TEACHING CHILDREN WITH

ATTENTION DEFICIT

HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER:

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND PRACTICES

2004
Teaching Children with 

Attention Deficit 

Hyperactivity Disorder: 

Instructional Strategies and Practices

2004
 ADHD: Identification and Treatment

This report was produced under U.S. Department of Education Contract No. HS97017002 with the American Institutes for 

Research under the direction of Stephanie Jackson. Kelly Henderson served as technical representative for this project. 

U.S. Department of Education

Rod Paige

Secretary

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

Troy R. Justesen

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary

Office of Special Education Programs

Stephanie Lee

Director

Research to Practice Division

Louis C. Danielson

Director

February 2004

This report is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted. While permission to 

reprint this publication is not necessary, the citation should be: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education 

and Rehabilitative Services, Office of Special Education Programs, Teaching Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity 

Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices, Washington, D.C., 2004. 

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Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices iii

Contents

Introduction......................................................................................................................................................1

Identifying Children with ADHD ............................................................................................................1

An Overall Strategy for the Successful Instruction of Children with ADHD......................................3

How to Implement the Strategy: Three Components of Successful Programs for Children 

with ADHD ......................................................................................................................................................4

Academic Instruction.................................................................................................................................4

Introducing Lessons ............................................................................................................................5

Conducting Lessons ............................................................................................................................6

Concluding Lessons ............................................................................................................................8

Individualizing Instructional Practices ..............................................................................................9

Organizational and Study Skills Useful for Academic Instruction of Children 

with ADHD ...................................................................................................................................... 14

Behavioral Interventions ........................................................................................................................ 16

Effective Behavioral Intervention Techniques .............................................................................. 17

Classroom Accommodations................................................................................................................. 22

Special Classroom Seating Arrangements for ADHD Students ................................................. 22

Instructional Tools and the Physical Learning Environment ...................................................... 22

Conclusion..................................................................................................................................................... 23

References...................................................................................................................................................... 25
iv Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices 
Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices 1

Teaching Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity 

Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices

Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are the core 

symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder 

(ADHD). A child’s academic success is often dependent on his 

or her ability to attend to tasks and teacher and classroom 

expectations with minimal distraction. Such skill enables a 

student to acquire necessary information, complete 

assignments, and participate in classroom activities and 

discussions (Forness & Kavale, 2001). When a child exhibits 

behaviors associated with ADHD, consequences may include 

difficulties with academics and with forming relationships with 

his or her peers if appropriate instructional methodologies and 

interventions are not implemented.

There are an estimated 1.46 to 2.46 million children with 

ADHD in the United States; together these children constitute 

3–5 percent of the student population (Stevens, 1997; American 

Psychiatric Association, 1994). More boys than girls are 

diagnosed with ADHD; most research suggests that the 

condition is diagnosed four to nine times more often in boys 

than in girls (Bender, 1997; Hallowell, 1994; Rief, 1997). 

Although for years it was assumed to be a childhood disorder 

that became visible as early as age 3 and then disappeared with 

the advent of adolescence, the condition is not limited to 

children. It is now known that while the symptoms of the 

disorders may change as a child ages, many children with 

ADHD do not grow out of it (Mannuzza, Klein, Bessler, 

Malloy, & LaPadula, 1998).

The behaviors associated with ADHD change as children grow 

older. For example, a preschool child may show gross motor 

overactivity—always running or climbing and frequently 

shifting from one activity to another. Older children may be 

restless and fidget in their seats or play with their chairs and 

desks. They frequently fail to finish their schoolwork, or they 

work carelessly. Adolescents with ADHD tend to be more 

withdrawn and less communicative. They are often impulsive, 

reacting spontaneously without regard to previous plans or 

necessary tasks and homework.

According to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic Statistical 

Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) of the American 

Psychiatric Association (APA) (1994), ADHD can be defined 

Introduction

Identifying Children 

with ADHD
2 Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices

by behaviors exhibited. Individuals with ADHD exhibit 

combinations of the following behaviors:

• Fidgeting with hands or feet or squirming in their seat 

(adolescents with ADHD may appear restless);

• Difficulty remaining seated when required to do so;

• Difficulty sustaining attention and waiting for a turn in tasks, 

games, or group situations;

• Blurting out answers to questions before the questions have 

been completed;

• Difficulty following through on instructions and in 

organizing tasks;

• Shifting from one unfinished activity to another;

• Failing to give close attention to details and avoiding 

careless mistakes;

• Losing things necessary for tasks or activities;

• Difficulty in listening to others without being distracted or 

interrupting;

• Wide ranges in mood swings; and

• Great difficulty in delaying gratification.

Children with ADHD show different combinations of these 

behaviors and typically exhibit behavior that is classified into 

two main categories: poor sustained attention and 

hyperactivity-impulsiveness. Three subtypes of the disorder 

have been described in the DSM-IV: predominantly inattentive, 

predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, and combined types 

(American Psychiatric Association [APA] as cited in Barkley, 

1997). For instance, children with ADHD, without 

hyperactivity and impulsivity, do not show excessive activity or 

fidgeting but instead may daydream, act lethargic or restless, 

and frequently do not finish their academic work. Not all of 

these behaviors appear in all situations. A child with ADHD 

may be able to focus when he or she is receiving frequent 

reinforcement or is under very strict control. The ability to 

focus is also common in new settings or while interacting oneon-one. While other children may occasionally show some 

signs of these behaviors, in children with ADHD the symptoms 

are more frequent and more severe than in other children of 

the same age. 

