Students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can find school challenging, but here are some strategies to help your child succeed in the classroom.
Setting Up Your Child For School Success
Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) may find classroom environments challenging. These students are required to do the very things they find the hardest, such as sitting quietly, listening attentively, and focusing all day long.
The frustrating part is that most of these children simply would like to learn and behave just like their non-affected peers. Children with attention deficit disorder struggle to learn in traditional ways because of neurological problems and not because of unwillingness.
If you are the parent of a child with ADHD, you can help your child cope with these limitations and assist your child in dealing with the challenges they face at school. Work with your child to develop practical learning strategies at home and in the classroom, and discuss how your child can learn most effectively with the teachers.
Supporting your child with the following strategies can help them enjoy school and take on educational challenges to achieve success at school and beyond.
Tips For Working With Teachers
Keep in mind that your child’s teacher has a lot to do. Aside from dealing with a group of children with diverse personality traits and learning methods, they’ll likely have at least one student with ADHD.
Even though teachers will do their best to help children with attention deficit disorder succeed in school, parental involvement can significantly impact your child’s educational success.
As a parent, you can maximize a child’s chances of success by supporting teachers’ classroom efforts. It is possible to directly influence your child’s experience at school by working with and encouraging your child’s teacher.
Maintaining your child’s academic progress is possible by working closely with teachers. Together, you can help your child become comfortable in the classroom so that they can succeed in school.
A parent is a child’s advocate. Communicate your child’s needs to the teachers at school to be successful in the classroom. You should equally pay attention to what your child’s teachers and other school officials say.
By keeping in touch with your child’s school, you can ensure a productive and constructive exchange. Remember that your shared goal is to determine what you can do to help your child succeed at school.
No matter how you communicate with the school — over the phone, via email, or even in person — keep it positive, calm, and specific. A good attitude goes a long way in helping you communicate effectively with the school.
Plan Ahead
Talking to school officials or teachers before the school year starts can be great to prepare. If the school has already begun, plan to speak with your child’s teacher or counselor at least once a month.
Make Meetings Happen
You and your child’s teacher must agree on a time that is convenient for both parties. If possible, meet in your child’s classroom so you can see for yourself the physical environment in which they learn.
Create Goals Together
Talk about the success you hope your child will have in school. Write down specific and attainable goals together and decide what could be done to help your child achieve them.
Listen Carefully
Teachers want to see their students succeed at school just like you do. It is important to listen to what they say, even if it is sometimes hard to comprehend. In order to find solutions that work for your child, you must understand their challenges at school.
Share Information
With your knowledge of your child’s history and your child’s teacher’s daily observation, you have a great deal of information that may lead to a clearer sense of your child’s problems. If you have any observations, don’t hesitate to share them with your child’s teacher and encourage them to do the same.
Make sure you ask the tough questions and provide a complete picture. You should list all your child’s medications and discuss any other treatments given. Let your child’s teacher know which tactics work well at home and what don’t.
Ask about any problems your child is having at school, including those on the playground. Find out if they are eligible for any learning assistance.
Developing And Using A Behavior Plan
ADHD children can behave appropriately in the classroom, but they need a structured environment and a specific plan in order to manage their symptoms. Parents can help children by developing and sticking to behavior plans for them. Regardless of the type of behavior plan you choose, it should be developed collaboratively with your child and teacher.
The best way to motivate these children is to set specific goals, reinforce their efforts daily, and reward them in a meaningful way. Develop a reward system that incorporates small rewards for small accomplishments while larger rewards are given for larger achievements.
Tips For Managing ADHD Symptoms At School
The brain of each ADHD child functions differently, so every case looks very different in the classroom. The symptoms of ADHD in children vary, some are hyperactive, some daydream all day, and others can’t seem to follow directions.
As a parent, you can support your child in preventing all or any of these behaviors. Learning how attention deficit disorder impacts different children’s behaviors is important to select the best strategies for dealing with it.
