In our continuous journey to enhance literacy instruction, it's crucial to bridge the gap in supporting ADHD students effectively.

While every student diagnosed with ADHD is unique in how they present their differences, I have found some common threads:

• Reduced awareness of their inattentiveness. When they are called out for misbehaviors or lack of engagement, they might become confused or even combative. When they say, “I didn’t mean it,” this may be true.

• Less able to reflect on their behaviors. Because students with attention difficulties may not attribute outcomes to negative behaviors, it is difficult to facilitate reflection on the experience.

• Lack of support for their learning needs. Schools in general are not designed with ADHD in mind. Hard surfaces, straight lines, and rigid curricula can all seem to work against these students’ natural inclinations.

Recognizing their unique challenges is the first step towards modifying our classroom environments to foster success.

Here are five ideas to consider incorporating within the literacy block:

1. Prioritize Relevance: Engage ADHD learners by incorporating their interests into reading and writing activities, harnessing their ability to hyperfocus on subjects that captivate them. Interest surveys can glean important information.

2. Reduce Distractions: Simplify classroom decor to minimize sensory overload. This helps ensure students can concentrate on learning without unnecessary interruptions. For every item, ask yourself: “Is this essential for student learning?”

3. Embrace Novelty: Regularly introduce new and intriguing elements to lessons to maintain ADHD students' interest. Leverage their tendency to dive deep into reading and writing about specific topics of their choice.

4. Install Flexible Furniture: Offer various seating options to accommodate different learning styles and physical needs. Flexibility and comfort can significantly impact focus and engagement during literacy tasks.

5. Frame Evidence of Success: Help students build a positive academic self-image by highlighting their achievements and facilitating a success mindset. Author’s chair and public conferences are two ways to celebrate their efforts.

Beyond literacy, schools generally make it difficult for neurodiverse students to fit in. Kids with ADHD will often self-accommodate to appear neurotypical and feel a sense of belonging. This is called “masking”. It can be exhausting and demoralizing over time, in addition to interfering with becoming readers and writers.

Implementing these strategies not only supports students with ADHD to be more themselves, but enriches the learning environment for all. By adapting our classrooms, we can make literacy instruction more inclusive and effective, ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive.

Take care,

Matt

Recommended Reading

• This newsletter is a condensed version of a full length article I wrote for Choice Literacy. Members can read it here (totally worth it).

• I wrote about my own ADHD diagnosis, also for Choice Literacy, here.

• I recently discovered and purchased Self-Care for People with ADHD: 100+ Ways to Recharge, De-Stress, a... by Sasha Hamdani, MD. Lots of great strategies for anyone struggling with focus and frustration. As they say in the world of UDL, “what is good for some is good for all”.

• Related, I summarized an excellent book for improving one’s focus and better managing your knowledge: Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organise Your Digital L... by Tiago Forte.

• Interested in building your capacity to communicate feedback? I will be facilitating an online course in April on how to give feedback that improves classroom instruction. All subscribers to this newsletter will soon receive an invitation to enroll in the first cohort this spring or sign up on the waiting list.