Although many children have only ADHD, others have 

additional academic or behavioral diagnoses. For instance, it 
Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices 3

has been documented that approximately a quarter to one-third 

of all children with ADHD also have learning disabilities 

(Forness & Kavale, 2001; Robelia, 1997; Schiller, 1996), with 

studies finding populations where the comorbidity ranges from 

7 to 92 percent (DuPaul & Stoner, 1994; Osman, 2000). 

Likewise, children with ADHD have coexisting psychiatric 

disorders at a much higher rate. Across studies, the rate of 

conduct or oppositional defiant disorders varied from 43 to 93 

percent and anxiety or mood disorders from 13 to 51 percent 

(Burt, Krueger, McGue, & Iacono, 2001; Forness, Kavale, & 

San Miguel, 1998; Jensen, Martin, & Cantwell, 1997; Jensen, 

Shertvette, Zenakis, & Ritchters, 1993). National data on 

children who receive special education confirm this comorbidity with other identified disabilities. Among parents of 

children age 6–13 years who have an emotional disturbance, 

65 percent report their children also have ADHD. Parents of 

28 percent of children with learning disabilities report their 

children also have ADHD (Wagner & Blackorby, 2002).

When selecting and implementing successful instructional 

strategies and practices, it is imperative to understand the 

characteristics of the child, including those pertaining to 

disabilities or diagnoses. This knowledge will be useful in the 

evaluation and implementation of successful practices, which 

are often the same practices that benefit students without 

ADHD.

Teachers who are successful in educating children with ADHD 

use a three-pronged strategy. They begin by identifying the 

unique needs of the child. For example, the teacher determines 

how, when, and why the child is inattentive, impulsive, and 

hyperactive. The teacher then selects different educational 

practices associated with academic instruction, behavioral 

interventions, and classroom accommodations that are 

appropriate to meet that child’s needs. Finally, the teacher 

combines these practices into an individualized educational 

program (IEP) or other individualized plan and integrates this 

program with educational activities provided to other children 

in the class. The three-pronged strategy, in summary, is as 

follows:

• Evaluate the child’s individual needs and strengths.

Assess the unique educational needs and strengths of a child 

with ADHD in the class. Working with a multidisciplinary 

team and the child’s parents, consider both academic and 

behavioral needs, using formal diagnostic assessments and 

informal classroom observations. Assessments, such as 

learning style inventories, can be used to determine 

An Overall Strategy for 

the Successful 

Instruction of Children 

with ADHD
4 Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices

children’s strengths and enable instruction to build on their 

existing abilities. The settings and contexts in which 

challenging behaviors occur should be considered in the 

evaluation. 

• Select appropriate instructional practices. Determine 

which instructional practices will meet the academic and 

behavioral needs identified for the child. Select practices 

that fit the content, are age appropriate, and gain the 

attention of the child.

• For children receiving special education services, 

integrate appropriate practices within an IEP. In 

consultation with other educators and parents, an IEP 

should be created to reflect annual goals and the special 

education-related services, along with supplementary aids 

and services necessary for attaining those goals. Plan how to 

integrate the educational activities provided to other 

children in your class with those selected for the child with 

ADHD.

Because no two children with ADHD are alike, it is important 

to keep in mind that no single educational program, practice, or 

setting will be best for all children.

Successful programs for children with ADHD integrate the 

following three components:

• Academic Instruction;

• Behavioral Interventions; and

• Classroom Accommodations.

The remainder of this document describes how to integrate a 

program using these three components and provides suggestions 

for practices that can help children with ADHD in a classroom 

setting. It should be emphasized that many of the techniques 

suggested have the additional benefit of enhancing the learning 

of other children in the classroom who do not have ADHD. In 

addition, while they have been used most widely with children at 

the elementary level, the following practices are useful for older 

students as well.

The first major component of the most effective instruction for 

children with ADHD is effective academic instruction. Teachers 

can help prepare their students with ADHD to achieve by 

applying the principles of effective teaching when they 

introduce, conduct, and conclude each lesson. The discussion 

How to Implement the 

Strategy: Three 

Components of 

Successful Programs for 

Children with ADHD

Academic Instruction
Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices 5

and techniques that follow pertain to the instructional process in 

general (across subject areas); strategies for specific subject areas 

appear in the subsequent subsection “Individualizing 

Instructional Practices.” 

Students with ADHD learn best with a carefully structured 

academic lesson—one where the teacher explains what he or 

she wants children to learn in the current lesson and places 

these skills and knowledge in the context of previous lessons. 

Effective teachers preview their expectations about what 

students will learn and how they should behave during the 

lesson. A number of teaching-related practices have been found 

especially useful in facilitating this process:

• Provide an advance organizer. Prepare students for the 

day’s lesson by quickly summarizing the order of various 

activities planned. Explain, for example, that a review of the 

previous lesson will be followed by new information and 

that both group and independent work will be expected.

• Review previous lessons. Review information about 

previous lessons on this topic. For example, remind 

children that yesterday’s lesson focused on learning how to 

regroup in subtraction. Review several problems before 

describing the current lesson.