You and your child’s teacher can adopt a variety of straightforward approaches to help your child deal with ADHD symptoms and achieve academic success.
Managing Distractibility
The symptoms of ADHD can lead to students becoming easily distracted by noises, passersby, or even their own thoughts, causing them to miss important classroom information. They have difficulty staying focused on tasks requiring long-term mental focus. Although it may seem like they’re listening to you, something prevents them from retaining the information.
The key to helping children who distract easily is to have them move around a lot, break long tasks into smaller chunks and use physical positioning.
- Children with ADHD should be seated away from windows and doors. Keep pets out of the way while the student works.
- Ensure that seated activities are alternated with activities that allow the child to move around the room. Try to include physical activity in lessons whenever possible.
- Make sure that important information is written down so the child can access it easily. Let the student know where the information can be found.
- Ensure that large assignments are divided into smaller ones and that children are allowed frequent breaks.
Reducing Interrupting
Some children with attention deficit disorder have trouble controlling their impulses and speak out of turn. Whether at school or home, they interrupt others and make comments. They may be perceived as aggressive or even rude in their behavior, which may lead to social issues.
Often, children with ADHD suffer from low self-esteem, so bringing the issue up in class or to family members won’t help the problem and might even make the situation worse.
If a child with ADHD interrupts others, it should be corrected carefully to preserve their self-esteem, especially when others are around. Establish a “secret language” with your ADHD child.
To make the child aware they are interrupting you, use a discreet gesture or words you have agreed to beforehand. Praising the child for having uninterrupted conversations is also a good idea.
Managing Impulsivity
Children with ADHD may act before thinking, creating difficult social situations in addition to problems in the classroom. Kids who have trouble with impulse control may come off as aggressive or unruly. It is perhaps the most disruptive symptom of ADHD, particularly at school.
Students with ADHD often act before they think, resulting in difficult social situations besides difficulties in the classroom.
Children who lack impulse control may seem aggressive or disruptive. These behaviors are likely to create problems, especially in the classroom.
An effective approach to managing impulsivity includes developing behavioral plans, enforcing rules immediately, and providing children with ADHD with a sense of control over their days.
- A written behavior plan must be available to the student at all times. For example, tape it to the wall or place it on the desk of the student.
- In the event of misbehavior, action should be taken immediately. Make your explanation specific so the child knows what they did wrong.
- Be sure to acknowledge good behavior. Praise the child specifically so that they know what they did well.
- The schedule should be written on the board or paper, and tasks should be crossed off as they are completed. If children with impulse control problems know what to expect, they may feel more in control and less stressed.
Managing Fidgeting And Hyperactivity
ADHD students are frequently on the move. These children may have difficulty staying in their seats. A child with attention deficit disorder may jump, kick, twist, fidget and move in ways that make teaching them difficult.
Children with ADHD can be helped to cope with hyperactivity by creative strategies that allow them to move appropriately at appropriate times. It may be easier for the child to keep a calmer body during work if they release their energy in this way.
- Ask your child with ADHD to take care of an errand or complete a chore for you, even if it takes them a few minutes, like sharpening pencils or putting away the dishes.
- You should encourage children with ADHD to participate in sports or run around before and after school and ensure they don’t miss recess or physical education.
- Provide an object that the child can play with while sitting, such as a stress ball, small toy, or another item.
- Screen time should be limited to allow time for movement.
Dealing With Trouble Following Directions
Children with ADHD often struggle with following directions. These kids may seem to understand directions and may even write them down but cannot follow them as instructed.
There are times when these students may miss-steps and submit incomplete work, or they misunderstand an assignment completely and end up doing something completely different.
The best way to help children with ADHD follow directions is by breaking down the steps involved and repeating the instructions as well as redirecting them when needed. You should keep your instructions as brief as possible, allowing the child to finish one step and then return them to ask what the next step is.
If the child gets off track, give a clear reminder, redirecting in a calm but firm voice. Write directions down in a bold marker or colored chalk on a blackboard whenever possible.
