Lesson Objective:

Help teacher and students maximize the benefits of having an ADD/ADHD student in the classroom. Help all the students get the most out of class, especially the ADD/ADHD students.

Grade Level and Subject Area:

All grade levels. All subject areas.

Materials needed:

None

Activities and Strategies:

* To help make transitions from one activity to another, do a countdown for the last several minutes of the activity. For instance, announce when there are five minutes left, then four minutes, three minutes...

* If a student starts to become disruptive, call on that student to read a passage aloud, answer a question or anything else you can think of. This will help get the student's mind back on task.

* Help students develop decision making skills by giving them simple decision to make during the day. For instance, they can take their test in ink or pencil.

* Explain your decisions to the students and encourage them to do the same for you.

* Allow students to do constructive doodling. Some students are more attentive when doodling.

* Sincerely praise students often for specific things they have done during the day.

* Encourage participation in all activities. Shift the focus away from winning or losing to enjoyment, contribution and satisfaction.

* Post rules for your class. Be sure to put what you want students to do, not what you don't want them to do.

* Post monthly calendar in your classroom. On it mark holidays, birthdays, project due dates, and unit begin/end dates. This way the students will be able to better keep track of plans and goals.

* Encourage all of your students to keep personal calendars with the same information.

* Encourage cooperation in your classroom. This will help build a sense of community so that the students will learn to help each other. To do this de-emphasize grades, have students work in groups, and teach the students to cooperate and respect each other.

* When planning lessons, never plan on more than 20 minutes of seat work or inactivity. Plan to alternate activity with inactivity.

* Always face the students when you speak to them. Try using an overhead projector instead of a blackboard so that you don't have to turn your back on the class.

* Underline key words in the directions for handouts and workbook activities.

* Always say and write instructions for activities. Many students have problems comprehending one method or the other.

* When writing tests, intersperse easier questions throughout. This helps keep the motivational level high.

* Contact parents to give them good news in order to build a supportive relationship with them.