• Set learning expectations. State what students are 

expected to learn during the lesson. For example, explain to 

students that a language arts lesson will involve reading a 

story about Paul Bunyan and identifying new vocabulary 

words in the story.

• Set behavioral expectations. Describe how students are 

expected to behave during the lesson. For example, tell 

children that they may talk quietly to their neighbors as 

they do their seatwork or they may raise their hands to get 

your attention.

• State needed materials. Identify all materials that the 

children will need during the lesson, rather than leaving 

them to figure out on their own the materials required. For 

example, specify that children need their journals and 

pencils for journal writing or their crayons, scissors, and 

colored paper for an art project. 

• Explain additional resources. Tell students how to obtain 

help in mastering the lesson. For example, refer children to 

a particular page in the textbook for guidance on 

completing a worksheet.

Introducing Lessons
6 Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices

• Simplify instructions, choices, and scheduling. The 

simpler the expectations communicated to an ADHD 

student, the more likely it is that he or she will comprehend 

and complete them in a timely and productive manner. 

In order to conduct the most productive lessons for children 

with ADHD, effective teachers periodically question children’s 

understanding of the material, probe for correct answers before 

calling on other students, and identify which students need 

additional assistance. Teachers should keep in mind that 

transitions from one lesson or class to another are particularly 

difficult for students with ADHD. When they are prepared for 

transitions, these children are more likely to respond and to 

stay on task. The following set of strategies may assist teachers 

in conducting effective lessons:

• Be predictable. Structure and consistency are very 

important for children with ADHD; many do not deal well 

with change. Minimal rules and minimal choices are best 

for these children. They need to understand clearly what is 

expected of them, as well as the consequences for not 

adhering to expectations. 

• Support the student’s participation in the classroom.

Provide students with ADHD with private, discreet cues to 

stay on task and advance warning that they will be called 

upon shortly. Avoid bringing attention to differences 

between ADHD students and their classmates. At all times, 

avoid the use of sarcasm and criticism.

• Use audiovisual materials. Use a variety of audiovisual 

materials to present academic lessons. For example, use an 

overhead projector to demonstrate how to solve an addition 

problem requiring regrouping. The students can work on 

the problem at their desks while you manipulate counters 

on the projector screen.

• Check student performance. Question individual 

students to assess their mastery of the lesson. For example, 

you can ask students doing seatwork (i.e., lessons completed 

by students at their desks in the classroom) to demonstrate 

how they arrived at the answer to a problem, or you can ask 

individual students to state, in their own words, how the 

main character felt at the end of the story.

• Ask probing questions. Probe for the correct answer after 

allowing a child sufficient time to work out the answer to a 

question. Count at least 15 seconds before giving the answer 

or calling on another student. Ask followup questions that 

Conducting Lessons
Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices 7

give children an opportunity to demonstrate what they 

know.

• Perform ongoing student evaluation. Identify students 

who need additional assistance. Watch for signs of lack of 

comprehension, such as daydreaming or visual or verbal 

indications of frustration. Provide these children with extra 

explanations, or ask another student to serve as a peer tutor 

for the lesson.

• Help students correct their own mistakes. Describe how 

students can identify and correct their own mistakes. For 

example, remind students that they should check their 

calculations in math problems and reiterate how they can 

check their calculations; remind students of particularly 

difficult spelling rules and how students can watch out for 

easy-to-make errors.

• Help students focus. Remind students to keep working 

and to focus on their assigned task. For example, you can 

provide follow-up directions or assign learning partners. 

These practices can be directed at individual children or at 

the entire class.

• Follow-up directions. Effective teachers of children with 

ADHD also guide them with follow-up directions:

— Oral directions. After giving directions to the class as a 

whole, provide additional oral directions for a child with 

ADHD. For example, ask the child if he or she understood the directions and repeat the directions together.

— Written directions. Provide follow-up directions in writing. 

For example, write the page number for an assignment 

on the chalkboard and remind the child to look at the 

chalkboard if he or she forgets the assignment.

• Lower noise level. Monitor the noise level in the 

classroom, and provide corrective feedback, as needed. If 

the noise level exceeds the level appropriate for the type of 

lesson, remind all students—or individual students—about 

the behavioral rules stated at the beginning of the lesson.

• Divide work into smaller units. Break down assignments 

into smaller, less complex tasks. For example, allow 

students to complete five math problems before presenting 

them with the remaining five problems. 

• Highlight key points. Highlight key words in the 

instructions on worksheets to help the child with ADHD 

focus on the directions. Prepare the worksheet before the 
8 Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices

lesson begins, or underline key words as you and the child 

read the directions together. When reading, show children 

how to identify and highlight a key sentence, or have them 

write it on a separate piece of paper, before asking for a 

summary of the entire book. In math, show children how to 

underline the important facts and operations; in “Mary has 

two apples, and John has three,” underline “two,” “and,” 

and “three.”

• Eliminate or reduce frequency of timed tests. Tests that 

are timed may not allow children with ADHD to 

demonstrate what they truly know due to their potential 

preoccupation with elapsed time. Allow students with 

ADHD more time to complete quizzes and tests in order to 

eliminate “test anxiety,” and provide them with other 

opportunities, methods, or test formats to demonstrate their 

knowledge. 

