Learning Assistance Newsletter
Week 5
Focus: Supporting students with ADHD
http://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/ADHD_ways_to_help_children_with_ADHD/
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can affect children's learning and social skills, and the way a family functions. Medication, behaviour modification, home and classroom strategies and sometimes counselling can all help children with ADHD at home and at school.
Ways to help children with ADHD:
Verbal instructions
Keep instructions brief and clear.
Say the child's name or tap them on the shoulder to make and keep eye contact when giving important information.
Ask your child to repeat the instruction to make sure they have taken it in and understood.
Your child may need prompting, monitoring and encouragement to keep them focused on tasks.
Written work
Highlight important points in written information using *asterisks*, CAPITAL LETTERS or bold.
Limit the amount of information that needs to be copied from a white board. Instead, give hand out sheets with this information.
Other learning strategies
Provide one-to-one instruction as often as possible.
A class buddy who gets along well with the child, can be helpful to reinforce instructions and directions.
Make sure activities have plenty of hands on involvement.
Schedule the most important learning to take place during the child's best concentration time(s). This is usually mornings.
Give a checklist for what the child needs to do
Physical environment
Sit them near the front of the classroom.
Plan seating and furniture carefully to decrease distractions. For example, sit the child near classmates who will be good role models. A quiet place, without clutter is important for homework.
Reducing over-activity and fatigue. Build rest-breaks into activities. For example, five minutes break for each 30 minutes activity.
Alternate academic tasks with brief physical exercise. For example, the child could do structured tasks or errands such as delivering notes or taking lunch orders.
Prepare a number of low-pressure fun activities for when the child needs to spend a few minutes calming down.
Keeping structure
Children with ADHD can struggle with changes to routine and need to know what to expect. The following strategies can help:
Have a fixed routine.
Keep classroom activities well organised and predictable.
Display the daily schedule and classroom rules. For example attach a flowchart to the inside of the child's desk or book.
Tell the child in advance (whenever possible) of a change in the schedule.
Give the child advance warning of changes. For example: "in five minutes you will have to put your work away", and remind them more than once.
Keep choices to a minimum.
Self-esteem
Encourage the child to take part in activities where they will experience success.
Set achievable goals.
Acknowledge their achievements by congratulating them verbally and in written ways such as notes or certificates.
Focus their attention on the good parts of their written work. For example, use a highlighter pen on the best sections of the child's work.
Help them feel important in the classroom. For example, acknowledging their effort to do a task even if they don't succeed.
Near the end of the day, review with the child their accomplishment/s for the day.
Attend to learning difficulties as soon as possible to restore self-confidence.
Social skillsInvolve the child in smaller groups of no more than two other children whenever possible, instead of larger groups.
Reward appropriate behaviour such as sharing and cooperating.
Teach the child appropriate responses when they feel provoked. For example teach them to walk away or talk to the teacher.
Use visual prompts to remind the child to think before they act. For example, "STOP, THINK, DO".
Communication between home and school
Use a school-home daily communication book.
Communicate both positive aspects of day and inappropriate behaviour.
Teachers - be sensitive to parents feelings. They have the difficult task of raising a child with ADHD.
Teachers - help parents feel proud of their child. Find positive things to share with them about their child on a regular basis. This can be done in front of the child.To help to encourage the child to complete homework.
Incorporating ATSI perspectives
8 Ways Wiki
Learning Maps
Story Sharing
8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning - Khiara Kengike
The 8 ways learning is being used through the Write It Right project.
The 8 different ways of teaching are:
- Community Links-Central local viewpoints, applying learning for community benefit.
- Deconstruct reconstruct-Modelling and scaffolding, working from wholes to parts and then reconstruct.
- Non-Linear- Producing innovations and understanding by thinking laterally
- Land Links-Place based learning, linking content to local land and place
- Symbols & Images- Using images and metaphors to understand concepts and content
- Non-Verbal-Applying intra-personal and kinaesthetic skills to thinking and learning
- Learning Maps- Explicitly mapping/ visualizing processes
- Story Sharing- Approaching learning through narrative
Literacy and Numeracy Week Resources - Creating a Photo Story
Super Six Revision - Predict
1)Prediction Bingo
2)Reciprocal Teaching
3)Thinking Partners
4)Mind Mapping through a crystal ball
For more information check out the link below.
Meet our Norta Norta Tutor - Khiara Kengate
"ILP Lunches" Launching in Term3- Wednesday Lunch Wk6, Wk8 & Wk10
Year 10 - Literacy and Numeracy for Apprenticeships TERM 3
Year 7 Roll Call Reading Program - Coming Soon!
Tech-spiration
Web Based Activites
1) Textivate - A website that lets you and your students to easily create interactive text-based activities. You copy and paste a maximum of 500 words that you want to create the activity with and the website creates a large range of interactive activities based on the text. The activities can be played on the IWB or tablets. Students can create their own activities for other students to play.2) http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/03/three-tools-students-can-use-to-create.html#.UUWX9BxkPni
3) Scootle, then click on "Improve" - make your own online tests or use tests that have already been created. This resource MARKS and ANALYSES your exams.
4) Glogs - interactive poster with embedded media. Go to http://edu.glogster.com/
5) Photopeach http://photopeach.com/ online slideshow tool.
IPad Apps
"Be Seated" an application that allows you to create seating plans for you classes, add photos of the students. Easily to edit.
"ShowMe App" An application tha allows students to show their artwork and record their voice talking about it.
"Imovie" allows students to create their own movie using specific genres. A movie in a lesson and fun!
"Educreations" a recordable whiteboard"iteacherbook" an app that allows you to attendance, grades and seating plans.
"Shakespeare in Bits" Cliffs Notes AppExcel for Ipad
Great BLOGS/Websites to follow