1. Make Use of Their Strengths: Hyperfocus
What to Do: Encourage children to deeply engage with topics or activities they find exciting.
How to Apply: Offer choices for projects or tasks, allowing them to focus on subjects that genuinely interest them. This taps into their natural ability to concentrate when something captures their attention.
2. Incorporate Mindfulness Activities
What to Do: Help children stay present and grounded.
How to Apply: Start or end the lesson with a brief mindfulness exercise, such as the "Five Senses Game." Ask pupils to identify one thing they can see, hear, smell, touch, and taste to bring their focus to the present moment.
3. Simplify Instructions and Tasks
What to Do: Break tasks into smaller, more manageable steps.
How to Apply: Provide clear written or verbal instructions in short, simple chunks. Celebrate each completed step to maintain motivation and a sense of achievement.
4. Bring Fun and Curiosity into Lessons
What to Do: Make learning engaging and enjoyable.
How to Apply: Use games, puzzles, or storytelling to teach concepts. For instance, turn a maths lesson into a treasure hunt or a science topic into a fun mystery for pupils to solve.
5. Allow for Movement and Breaks
What to Do: Recognise the need for physical movement to refresh their focus.
How to Apply: Include short, active breaks between lessons, such as stretching, a quick walk around the classroom, or a brief game. This helps them reset and return to tasks more focused.
6. Minimise Distractions
What to Do: Reduce unnecessary interruptions in the learning environment.
How to Apply: Seat children with ADHD in quieter areas of the classroom, away from windows or busy pathways. Tools like noise-cancelling headphones or visual dividers can also be helpful.
7. Celebrate Their Creativity
What to Do: Encourage their natural ability to think outside the box.
How to Apply: Provide opportunities for creative expression in assignments. Let them draw, act out, or invent their own unique ways to demonstrate their understanding.
8. Provide Flexible Structure
What to Do: Keep routines consistent but allow for some flexibility.
How to Apply: Use visual schedules or timers to maintain structure, but adapt as needed to suit their individual learning styles and energy levels.
9. Give Immediate and Encouraging Feedback
What to Do: Offer feedback that’s both clear and positive.
How to Apply: Use verbal praise, stickers, or points to reward good behaviour and accomplishments. Focus on recognising effort as much as achievement to build confidence.
10. Encourage Self-Reflection
What to Do: Help children understand what works for them.
How to Apply: At the end of the day, guide them in reflecting on what helped them stay focused and what they could do differently next time.
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