• Use cooperative learning strategies. Have students work 

together in small groups to maximize their own and each 

other’s learning. Use strategies such as Think-Pair-Share 

where teachers ask students to think about a topic, pair with 

a partner to discuss it, and share ideas with the group. 

(Slavin, 2002). 

• Use assistive technology. All students, and those with 

ADHD in particular, can benefit from the use of technology 

(such as computers and projector screens), which makes 

instruction more visual and allows students to participate 

actively. 

Effective teachers conclude their lessons by providing advance 

warning that the lesson is about to end, checking the completed 

assignments of at least some of the students with ADHD, and 

instructing students how to begin preparing for the next activity. 

• Provide advance warnings. Provide advance warning 

that a lesson is about to end. Announce 5 or 10 minutes 

before the end of the lesson (particularly for seatwork and 

group projects) how much time remains. You may also want 

to tell students at the beginning of the lesson how much 

time they will have to complete it.

• Check assignments. Check completed assignments for at 

least some students. Review what they have learned during 

the lesson to get a sense of how ready the class was for the 

lesson and how to plan the next lesson.

Concluding Lessons
Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices 9

• Preview the next lesson. Instruct students on how to 

begin preparing for the next lesson. For example, inform 

children that they need to put away their textbooks and 

come to the front of the room for a large-group spelling 

lesson.

In addition to the general strategies listed above for 

introducing, conducting, and concluding their lessons, effective 

teachers of students with ADHD also individualize their 

instructional practices in accordance with different academic 

subjects and the needs of their students within each area. This is 

because children with ADHD have different ways of learning 

and retaining information, not all of which involve traditional 

reading and listening. Effective teachers first identify areas in 

which each child requires extra assistance and then use special 

strategies to provide structured opportunities for the child to 

review and master an academic lesson that was previously 

presented to the entire class. Strategies that may help facilitate 

this goal include the following (grouped by subject area):

Language Arts and Reading Comprehension

To help children with ADHD who are poor readers improve 

their reading comprehension skills, try the following 

instructional practices:

• Silent reading time. Establish a fixed time each day for 

silent reading (e.g., D.E.A.R.: Drop Everything and Read 

and Sustained Silent Reading [Manzo & Zehr, 1998 and 

Holt & O’Tuel, 1989]).

• Follow-along reading. Ask the child to read a story silently 

while listening to other students or the teacher read the 

story aloud to the entire class.

• Partner reading activities. Pair the child with ADHD 

with another student partner who is a strong reader. The 

partners take turns reading orally and listening to each 

other.

• Storyboards. Ask the child to make storyboards that 

illustrate the sequence of main events in a story.

• Storytelling. Schedule storytelling sessions where the child 

can retell a story that he or she has read recently.

• Playacting. Schedule playacting sessions where the child 

can role-play different characters in a favorite story.

• Word bank. Keep a word bank or dictionary of new or 

“hard-to-read” sight-vocabulary words.

Individualizing Instructional 

Practices
10 Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices

• Board games for reading comprehension. Play board 

games that provide practice with target readingcomprehension skills or sight-vocabulary words.

• Computer games for reading comprehension. Schedule 

computer time for the child to have drill-and-practice with 

sight vocabulary words.

• Recorded books. These materials, available from many 

libraries, can stimulate interest in traditional reading and 

can be used to reinforce and complement reading lessons. 

• “Backup” materials for home use. Make available to 

students a second set of books and materials that they can 

use at home. 

• Summary materials. Allow and encourage students to use 

published book summaries, synopses, and digests of major 

reading assignments to review (not replace) reading 

assignments. 

Phonics

To help children with ADHD master rules of phonics, the 

following are effective:

• Mnemonics for phonics. Teach the child mnemonics that 

provide reminders about hard-to-learn phonics rules (e.g., 

“when two vowels go walking, the first does the talking”) 

(Scruggs & Mastropieri, 2000).

• Word families. Teach the child to recognize and read word 

families that illustrate particular phonetic concepts (e.g., 

“ph” sounds, “at-bat-cat”).

• Board games for phonics. Have students play board 

games, such as bingo, that allow them to practice 

phonetically irregular words.

• Computer games for phonics. Use a computer to provide 

opportunities for students to drill and practice with phonics 

or grammar lessons.

• Picture-letter charts. Use these for children who know 

sounds but do not know the letters that go with them.

Writing

In composing stories or other writing assignments, children 

with ADHD benefit from the following practices:
Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices 11

• Standards for writing assignments. Identify and teach 

the child classroom standards for acceptable written work, 

such as format and style.

• Recognizing parts of a story. Teach the student how to 

describe the major parts of a story (e.g., plot, main 

characters, setting, conflict, and resolution). Use a 

storyboard with parts listed for this purpose. 

• Post office. Establish a post office in the classroom, and 

provide students with opportunities to write, mail, and 

receive letters to and from their classmates and teacher.

• Visualize compositions. Ask the child to close his or her 

eyes and visualize a paragraph that the teacher reads aloud. 

Another variation of this technique is to ask a student to 

describe a recent event while the other students close their 

eyes and visualize what is being said as a written paragraph.

• Proofread compositions. Require that the child proofread 

his or her work before turning in written assignments. 

Provide the child with a list of items to check when 

proofreading his or her own work.

