10 strategies to keep children with ADHD focused in the classroom.

Structured Routine

Establish a daily schedule that's prominently displayed in the classroom. For example, start each day with a morning meeting, followed by reading time, maths, recess, and so on. A visual schedule with pictures can help younger students understand the sequence of activities. For high school students, this might look like colouring in their timetable in their diary, with a different colour allocated to each subject.

Clear and Concise Instructions

When assigning a writing task, break it down into steps: brainstorm ideas, write a draft, then revise.

Use a checklist so students can mark off each step as they complete it. This helps students with ADHD focus on one part of the task at a time, so they're not overwhelmed by the whole list at once, and it lets the teacher monitor progress as they move through each part.

Positive Reinforcement

Implement a reward system where students earn points for staying on task, exchangeable for small rewards like extra recess time or a classroom privilege. Reward Charts work great for this. For instance, a student who completes their maths worksheet without getting distracted might earn a point toward a class-wide goal.

Seat Placement

Place students with ADHD at the front of the classroom, near the teacher's desk, and away from windows and doors. This reduces visual distractions and lets the teacher offer more immediate support, for example, prompting the student to stay focused during a reading lesson.

Movement Breaks

Incorporate short physical activities between lessons, like a two-minute stretch or a quick dance routine. After a challenging worksheet, let students stand up and move around the room, it helps release energy and return to tasks with better concentration. If movement breaks aren't possible in the moment, a wobble cushion or wobble stool can be useful. These let students move quietly on their seat, using their core stabiliser muscles to burn off built-up energy while staying positioned at their desk.

Visual Aids and Tools

Use colourful charts to outline the steps for a science experiment, or graphic organisers to help students plan their essays, a mind map can help a student organise their thoughts before writing a story, keeping them anchored to the task.

Visual tools are worth building into the classroom day to day too: countdown timers and visual schedules help students stay on track and tick off tasks as they're finished, while reward charts and step-by-step instruction cards give them something concrete to follow rather than holding it all in their head.

Multisensory Instruction

Use hands-on activities like building models in a history lesson or using manipulatives in maths. During a lesson on fractions, for example, let students use fraction tiles to visually and physically manipulate the parts of a whole.

Behavioural Interventions

Implement a token economy system where students earn tokens for positive behaviours, like staying seated during work time. Tokens can be exchanged for rewards like choosing a book to read or leading a classroom game.

Collaborative Learning

Pair students with ADHD with peers who can help keep them on task during group activities. During a group science project, for example, assign specific roles to each student so the child with ADHD stays engaged and knows exactly what they need to do.

Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques

Integrate a short mindfulness exercise into a lesson, such as deep breathing, yoga, or guided imagery. After lunch, for example, lead the class in a three-minute breathing exercise to help students settle before starting the next lesson.