There are some very easy tips that teachers can use to help their ADD/ADHD students increase the opportunities for learning success in the classroom. These tips can also contribute to an individual teacher's "peace of mind" throughout the entire school year. Here are just a few ideas as you begin to set up your classroom for the new year:
1. To keep distractions at a minimum, try to seat the ADD/ADHD student away from both the hallway and windows.
2. Arrange for the ADD/ADHD students who are challenged with distractions to be seated nearest to the place in the class where you will give directions or lectures (at least as close as possible without it appearing to be "a punishment").
3. From the first day of school, make rules clear and be sure to post them in the classroom. Remember to include logical and fair consequences as well as rewards for the behaviors.
4. Consider using what are often called "privacy boards". They can be quite inexpensive (even made from corrugated cardboard) and yet provide a priceless, "focused" view of a student's desk or other workspace thereby eliminating as many distractions for that student as possible.
5. Once in awhile, consider arranging desks in a "horseshoe" configuration to allow for discussion when appropriate. At the same time, this arrangement will permit independent work when needed.
To access more ideas for the ADD/ADHD student in your classroom, please visit http://readingfocuscard.com/strategies.html or http://brennaninnovators.com/strategies.html
I would like to pass along one more idea that I use in my classroom. Some students (ADD/ADHD or not) experience more reading comfort with this strategy:
*** Try using colored paper for printing all materials including worksheets, outlines, notes, etc. Experiment with pastels as well as bright shades. One particular color may produce the best results for a certain individual student. Those persons with ADD/ADHD challenges often find that the white background on a page of text can be (1) distracting, and (2) it decreases their ability to focus and read.
You can try out this idea (FREE!) by going to www.readingfocuscard.com and clicking on the the various color blocks at the top of the pages. By doing so, you will see what it is like to read text over each pastel shade available. I hope that this will help you and your child.
Hope your students AND you will find this strategy helpful.
Joan
http://brennaninnovators.com
I have been receiving some positive comments about the ADD/ADHD strategies posted earlier this month in my blog. Thank you to all! As we are starting to plan again for a new school year, it seemed like a good time to add a few more strategies to this list. If you have any others to add, please reply to this blog and I will put those strategies on my own list!
Here are a few additional ADD/ADHD strategies:
Politely request (as a parent) or allow (as a teacher) for the following:
1. The use of colored paper for all printed materials including worksheets, outlines, notes, etc.--- The white background of a printed page can be quite "distracting" for a person challenged with ADD/ADHD. Experiment with pastel colors as well as bright shades. One particular color may produce the best results for a certain individual.
2. The posting of all classroom rules so that they are easy to read and in full view---When students know what is expected of them, they will feel more reassured and secure.
3. Repeating directions---Students with ADD/ADHD issues need to hear things more than once. Also, present directions and instructions in various ways---in print, orally, and pictorially whenever possible.
4. Making frequent and effective eye contact with students---You can "bring back" an ADD/ADHD student with good eye contact. Do it often.
5. "Walking" the classroom---Teachers should avoid teaching "from the desk" or lectern. Using effective and appropriate gestures and genuine enthusiasm in classroom presentations will make it harder for students to daydream in class.
Hope you will find these strategies helpful, too!
For more ADD/ADHD strategies, go to http://readingfocuscard.com/strategies.html or
http://brennaninnovators.com/strategies.html
Miss Joan
We all know that for real learning success to be possible, it is most important to tailor our classroom lessons to the learning styles and interests/talents of our students. Each of us has a "tool box" of strategies to accomplish this. What are your strategies? What are your favorite lessons that manage to achieve this? How do you BEST utilize differentiated instruction techniques in your classroom from Pre-K all the way to grade 12? Let's hear about your best and favorite lessons, strategies, and techniques!
Miss Joan
www.readingfocuscard.com
http://brennaninnovators.com/strategies.html
Last week on PBS, Charlie Rose had as his guests four outstanding Teachers of the Year from 2008 and recent years. How motivated and MOTIVATING they all were! Hopefully, many of you were able to view the program (later re-broadcast on some local PBS stations).
Three of these teachers were quite young while one was more “seasoned”. All were genuinely enthusiastic and looking forward to the coming school year. Each of them was articulate, polished and professional, very informed, and innovative in the way they think and practice the art--- yes, the ART!---of teaching. Several of these teachers were from previously under-performing schools in financially challenged communities. However, that did not prevent them from achieving excellence in their profession, and more importantly, helping their students to achieve excellence in their classrooms.