• Tape recorders. Ask the student to dictate writing 

assignments into a tape recorder, as an alternative to writing 

them.

• Dictate writing assignments. Have the teacher or another 

student write down a story told by a child with ADHD.

Spelling

To help children with ADHD who are poor spellers, the 

following techniques have been found to be helpful:

• Everyday examples of hard-to-spell words. Take 

advantage of everyday events to teach difficult spelling 

words in context. For example, ask a child eating a cheese 

sandwich to spell “sandwich.”

• Frequently used words. Assign spelling words that the 

child routinely uses in his or her speech each day.

• Dictionary of misspelled words. Ask the child to keep a 

personal dictionary of frequently misspelled words.

• Partner spelling activities. Pair the child with another 

student. Ask the partners to quiz each other on the spelling 

of new words. Encourage both students to guess the correct 

spelling.
12 Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices

• Manipulatives. Use cutout letters or other manipulatives to 

spell out hard-to-learn words.

• Color-coded letters. Color code different letters in hardto-spell words (e.g., “receipt”).

• Movement activities. Combine movement activities with 

spelling lessons (e.g., jump rope while spelling words out 

loud).

• Word banks. Use 3" x 5" index cards of frequently 

misspelled words sorted alphabetically. 

Handwriting

Students with ADHD who have difficulty with manuscript or 

cursive writing may well benefit from their teacher’s use of the 

following instructional practices:

• Individual chalkboards. Ask the child to practice copying 

and erasing the target words on a small, individual 

chalkboard. Two children can be paired to practice their 

target words together.

• Quiet places for handwriting. Provide the child with a 

special “quiet place” (e.g., a table outside the classroom) to 

complete his or her handwriting assignments.

• Spacing words on a page. Teach the child to use his or 

her finger to measure how much space to leave between 

each word in a written assignment.

• Special writing paper. Ask the child to use special paper 

with vertical lines to learn to space letters and words on a 

page.

• Structured programs for handwriting. Teach 

handwriting skills through a structured program, such as 

Jan Olsen’s Handwriting Without Tears program (Olsen, 

2003).

Math Computation

Numerous individualized instructional practices can help 

children with ADHD improve their basic computation skills. 

The following are just a few:

• Patterns in math. Teach the student to 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). 
Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices 13

• Partnering for math activities. Pair a child with ADHD 

with another student and provide opportunities for the 

partners to quiz each other about basic 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. Provide the child 

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 child to 

use a calculator to check addition, subtraction, 

multiplication, or division.

• Board games for basic computation. 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 child to drill and practice basic 

computations, using appropriate games.

• “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 children with ADHD improve their skill in solving 

word problems in mathematics, try the following:

• Reread the problem. Teach the child to read a word 

problem two times before beginning to compute the answer.

• Clue words. Teach the child clue words that identify which 

operation to use when solving word problems. For example, 
14 Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices

words such as “sum,” “total,” or “all together” may indicate 

an addition operation.

• Guiding questions for word problems. Teach 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. 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 student to 

use a calculator to check computations made in answering 

assigned word problems.

Use of Special Materials in Math

Some children with ADHD benefit from using special 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.

Many students with ADHD are easily distracted and have 

difficulty focusing their attention on assigned tasks. However, 

the following practices can help children with ADHD improve 

their organization of homework and other daily assignments:

• Designate one teacher as the student’s advisor or 

coordinator. This teacher will regularly review the 

student’s progress through progress reports submitted by 

other teachers and will act as the liaison between home and 

school. Permit the student to meet with this advisor on a 

regular basis (e.g., Monday morning) to plan and organize 

for the week and to review progress and problems from the 

past week. 

Organizational and Study 

Skills Useful for Academic 

Instruction of Children 

with ADHD
Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices 15

• Assignment notebooks. Provide the child with an 

assignment notebook to help organize homework and other 

seatwork.

• Color-coded folders. Provide the child with color-coded 

folders to help organize assignments for different academic 

subjects (e.g., reading, mathematics, social science, and 

science).

• Work with a homework partner. Assign the child a 

partner to help record homework and other seatwork in the 

assignment notebook and file work sheets and other papers 

in the proper folders.

• Clean out desks and book bags. Ask the child to 

periodically sort through and clean out his or her desk, 

book bag, and other special places where written 

assignments are stored.

• Visual aids as reminders of subject material. Use 

banners, charts, lists, pie graphs, and diagrams situated 

throughout the classroom to remind students of the subject 

material being learned. 

Assisting Students with ADHD with Time Management

Children with ADHD often have difficulty finishing their 

assignments on time and can thus benefit from special materials 

and practices that help them to improve their time 

management skills, including:

• Use a clock or wristwatch. Teach the child how to read 

and use a clock or wristwatch to manage time when 

completing assigned work.

• Use a calendar. Teach the child how to read and use a 

calendar to schedule assignments.

• Practice sequencing activities. Provide the child with 

supervised opportunities to break down a long assignment 

into a sequence of short, interrelated activities.

• Create a daily activity schedule. Tape a schedule of 

planned daily activities to the child’s desk.

Helpful Study Skills for Students with ADHD

Children with ADHD often have difficulty in learning how to 

study effectively on their own. The following strategies may 

assist ADHD students in developing the study skills necessary 

for academic success:
16 Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices

• Adapt worksheets. Teach a child how to adapt 

instructional worksheets. For example, help a child fold his 

or her reading worksheet to reveal only one question at a 

time. The child can also use a blank piece of paper to cover 

the other questions on the page.

