Affective Instructional Practices for the ADD

Student

Molly Rathje
Professor Schumacher
Foundations of Education EDU220

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December 15, 2010
Affective Instructional Practices for the ADD ADHD Student
Having a child with a learning disability such as ADD or ADHD, can be a difficult
task to overcome in the classroom. There have been different practices for teachers to
follow to overcome this obstacle. Research has shown that nearly five percent of
middle-school aged children have ADD(askdrsears.com). These children are often
misunderstood. Children with ADD are usually punished for their difference, not guided
through it.
Many times students with ADD are not aided correctly for the teachers lack of
understanding how to assess the child. Assess the unique educational needs of a child
with ADD in your class. Working with a multi-disciplinary team, consider both academic
and behavioral needs, using formal diagnostic assessments and informal classroom
observations( childrensdisabilities.info). Children need to be understood and for that to
happen affectively they need to have the proper assessment.
There are many types of affective ways to keep a child with ADD away from
distractions. Seating a child away from any windows or doors can be an effective
method. Children with ADD focus better when they are not in view of anything that is off
topic. It is better to alternate between seated lessons and those with movement
(helpguide.org). Children with this disability tend to achieve more when there are not
things in their surroundings that can cause them distractions.
Children with ADD tend to interrupt during class conversations(helpguide.org).
Although most of the time the child is unaware of what they are doing. These children
usually have quite low self-esteem, so calling attention to this behavior in class is not a
great idea for teachers. It is important for teachers to have a type of code or sign to let
the child know that they are interrupting. Rewarding the child for not interrupting will
give them a sense of satisfaction(helpguide.org).

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It is affective to begin the year with the class making a list of skills that they want
to learn throughout the school year(brighthub.com). This method is affective for those
who are every creative; yet do not ever complete their work. It will give students a goal
that they set themselves that they want to accomplish. The students are given colored
pencils, crayons and markers to decorate their ideas; they will become more
interested(brighthub.com). Giving the students reinforcement throughout the project will
aid them in being more successful. If the students are given an opportunity to present
their work they will be more likely to gain confidence(brighthub.com).
Effective teachers help prepare their students to learn when they introduce,
conduct, and conclude each new lesson. These teachers principles of effective
instruction, will help a child with ADD to stay focused on his assigned tasks as they
transition from one lesson to another throughout the school
day(childrensdisabilities.info).
Students with ADD benefit from clear statements about their teachers
expectations at the beginning of the lesson(childrensdisabilities.info). It is affective for
teachers to review previous lessons for the ADD student. Information that is reviewed
will help to remind the children of the lesson so they will learn to stay focused on
learning to regroup in subtraction(childrensdisabilites.info). Set learning explanations
are very important to the students. Students who know what they are expected to learn
are a lot more likely to pay better attention. For example, in an English class after
reading a story it would be helpful for a teacher to identify new vocabulary words in the
story(childrensdisabilites.info). Also, set behavioral expectations are also very
beneficial in the classroom with the ADD student. Students need to be aware of the
behavior they are expected to display during lessons or work at their seats. They

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should be told if they are allowed to talk to their neighbors or remain
silent(childrensdisabilities.info). Children also need to have the materials for their
assignments before they begin. It is helpful for the students to have them provided,
because if they have to find their own materials they can become very distracted. It is
helpful for the child to know all necessary information before beginning a task, in order
for them to complete it successfully.
There are many different ways to teach a lesson. Each way reaches children
with different types of learning methods, such as kinesthetic, auditory, or visual. The
child with ADD usually responds the best to audio-visual materials. The use of
overhead projectors can be very helpful in a classroom with students who have ADD.
Using different methods can aide in the learning process of the child.
It is very important to let the students know that they will not be penalized for an
incorrect answer. Students with ADD need a longer response time before they are told
that they do not know. Each student needs to understand that they will each be allowed
the same amount of time before the teacher will ask another student.
Students with ADD tend to have a very short attention span. It is very important
for teachers to watch for this type of activity in the classroom. Students need to be
aided with staying on task. It is important for the children with ADD to be given extra
help so that they are able to pay as much attention and learn as well as the other
students in the class.
The level of noise in the classroom is also very important to the students learning
process. If the student is hearing noise that do not pertain to the lesson that is being
learned, they are more likely to not learn things as affectively. Any type of noise that is
loud or disruptive to learning students needs to be quieted. The level of noise that each
child can handle will vary, it is important for teachers to understand the happy medium.

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Although each of these methods is important for the student being successful in
the classroom, the most important thing for the teacher to understand is what ADD is.
The teacher needs to know that they cannot allow the children with ADD to fall behind.
The classroom needs to be altered for the ADD student, yet also needs to comply with
the needs of the students without ADD. Each and every child in the classroom needs to
be taken into account. The child with ADD will need more help with focusing, yet they
can learn just the same as the child without it.
When a childs needs are not met, they will have an unsuccessful time in the
classroom. The affective teacher is someone who cares enough about their students to
learn what causes them to behave the way they do. If each child is properly understood
the teacher will have a better chance of controlling their classroom.
The most affective teacher is someone who would like to know what they can do
to aid the children with their learning process. They need to understand how they can
help each student in their classroom. The teacher and the student need to work
together to form a bond in the classroom. The teacher needs to aid the child in
learning, and also aid them in their mental development. Each child needs to be
understood in order to be taught affectively.

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Works Cited
Barbara. Cooperative Learning Tips for Students with ADD/ADHD. Bright Hub. 2010.
15 Dec. 2010.
http://www.brighthub.com/education/special/articles/24512.aspx

Chesapeake Institute. Attention Deficits ADD : Tips Teachers Should Know.

Childrens
Disabilities Information. 15 Dec. 2010.
http://www.childrensdisabilities.info/adhd/whatteachers.html
Jocelyn Block, M.A. and Melinda Smith, M.A. Helpguide.org. Jan. 2010. 15 Dec. 2010
http://helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_teaching_strategies.htm
What ADD is. AskDrSears.com. 2008. 15 Dec. 2010
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/t101000.asp