Attitude is everything! Such is the case with these four outstanding teachers. Their attitudes were very positive. Each teacher had a real vision for education in our country. Currently, the American educational system needs much in the way of improvement. The 2008 Teacher of the Year, Michael Geisen, made mention of the fact that China currently has more high-achieving, “honor” students than the U.S. has (total) students. This should be a major wake-up call to all of us if we are going to enable our students to be fully prepared for this global economy that has already grown exponentially in recent years.
To do this, other skills must be measured in addition to that of reading and math proficiency. How can we accurately evaluate the all-important critical and creative thinking skills, artistic abilities, the sciences such as biology, and many others? What’s more, it is critical to remember that tests do not tell us the whole picture. Other skills and talents are definitely important and need to be measured appropriately as well. To do so, will involve innovative thinking AND teaching. Learning as much as possible about our students’ talents/interests and their learning styles early in each academic would be a good beginning. Tailoring or teaching then to those interests, talents, needs, and individual styles of learning will enable our students to achieve the goals set both by each teacher as well as those set by each community and eventually those of our country. In the current world of education, this is called differentiated instruction. The practice of this will also address the needs of those challenged with learning disabilities and differences. In fact, this approach would create a scenario where ALL “boats” would rise!
Networking opportunities for educators within their own school communities were also mentioned by these Teachers of the Year. In-house professional development sessions offering practical techniques and strategies for teachers are just what educators need and desire. Often, however, the school schedules prohibit or prevent these kinds of collaborative efforts. Often it is not about funding or finances, but it is about “creating time” for teachers to flourish and grow together.
Incentives for teaching well were also mentioned during the program. Assistance and support to under-performing teachers were also recommended. Finally, help and services for repeatedly underachieving teachers to actually transition out of the teaching profession were also suggested.
As mentioned by these fine teachers, the current state of education in the U.S. is a civil rights issue and a social justice issue. Equity for all students is possible. However, we will ALL need to “get onboard” to make it happen. Thank you, Charlie Rose, for helping to begin this all-important dialogue!
Miss Joan
http://readingfocuscard.com/focus_card.html
When working in the classroom, I find it very helpful to have a ready-to-go list of websites for parents with children challenged with ADD/ADHD. On occasion, the sheet has even helped a few of my colleagues. Here is the list I use. Feel free to download and use as you need to help make success a reality for the students in your school!
ADHD Websites
www.chadd.org - Children & Adults with ADD (CHADD)
www.add.org - National Attention Deficit Disorder Association
www.additudemag.com - ADDitude Magazine for People with ADD
www.addvance.com - ADDvance OnLine Resource for Women & Girls with ADD
www.nimh.nih.gov/healthinformation/adhdmenu.cfm -
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder link for the National Institute of Mental Health
www.oneaddplace.com - One ADD Place
www.ldonline.org - The official website of the Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities.
A place for parents, educators, and kids to learn, to find help and to exchange ideas.
www.ldanatl.org - Learning Disabilities Association of America
Hope these links are helpful to you and your students!
Joan
www.readingfocuscard.com
http://brennaninnovators.com/resources.html
It might be helpful to learn that there are some, NON-INVASIVE strategies that you can use to help with the challenges of ADD or ADHD. Here are just a few.
Politely request (as a parent) or allow for (as a classroom teacher) the following for a student:
1. Being seated in close proximity to the teacher or other presenter
2. Using graph paper while doing any math work to help promote placeholder accuracy
3. Having a course or any book content available via audiotape or CD
4. Underlining or highlighting important key words in a set of directions BEFORE beginning an assignment or task
5. Folding a worksheet or list of instructions into sections so that only a small amount of text or information is visible at a time
6. Having access to a copy of a peer or co-worker's notes, especially after a lecture or other oral presentation
7. Using special reading and learning tools, especially tools that can be customized for the individual reader or learner
For MORE strategies, visit http://readingfocuscard.com/strategies.html or http://brennaninnovators.com/strategies.html
or e-mail joan@brennaninnovators.com.
Miss Joan
Middle school teacher
Mother of 4 sons
http://www.readingfocuscard.com/