• Venn diagrams. Teach a child how to use Venn diagrams 

to help illustrate and organize key concepts in reading, 

mathematics, or other academic subjects.

• Note-taking skills. Teach a child with ADHD how to take 

notes when organizing key academic concepts that he or 

she has learned, perhaps with the use of a program such as 

Anita Archer’s Skills for School Success (Archer & Gleason, 

2002).

• Checklist of frequent mistakes. Provide the child with a 

checklist of mistakes that he or she frequently makes in 

written assignments (e.g., punctuation or capitalization 

errors), mathematics (e.g., addition or subtraction errors), or 

other academic subjects. Teach the child how to use this list 

when proofreading his or her work at home and school.

• Checklist of homework supplies. Provide the child with a 

checklist that identifies categories of items needed for 

homework assignments (e.g., books, pencils, and homework 

assignment sheets).

• Uncluttered workspace. Teach a child with ADHD how 

to prepare an uncluttered workspace to complete 

assignments. For example, instruct the child to clear away 

unnecessary books or other materials before beginning his or 

her seatwork.

• Monitor homework assignments. Keep track of how well 

your students with ADHD complete their assigned 

homework. Discuss and resolve with them and their parents 

any problems in completing these assignments. For 

example, evaluate the difficulty of the assignments and how 

long the children spend on their homework each night. 

Keep in mind that the quality, rather than the quantity, of 

homework assigned is the most important issue. While 

doing homework is an important part of developing study 

skills, it should be used to reinforce skills and to review 

material learned in class, rather than to present, in advance, 

large amounts of material that is new to the student.

The second major component of effective instruction for 

children with ADHD involves the use of behavioral interventions. 

Exhibiting behavior that resembles that of younger children, 

Behavioral Interventions
Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices 17

children with ADHD often act immaturely and have difficulty 

learning how to control their impulsiveness and hyperactivity. 

They may have problems forming friendships with other 

children in the class and may have difficulty thinking through 

the social consequences of their actions. 

The purpose of behavioral interventions is to assist students in 

displaying the behaviors that are most conducive to their own 

learning and that of classmates. Well-managed classrooms 

prevent many disciplinary problems and provide an 

environment that is most favorable for learning. When a 

teacher’s time must be spent interacting with students whose 

behaviors are not focused on the lesson being presented, less 

time is available for assisting other students. Behavioral 

interventions should be viewed as an opportunity for teaching 

in the most effective and efficient manner, rather than as an 

opportunity for punishment. 

Effective teachers use a number of behavioral intervention 

techniques to help students learn how to control their behavior. 

Perhaps the most important and effective of these is verbal 

reinforcement of appropriate behavior. The most common 

form of verbal reinforcement is praise given to a student when 

he or she begins and completes an activity or exhibits a 

particular desired behavior. Simple phrases such as “good job” 

encourage a child to act appropriately. Effective teachers praise 

children with ADHD frequently and look for a behavior to 

praise before, and not after, a child gets off task. The following 

strategies provide some guidance regarding the use of praise:

• Define the appropriate behavior while giving praise.

Praise should be specific for the positive behavior displayed 

by the student: The comments should focus on what the 

student did right and should include exactly what part(s) of 

the student’s behavior was desirable. Rather than praising a 

student for not disturbing the class, for example, a teacher 

should praise him or her for quietly completing a math 

lesson on time. 

• Give praise immediately. The sooner that approval is 

given regarding appropriate behavior, the more likely the 

student will repeat it.

• Vary the statements given as praise. The comments 

used by teachers to praise appropriate behavior should 

vary; when students hear the same praise statement 

repeated over and over, it may lose its value. 

Effective Behavioral 

Intervention Techniques
18 Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices

• Be consistent and sincere with praise. Appropriate 

behavior should receive consistent praise. Consistency 

among teachers with respect to desired behavior is 

important in order to avoid confusion on the part of 

students with ADHD. Similarly, students will notice when 

teachers give insincere praise, and this insincerity will make 

praise less effective. 

It is important to keep in mind that the most effective teachers 

focus their behavioral intervention strategies on praise rather than 

on punishment. Negative consequences may temporarily change 

behavior, but they rarely change attitudes and may actually 

increase the frequency and intensity of inappropriate behavior 

by rewarding misbehaving students with attention. Moreover, 

punishment may only teach children what not to do; it does not 

provide children with the skills that they need to do what is 

expected. Positive reinforcement produces the changes in 

attitudes that will shape a student’s behavior over the long term. 

In addition to verbal reinforcement, the following set of 

generalized behavioral intervention techniques has proven 

helpful with students with ADHD as well:

• Selectively ignore inappropriate behavior. It is 

sometimes helpful for teachers to selectively ignore 

inappropriate behavior. This technique is particularly useful 

when the behavior is unintentional or unlikely to recur or is 

intended solely to gain the attention of teachers or 

classmates without disrupting the classroom or interfering 

with the learning of others. 

• Remove nuisance items. Teachers often find that certain 

objects (such as rubber bands and toys) distract the attention 

of students with ADHD in the classroom. The removal of 

nuisance items is generally most effective after the student 

has been given the choice of putting it away immediately 

and then fails to do so. 

