|
|
Individualizing ADHD
Schools Practices.
In addition to the general strategies listed for introducing,
conducting, and concluding lessons, effective ADHD schools education also
includes individualizing instructional practices in accordance
with different academic subjects and the needs of their students
within each area.
Children with ADD have different ways of learning and retaining
information, not all of which involve traditional reading and
listening. Effectively
teaching ADHD children first involves identifying
areas in which each child requires extra assistance and then use
special ADD education strategies to provide structured
opportunities for the child to review and master an academic
lesson that was previously presented to the entire class.
Math Computation: Numerous individualized instructional
practices can help children with ADHD improve their basic
computation skills. The following are just a few ADHD schools
practices;
-
Patterns in math: The
ADHD
teacher can help students recognize patterns when
adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing whole numbers.
(e.g., the digits of numbers which are multiples of 9 [18, 27, 36
. . . ] add up to 9).
-
Partnering for math activities: Pair a child with ADD with
another student and provide opportunities for the partners to quiz
each other about basic education computation skills.
-
Mastery of math symbols: If children do not understand the
symbols used in math, they will not be able to do the work. For
instance, do they understand that the “plus” in 1 + 3 means to add
and that the “minus” in 5 – 3 means to take away?
-
Mnemonics for basic computation: Teach the child mnemonics that
describe basic steps in computing whole numbers. For example,
“Don't Miss Susie’s Boat” can be used to help the student recall
the basic steps in long division (i.e., divide, multiply,
subtract, and bring down).
-
Real-life examples of money skills:
When teaching
ADHD students, provide
students with real-life opportunities to practice target money
skills. For example, ask the child to calculate his or her change
when paying for lunch in the school cafeteria, or set up a class
store where children can practice calculating change.
-
Color coding arithmetic symbols: Color code basic arithmetic
symbols, such as +, –, and =, to provide visual cues for children
when they are computing whole numbers.
-
Calculators to check basic computation: Ask the ADD child to use
a calculator to check addition, subtraction, multiplication, or
division.
-
Board games for basic computation:
In the
ADHD classroom, ask the child to play
board games to practice adding, subtracting, multiplying, and
dividing whole numbers.
-
Computer games for basic computation: Schedule computer time for
the ADHD child to drill and practice basic computations, using
appropriate games. Many
504 ADHD
plans will include assistive technology like
computers.
-
“Magic minute” drills. Have students perform a quick (60-second)
drill every day to practice basic computation of math facts, and
have children track their own performance.
Solving Math Word Problems: To help ADHD children improve
their education skill in solving word problems in mathematics, try
the following
ADHD teaching
tips;
-
Reread the problem: Teach the ADHD student to read a word problem
two times before beginning to compute the answer. The
ADHD school
that practices this technique find that their
students do indeed perform better when they fully understand
the problem.
-
Clue words: Teach the ADHD child clue words that identify which
operation to use when solving word problems. For example, words
such as “sum,” “total,” or “all together” may indicate an addition
operation.
-
Guiding questions for word problems: Teach ADD students to ask
guiding questions in solving word problems. For example: What is
the question asked in the problem? What information do you need to
figure out the answer? What operation should you use to compute
the answer?
-
Real-life examples of word problems:
In the ADHD schools classroom, ask the student to create
and solve word problems that provide practice with specific target
operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, or
division. These problems can be based on recent, real-life events
in the child’s life.
-
Calculators to check word problems: Ask the ADD student to use a
calculator to check computations made in answering assigned word
problems. An
ADHD 504 plan will often require that an ADHD
student be allowed to use a calculator. Some might even
allow for the use of
ADHD remedies.
Use of Special Materials in Math: Some children with ADD
benefit from using different education materials to help them
complete their math assignments, including;
-
Number lines: Provide number lines for the child to use when
computing whole numbers.
-
Manipulatives: Use manipulatives to help students gain basic
computation skills, such as counting poker chips when adding
single-digit numbers.
-
Graph paper: Ask the child to use graph paper to help organize
columns when adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing whole
numbers.
|
