by Bonnie Thomas

Created on: November 22, 2008

Math skills are some of the most important skills that we learn in life. For instance, we could not shop for necessities (addition and subtraction) or arrive at work on time (telling time) without mastering some basic math skills. Often our children miss learning some of these basic skills early on in their academic careers. This makes it difficult and frustrating for them when they are asked to perform operations later on that require the knowledge of these basic skills. Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often miss learning basic skills because they either were not able to stay focused or were out of class due to behavior issues. They are bright and very capable of acquiring the information. This is why teaching students with ADHD can be very frustrating at times. Fortunately, there are several strategies that have proven to be effective.

Behavior Prevention

Behavior prevention is foremost. The child will not learn any math skills if he has been removed from the class for disruptive behavior. This is why establishing an open rapport with the child and his parents is necessary. Once that has been accomplished, identify some signals with the child to signal that he should focus. This may be lightly squeezing his shoulder, a hand signal, or placing a sticky note on his desk.

Seating

Do not seat the child near the door or the window. This will only increase distractions. The best placement is in the front of the room.

Instruction

Students with ADHD are often not able to complete assignments because they missed the directions. Have the student repeat the directions back to you. Also, keep the directions simple.

Sometimes students with ADHD are unable to keep the operations neat on paper, thus getting the problem incorrect. Large count graphing paper can help the student organize their math problems.

Breaks

Students with ADHD cannot stay focused for extended time periods. That is why it is necessary to give them frequent breaks. It is helpful to find a fun way to redirect their attention to the lesson when the break is over. Sometimes making a game of the last question they did will help, or even just asking them what their last answer was. That will also give the student the feedback that they need to see if they are doing the work correctly.

Organization

These students are often engaged in off task behavior. When they cannot find their assignments, paper, or pencils, it can start the day off on the wrong foot. Therefore, having an assignment notebook that includes paper and pencil tucked into it can be a life saver for the day.

In conclusion, behavior prevention, organization, seating, frequent breaks, and instruction can be utilized to help students with ADHD acquire necessary math skills. These strategies cannot only be implemented in the math classroom, but in all classrooms and at home for homework.

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