• Provide calming manipulatives. While some toys and 

other objects can be distracting for both the students with 

ADHD and peers in the classroom, some children with 

ADHD can benefit from having access to objects that can 

be manipulated quietly. Manipulatives may help children 

gain some needed sensory input while still attending to the 

lesson. 

• Allow for “escape valve” outlets. Permitting students 

with ADHD to leave class for a moment, perhaps on an 

errand (such as returning a book to the library), can be an 
Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices 19

effective means of settling them down and allowing them to 

return to the room ready to concentrate. 

• Activity reinforcement. Students receive activity 

reinforcement when they are encouraged to perform a less 

desirable behavior before a preferred one.

• Hurdle helping. Teachers can offer encouragement, 

support, and assistance to prevent students from becoming 

frustrated with an assignment. This help can take many 

forms, from enlisting a peer for support to supplying 

additional materials or information. 

• Parent conferences. Parents have a critical role in the 

education of students, and this axiom may be particularly 

true for those with ADHD. As such, parents must be 

included as partners in planning for the student’s success. 

Partnering with parents entails including parental input in 

behavioral intervention strategies, maintaining frequent 

communication between parents and teachers, and 

collaborating in monitoring the student’s progress.

• Peer mediation. Members of a student’s peer group can 

positively impact the behavior of students with ADHD. 

Many schools now have formalized peer mediation 

programs, in which students receive training in order to 

manage disputes involving their classmates. 

Effective teachers also use behavioral prompts with their students. 

These prompts help remind students about expectations for 

their learning and behavior in the classroom. Three, which may 

be particularly helpful, are the following:

• Visual cues. Establish simple, nonintrusive visual cues to 

remind the child to remain on task. For example, you can 

point at the child while looking him or her in the eye, or 

you can hold out your hand, palm down, near the child.

• Proximity control. When talking to a child, move to where 

the child is standing or sitting. Your physical proximity to 

the child will help the child to focus and pay attention to 

what you are saying.

• Hand gestures. Use hand signals to communicate privately 

with a child with ADHD. For example, ask the child to raise 

his or her hand every time you ask a question. A closed fist 

can signal that the child knows the answer; an open palm 

can signal that he or she does not know the answer. You 

would call on the child to answer only when he or she 

makes a fist.
20 Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices

In some instances, children with ADHD benefit from 

instruction designed to help students learn how to manage their 

own behavior:

• Social skills classes. Teach children with ADHD 

appropriate social skills using a structured class. For 

example, you can ask the children to role-play and model 

different solutions to common social problems. It is critical 

to provide for the generalization of these skills, including 

structured opportunities for the children to use the social 

skills that they learn. Offering such classes, or experiences, 

to the general school population can positively affect the 

school climate. 

• Problem solving sessions. Discuss how to resolve social 

conflicts. Conduct impromptu discussions with one student 

or with a small group of students where the conflict arises. 

In this setting, ask two children who are arguing about a 

game to discuss how to settle their differences. Encourage 

the children to resolve their problem by talking to each 

other in a supervised setting.

For many children with ADHD, functional behavioral assessments 

and positive behavioral interventions and supports, including 

behavioral contracts and management plans, tangible rewards, 

or token economy systems, are helpful in teaching them how to 

manage their own behavior. Because students’ individual needs 

are different, it is important for teachers, along with the family 

and other involved professionals, to evaluate whether these 

practices are appropriate for their classrooms. Examples of 

these techniques, along with steps to follow when using them, 

include the following:

• Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA). FBA is a 

systematic process for describing problem behavior and 

identifying the environmental factors and surrounding 

events associated with problem behavior. The team that 

works closely with the child exhibiting problem behavior 

(1) observes the behavior and identifies and defines its 

problematic characteristics, (2) identifies which actions or 

events precede and follow the behavior, and (3) determines 

how often the behavior occurs. The results of the FBA 

should be used to develop an effective and efficient 

intervention and support plan. (Gable, et al., 1997)

• Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports 

(PBIS). This method is an application of a behaviorally 

based systems approach that is grounded in research 
Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices 21

regarding behavior in the context of the settings in which it 

occurs. Using this method, schools, families, and 

communities work to design effective environments to 

improve behavior. The goal of PBIS is to eliminate problem 

behavior, to replace it with more appropriate behavior, and 

to increase a person’s skills and opportunities for an 

enhanced quality of life (Todd, Horner, Sugai, & Sprague, 

1999).

• Behavioral contracts and management plans. Identify 

specific academic or behavioral goals for the child with 

ADHD, along with behavior that needs to change and 

strategies for responding to inappropriate behavior. Work 

with the child to cooperatively identify appropriate goals, 

such as completing homework assignments on time and 

obeying safety rules on the school playground. Take the 

time to ensure that the child agrees that his or her goals are 

important to master. Behavioral contracts and management 

plans are typically used with individual children, as 

opposed to entire classes, and should be prepared with 

input from parents. 

• Tangible rewards. Use tangible rewards to reinforce 

appropriate behavior. These rewards can include stickers, 

such as “happy faces” or sports team emblems, or 

privileges, such as extra time on the computer or lunch with 

the teacher. Children should be involved in the selection of 

the reward. If children are invested in the reward, they are 

more likely to work for it.

