Similarly, a student is unlikely to become skilled in algebra if she has to hesitate in recalling multiplication facts. The demands on attention also intensify over time. Students need to focus more and more selectively. When they read or listen, they must become increasingly selective in determining what facts or concepts are most important and which are less critical or relevant. As adolescents proceed through secondary school, the level of distraction becomes a greater and greater threat to concentration.
Social distractions become particularly potent.
Moreover, in secondary school, there is a virtual explosion of detail in many content area courses. Students who are tuning in and out erratically because they have weak attention, are likely to miss critical inputs. In addition, many adolescents with attention deficits have tremendous difficulty coping with the memory demands of the secondary school curriculum. They seem to have their greatest problems in courses that stress the systematic use of memory. The demand for large amounts of writing makes it necessary that children have effective control over finger movements.