Thank you to all of our professional educators who dedicate themselves to our children! We know how difficult it can be working with ADHD children, so here are your teacher tips for the week, brought to you by the ADHD Information Library and ADDinSchool.com. You can read over 500 classroom interventions at http://www.ADDinSchool.com.

Here are some tips on using worksheets with your ADHD students...

Stress accuracy instead of quantity of work. This is really what you want as a teacher anyway.

The child is easily overwhelmed and discouraged. Reduce the quantity of work on a page. Instead of giving 30 problems on a page, give only five or six. Then the child won't be overwhelmed, and successes will build up his self-esteem.

Your student may tend to want to be "the first one done" on assignments. Set reasonable accuracy goals with him and collect the entire group's work at once to reduce time pressures.
 
Use larger type.

Keep page format simple. Include no extraneous pictures or visual destructors that are unrelated to the problems to be solved.

Provide only one or two activities per page. Have white space on each page. Use dark black print. (Avoid handwritten worksheets or tests.)

Use buff-colored paper rather than white if the room's lighting creates a glare on white paper.

Write clear, simple directions. Underline key direction words or vocabulary or have the students underline these words as you read directions with them. Draw borders around parts of the page you want to emphasize.

Divide the page into sections and use a system to cover sections not currently being used. If possible, use different colors on worksheets or tests for emphasis, particularly on those involving rote, potentially boring work. Have the students use colored pens or pencils.

Give frequent short quizzes and avoid long tests. Provide practice tests.

Provide alternative environments with fewer distractions for test taking.

Using a tape recorder, have the student record test answers and assignments or give the student oral examinations.

Shorten assignments. If the child can demonstrate adequate concept mastery in 10 or 20 questions/problems, don't require 30 or 40 problems.

Learn more about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder at the ADHD Information Library.