• Token economy systems. Use token economy systems to 

motivate a child to achieve a goal identified in a behavioral 

contract (Barkley, 1990). For example, a child can earn 

points for each homework assignment completed on time. 

In some cases, students also lose points for each homework 

assignment not completed on time. After earning a specified 

number of points, the student receives a tangible reward, 

such as extra time on a computer or a “free” period on 

Friday afternoon. Token economy systems are often used 

for entire classrooms, as opposed to solely for individual 

students.

• Self-management systems. Train students to monitor and 

evaluate their own behavior without constant feedback 

from the teacher. In a typical self-management system, the 

teacher identifies behaviors that will be managed by a 

student and provides a written rating scale that includes the 

performance criteria for each rating. The teacher and 

student separately rate student behavior during an activity 
22 Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices

and compare ratings. The student earns points if the ratings 

match or are within one point and receives no points if 

ratings are more than one point apart; points are exchanged 

for privileges. With time, the teacher involvement is 

removed, and the student becomes responsible for selfmonitoring (DuPaul & Stoner as cited in Shinn, Walker, & 

Stoner, 2002). 

The third component of a strategy for effectively educating 

children with ADHD involves physical classroom 

accommodations. Children with ADHD often have difficulty 

adjusting to the structured environment of a classroom, 

determining what is important, and focusing on their assigned 

work. They are easily distracted by other children or by nearby 

activities in the classroom. As a result, many children with 

ADHD benefit from accommodations that reduce distractions 

in the classroom environment and help them to stay on task 

and learn. Certain accommodations within the physical and 

learning environments of the classroom can benefit children 

with ADHD. 

One of the most common accommodations that can be made 

to the physical environment of the classroom involves 

determining where a child with ADHD will sit. Three special 

seating assignments may be especially useful:

• Seat the child near the teacher. Assign the child a seat 

near your desk or the front of the room. This seating 

assignment provides opportunities for you to monitor and 

reinforce the child’s on-task behavior.

• Seat the child near a student role model. Assign the 

child a seat near a student role model. This seat 

arrangement provides opportunity for children to work 

cooperatively and to learn from their peers in the class.

• Provide low-distraction work areas. As space permits, 

teachers should make available a quiet, distraction-free 

room or area for quiet study time and test taking. Students 

should be directed to this room or area privately and 

discreetly in order to avoid the appearance of punishment. 

Skilled teachers use special instructional tools to modify the 

classroom learning environment and accommodate the special 

needs of their students with ADHD. They also monitor the 

physical environment, keeping in mind the needs of these 

children. The following tools and techniques may be helpful: 

Classroom 

Accommodations

Special Classroom 

Seating Arrangements 

for ADHD Students

Instructional Tools and 

the Physical Learning 

Environment
Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices 23

• Pointers. Teach the child to use a pointer to help visually 

track written words on a page. For example, provide the 

child with a bookmark to help him or her follow along 

when students are taking turns reading aloud.

• Egg timers. Note for the children the time at which the 

lesson is starting and the time at which it will conclude. Set a 

timer to indicate to children how much time remains in the 

lesson and place the timer at the front of the classroom; the 

children can check the timer to see how much time remains. 

Interim prompts can be used as well. For instance, children 

can monitor their own progress during a 30-minute lesson if 

the timer is set for 10 minutes three times.

• Classroom lights. Turning the classroom lights on and off 

prompts children that the noise level in the room is too high 

and they should be quiet. This practice can also be used to 

signal that it is time to begin preparing for the next lesson.

• Music. Play music on a tape recorder or chords on a piano 

to prompt children that they are too noisy. In addition, 

playing different types of music on a tape recorder 

communicates to children what level of activity is 

appropriate for a particular lesson. For example, play quiet 

classical music for quiet activities done independently and 

jazz for active group activities.

• Proper use of furniture. The desk and chair used by 

children with ADHD need to be the right size; if they are 

not, the child will be more inclined to squirm and fidget. A 

general rule of thumb is that a child should be able to put 

his or her elbows on the surface of the desk and have his or 

her chin fit comfortably in the palm of the hand. 

This guide has outlined a series of instructional strategies that 

have proven to be successful in educating children with 

ADHD. However, it should be emphasized again that these 

techniques are also highly useful for all children. The three 

main components of a successful strategy for educating children 

with ADHD are academic instruction, behavioral interventions, and 

classroom accommodations. By incorporating techniques from 

these three areas into their everyday instructional and 

classroom management practices, teachers will be empowered 

to improve both the academic performance and the behavior of 

their students with ADHD. In doing so, teachers will create an 

enhanced learning environment for all students. 

This guide is the second in a series of three publications that 

address issues related to the instruction of children with 

Conclusion
24 Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices

ADHD. The first is Identifying and Treating Attention Deficit 

Hyperactivity Disorder: A Resource for School and Home. Coming 

soon is A Resource Directory for ADHD. Teachers and others are 

encouraged to consult these publications and to use them in 

conjunction with Teaching Children with Attention Deficit 

Disorders: Instructional Strategies and Practices. As the documents 

become available, they will be listed on the Office of Special 

Education and Rehabilitative Services/Office of Special 

Education Programs Web site (http://www.ed.gov/about/

offices/list/osers/osep/index.html).
Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices 25

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