Be sure to redirect your child with a calm but firm voice if they get off track. Use colored chalk or a bold marker to write down directions on a blackboard.
Tips For Making Learning Fun
It is important to make learning fun for children to keep them interested. Using physical movement during a lesson, interestingly presenting dry facts, and creating silly songs to help your child remember details are all ways to encourage your child to enjoy learning and lessen the symptoms of ADHD.
Helping Children With ADHD Enjoy Math
The child with attention deficit disorder has a “concrete” thinking style. In order to learn something new, they frequently want to hold, touch, or participate in an experience. Playing games and using objects to demonstrate mathematical concepts can help your child understand that math is enjoyable and meaningful.
Play Games
Use memory cards, dice, or dominoes for a fun way to learn numbers. When adding or subtracting, you may use your fingers and toes, tucking them in or wriggling them.
Draw Pictures
Illustrations help kids understand mathematical concepts more easily, especially when solving word problems. If the word problem mentions twelve cars, it is good to have your child draw them from the steering wheel to the trunk.
Invent Silly Acronyms
Make up a song or phrase starting with the first letter of each operation to help you remember the order.
Helping Children With ADHD Enjoy Reading
It is possible to make reading exciting for children with ADHD even if the skill itself tends to be difficult for them. Keep in mind that the basics of reading are telling stories and learning interesting facts, which every child enjoys.
Read To Children
Reading should be a relaxing, quality time together.
Make Predictions Or Bets.
Keep asking the child what they think will happen next. Model prediction: “I think that the girl in the story is very courageous, I believe that she will try to save her family.”
Act Out The Story
Have the child select a character and assign you one as well. Come up with funny voices and costumes for the character.
Tips For Mastering Homework
Homework may be universally dreaded by kids, but it is a golden opportunity for parents of children with ADHD. You have the chance as a parent to directly support your child’s academic work outside of the classroom.
It is the perfect opportunity to help your child succeed at school from the comfort of your own living room.
Children with ADHD can use their homework time not just to solve math problems and write essays but also to build the organizational and study skills they need to be successful in school.
Helping A Child With ADHD Get Organized
You can improve organizational skills with a fresh start. Shop with your child for school supplies, such as three-ring binders and colored dividers, even if the academic year has not yet begun. Assist your child in filing papers in the new system.
- Set up a folder for homework completed and color-code folders to organize loose papers. Teach your child how to file correctly.
- Assist your child in organizing their daily belongings, including backpacks, file folders, and even pockets.
- If possible, a spare set of textbooks and other materials should be kept at home.
- Make a checklist for your child, and encourage them to cross off items as they complete them.
Helping A Child With ADHD Get Homework Done On Time
Being organized and understanding concepts are great first steps, but you also have to finish your homework in one evening and submit it by the due date. Make sure a child with ADHD reaches the finish line with consistent structures.
- Ensure that the time and place where your child does their homework are free from mess, pets, and television.
- Let the child take a break every ten or twenty minutes.
- Analog clocks and timers can be used to keep track of homework progress and teach children the concept of time.
- Establish a homework routine at school: Have students keep their homework in a designated area and submit their work at a regular time every day.
Other Ways To Help Your Child With Homework
- Exercise and sleep should be encouraged. Exercise increases concentration and stimulates brain growth. In addition, it helps children with ADHD sleep better, thereby reducing the symptoms of ADHD.
- Give your child a healthy diet. It can be helpful to schedule nutritious meals and snacks throughout the day while limiting junk and sugary foods.
- You’ll be better able to take care of your child if you take care of yourself. Do not ignore your own needs. Managing stress, eating right, exercising, getting enough sleep, and getting face-to-face support from friends and family can help.
Would you like to understand ADHD in adults? Read our blog to find out.
Meta Title: ADHD And School
Meta Description: Students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can find school challenging, but here are some strategies to help them succeed in the classroom.
