, and a paediatric neurologist on these questions!