Classroom Strategies: Teaching Children with ADHD

Specific strategies for supporting students with attention and hyperactivity/impulsivity problems 

Purpose 

Specific Classroom Strategies 

To improve executive functioning (e.g., ability to plan, problem solve, do more than one thing
at a time) 

• Reduce the amount of information students have to retain and process. 

• Provide direct instruction in specific academic skills. 

• Chunk critical instructions, allow time for mental processing, and repeat. 

• Use advance organizers, structured note-taking sheets, manipulatives, 

and visual representations. 

• Use teaching/learning strategies such as mnemonics. 

• Use class-wide peer tutoring. 

To improve students’ ability to pay attention 

• Determine students’ strengths and needs and adjust instructional practice accordingly. 

• Find ways to support active engagement in learning through understanding students’ interests. 

• Provide activities that capitalize on students’ strengths and abilities. 

• Monitor student learning to detect gaps in skills and knowledge, as students 

with poor attention may not take in as much information as their peers. 

(continued) 

Table 3.1 

(continued) 

Purpose 

Specific Classroom Strategies 

To improve students’ ability to pay attention (continued) 

• Create a structured and predictable classroom environment. 

• Break down tasks into smaller chunks or units; gradually introduce tasks that 

take longer. 

• Assign only one task at a time. 

• Give smaller assignments. 

• Help students to record each day’s homework and what they need to do 

in a planner or journal. Check to ensure they have recorded the information 

accurately. 

• Teach the student to use checklists and check items off as they are completed.

(Lists provide a prompt for tasks to be done and provide the satisfaction of 

checking things off once they are completed.) 

• Ask the student to repeat instructions (e.g., “OK, so, tell me what you 

must do”). 

• Provide encouragement such as stars or small, frequently changing rewards 

for younger students. 

• Write assignments and homework on the board and repeat them aloud 

to the class. 

• Reward prosocial behaviour with positive attention and tangible rewards. 

• Seat students with attention problems close to the teacher and away 

from distractions such as windows, doors, or other students with attention 

problems. 

• Use peer-assisted learning. 

• Use an attention cue to prompt students to remain on task. 

• Provide extra time for completing tests. 

• Allow test taking in a quiet room (if feasible). 

• For adolescents: Chunk units of learning in 10- to 15-minute blocks, 

followed by rapid review to consolidate learning. 

• Use daily communication books to inform parents about positive things that occur in the student’s day and challenges the student faces. 

To reduce/manage behaviour associated with hyperactivity/ impulsivity 

• Create a structured and predictable classroom environment. 

• Establish short work sessions. 

• Break down tasks into several smaller chunks or units. 

• Assign only one task at a time. 

• Suggest the use of fidget toys for students who are fidgeting or squirming. 

• For young children: Ensure that consequences for undesirable behaviour 

follow immediately after inappropriate behaviour so the child understands 

the connection. 

• Clearly outline the consequences for undesirable behaviour ahead of time and apply them consistently. 

(continued) 

Table 3.1 

(continued) 

Purpose 

Specific Classroom Strategies 

To reduce/manage behaviour associated with hyperactivity/ impulsivity (continued) 

• Provide encouragement such as stars or small, frequently changing rewards for younger students. 

• Provide activities that capitalize on students’ strengths and abilities. 

• Create a monitoring system, such as counting the number of times in and out 

of seat. (Note: this may be done by an educator or the student, depending 

on the stage of development.) 

• Provide activities that appeal to multiple senses. 

• Find out what the students are interested in or what motivates them. 

• Reward prosocial behaviour with positive attention and tangible rewards. 

• Establish clear rules for behaviour and conduct. 

• Seat students close to the teacher and away from distractions such as 

windows, doors, or other students with attention problems. 

• For young children: Have the student do simple errands that allow him/her to

get up, move around with a purpose, and feel helpful. 

• Use daily communication books to inform parents about positive things that occur in the student’s day and challenges the student faces. 

To reinforce positive behaviour 

• Provide tangible rewards (such as points, tokens, or stickers) for on-task behaviour and appropriate classroom behaviour. The following aspects should be considered in setting up a rewards system: 

• Rewards could be given immediately or at a specified time. 

• The behaviour being rewarded should be specifically identified (e.g., raising hand before speaking) rather than generic “good” behaviour. 

• Tokens or points could be exchanged for a favourite activity or a prize chosen by the student. A variation is to have students lose points for undesirable behaviour but earn back points for desirable behaviour. 

Source: Based on information from: Tannock, 2007; Rowe et al., 2005; Eiraldi et al., 2012; Hincks-Dellcrest-ABCs, n.d.; CAMH, 2007; Parker, 2005; Lewandowski et al., 2007