Students and Classroom

As a result of the behaviors listed above, students with ADHD are at greater risk of academic
difficulties, social/emotional issues, and limited educational outcomes.

homework and other seatwork in the proper folders and assignment book.
Clean Out Dates: Periodically ask the student to sort through and clean out his or
her desk, book bag, and other special places where written assignments are stored.

Extra Books: Provide the student with an extra set of books or electronic
versions of books for use at home. This eliminates the student having to
remember to bring books back and forth.

Use of Calendars: Teach the student to use a calendar for scheduling
assignments. Tape a schedule of planned daily activities to the student’s desk to
help with time management and transitions.

Checklist of Homework Supplies: Give the student a checklist that identifies
categories of items needed for homework assignments. The checklist can be
taped to the inside of the student’s locker or desk.

Organizational Supports for ADHD Students

Primer text from the College of William & Mary.

Primer text from the College of William & Mary.
https://education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/documents/packets/adhd.pdf


Many students with ADHD have significant difficulties with organization.

They are more likely to respond positively when teachers establish class routines and set procedures and maintain a well-organized learning environment.

Clear rules and advanced planning are keys to success for teachers of students with ADHD.


The following organizational supports are particularly useful. Students should be taught to use these tools through teacher modeling and guided practice with feedback before being expected to use them more independently.

Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive type.
The student may:
o appear to be in constant motion,
o frequently fidget or move in his or her seat,
o become restless during quiet activities,
o leave his or her seat when expected to remain seated,
o interrupt others and classroom activities,
o talk excessively, and/or
o fail to follow classroom procedures (e.g., blurt out answers without raising hand).

The timer should be clearly visible so students can check remaining time and monitor their progress.

Visual and Environmental Prompts: Use behavioral and environmental prompts to increase desired classroom behaviors. For example, pictorial prompts of students attending in class serve as a reminder of the teacher’s expectations for learning and behavior. Electronic visual aids such as interactive whiteboards and document cameras are helpful for capturing the attention of students with ADHD (Piffner, 2011).

Method Components
What are the 4Cs?
The 4Cs for 21st century learning are Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Collaboration. They are part of the framework for 21st Century Learning and are designed to support student learning in today’s world and are skills they can use in college and career.

What is communication (and what isn’t it)?
The P21 framework emphasizes effective use of oral, written, and nonverbal communication skills for multiple purposes (e.g., to inform, instruct, motivate, persuade, and share ideas). It also focuses on effective listening, using technology to communicate, and being able to evaluate the effectiveness of communication efforts—all within diverse contexts (adapted from P21). Note that working in partners is a great way to collaborate or build shared understanding but a critical part of communication is sharing with an authentic audience.

Through global education, students will prepare to thrive and lead change in an interconnected world. Students will engage in dimensions of cultural diversity to reach common understandings and goals. Through a stronger awareness of global issues, students will be able to address today’s greatest challenges and make a difference in the world, both collaboratively and equitably.

Provide the student with an assignment notebook to help
organize homework and seatwork.

Color-Coded Folders: Provide the student with color-coded folders to help
organize assignments for different academic subjects.

Homework Partners: Assign the student a partner who can help record

Checking With Chimes: In order to teach students to monitor their attention to
task, set reminders at random intervals on an electronic device, such as a
smartphone or kitchen timer. Time intervals should be set based on the student’s
attention span and the pace of the lesson (typically 3 to 5 minutes). When the
tone sounds, the student charts or marks whether she is engaged in learning. A
simple yes or no checklist works well. Students can monitor their own behaviors
by giving themselves points or checkmarks for appropriate behavior. Extra points
may be awarded when student and teacher ratings match. The student could then
chart her score using a computer program, tablet, smartphone, graph paper, or
poster board.