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How do you get ADD/ADHD students attention?

Submitted by an LD OnLine user on

I am a student teacher in California, I also have a learning disability. and would like to know what other teachers in other places do to get the attention of their students who have ADD/ ADHD in an inclusive elementary school classroom.

Submitted by MIchelle AZ on Wed, 03/01/2006 - 8:04 PM

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Are you talking initially at the beginning of a lesson? …..throughout a lesson?

We teachers have many tricks of the trade. I practice with the kids looking at me and down at their paper. I have a poster in my room that talks about listening….ears listening,..hands still…..eyes watching…..lips closed etc…

I have them follow me around and train them to look at teacher or down at paper. I do an activitiy where we try to invent a contraption to help focus. One kid came up with a laser hat that bounces off my ID badge and must focus down on the paper or it will beep. We joke that we are going to try to patent that one. This activitiy helps them to learn the importance of paying attention.

I have kids that “pop” out of my lesson. They will talk about things not related to the lesson and are masters of getting the lesson off track. I explain that they should not “pop”. They can share ideas in transition but during the lesson they should only talk about things pertaining to the content of the lesson.

No more time to post. TEachers do tons of things depending on the kid. I have some kids sit on exercise balls and use squish balls to fidget.
Michele

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