Volume 3, Number 2

1996 Indiana University - The Center for Adolescent Studies

ADD Activities and Strategies

Lesson Objective:

Grade Level and Subject Area:

Materials needed:

Activities and Strategies:

• To help make transitions from one activity to another, do a countdown for the last several minutes of the activity. For instance, announce when there are five minutes left, then four minutes, three minutes...

• If a student starts to become disruptive, call on that student to read a passage aloud, answer a question or anything else you can think of. This will help get the student's mind back on task.

• Help students develop decision making skills by giving them simple decision to make during the day. For instance, they can take their test in ink or pencil.
• Explain your decisions to the students and encourage them to do the same for you.

• Allow students to do constructive doodling. Some students are more attentive when doodling.

• Sincerely praise students often for specific things they have done during the day.

• Encourage participation in all activities. Shift the focus away from winning or losing to enjoyment, contribution and satisfaction.

• Post rules for your class. Be sure to put what you want students to do, not what you don't want them to do.

• Post monthly calendar in your classroom. On it mark holidays, birthdays, project due dates, and unit begin/end dates. This way the students will be able to better keep track of plans and goals. Encourage all of your students to keep personal calendars with the same information.

• Encourage cooperation in your classroom. This will help build a sense of community so that the students will learn to help each other. To do this deemphasize grades, have students work in groups, and teach the students to cooperate and respect each other.

• When planning lessons, never plan on more than 20 minutes of seatwork or inactivity. Plan to alternate activity with inactivity.

• Always face the students when you speak to them. Try using an overhead projector instead of a blackboard so that you don't have to turn your back on the class.

• Underline key words in the directions for handouts and workbook activities.

• Always say and write instructions for activities. Many students have problems comprehending one method or the other.

• When writing tests, intersperse easier questions throughout. This helps keep the motivational level high.

• Contact parents to give them good news in order to build a supportive relationship with them.