Ideas for Attention Deficit Children Children whose attention seems to wander or who never seem to "be with" the rest of the class might be helped by the following suggestions. Pause and create suspense by looking around before asking questions. Randomly pick reciters so the children cannot time their attention. Signal that someone is going to have to answer a question about what is being said. Use the child’s name in a question or in the material being covered. Ask a simple question (not even related to the topic at hand) to a child whose attention is beginning to wander. Develop a private running joke between you and the child that can be invoked to re-involve you with the child. Stand close to an inattentive child and touch him or her on the shoulder as you are teaching. Walk around the classroom as the lesson is progressing and tap the place in the child’s book that is currently being read or discussed. Decrease the length of assignments or lessons. Alternate physical and mental activities. Increase the novelty of lessons by using films, tapes, flash cards, or small group work or by having a child call on others. Incorporate the children’s interests into a lesson plan. Structure in some guided daydreaming time. Give simple, concrete instructions, once. Investigate the use of simple mechanical devices that indicate attention versus inattention. Teach children self monitoring strategies. Use a soft voice to give direction. Employ peers or older students or volunteer parents as tutors. Books and Materials For Helping Kids & Teens With ADHD[Top of Page]-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Strategies for Cognitively Impulsive ChildrenSome children have difficulty staying with the task at hand. Their verbalizations seem irrelevant and their performance indicates that they are not thinking reflectively about what they are doing. Some possible ideas to try out in this situation...
