Classroom Modifications to Help Students with Attention and Focus

This article provides helpful classroom modifications for children that struggle with attention issues in the classroom. Integrated Learning Strategies (ILS) is a learning and academic center. As a reminder, ILS is not a health care provider and none of our materials or services provide a diagnosis or treatment of a specific condition or learning challenge you may see in your child or student. If you seek a diagnosis or treatment for your child or student, please contact a trained professional who can provide an evaluation of the child.

Children who struggle with attention and focus issues or ADHD-like symptoms in the classroom can benefit from certain modifications to improve their learning experience. Teachers can make adjustments based on the child’s individual needs to help kids who may require extra attention. 

To improve the quality of learning for these students, teachers can make a few adjustments to the following areas:

• Lesson plans
• Mandatory testing
• Classroom techniques

Making slight changes in the classroom for individual students may require extra effort and time, but can payoff in huge dividends if it helps the student(s) with task completion and following directions. Research shows students who received targeted intervention improved significantly when it came to organization and performance.

Benefits of Classroom Modifications

Helping kids who struggle with attention and focus in the classroom not only benefits the child, but also the teacher and the rest of the students in the classroom. Supporting any gaps the child has in their learning development builds a stronger foundation of learning and gives the child more opportunities to progress so they can reach their fullest learning potential. 

Classroom modifications can help students in the following ways:

Classroom Engagement

Adjusting seating arrangements within the classroom can reduce the number of distractions while also enhancing the child’s engagement in lesson plans and with their peers. Placing children with ADHD-like symptoms toward the front of the room allows the teacher to reach the child easily when needed and decreases distraction that may be happening in the back of the classroom.

Adding movement or “brain breaks” throughout the day can reorganize and reset the brain for better and more focused learning. In addition, children may need more visual examples to maintain sustained focused learning. Teachers may also need to breakdown specific learning tasks and directions into multi-step parts for kids to complete assignments in the required sequence.

Learning Outcomes

Breaking down assignments or adding additional time to the child’s required work gives them the opportunity to provide better and more progressive learning outcomes. Some children may benefit from tailored lessons that require the child to give learned information verbally or in written format rather than multiple-choice.

Simplifying information to the level of the child helps the brain retain and process information better in the classroom. This prevents the child from becoming overwhelmed, stressed or even more disruptive because the information was presented in a way they understand.

Behavior Issues

Maintaining a familiar schedule in the classroom helps the child know and understand what’s required of them and allows them to follow a structured routine. Comfortable environments can reduce behavioral issues, impulse control setbacks and emotional outbursts while the teacher is teaching.

Additionally, the teacher can work with parents on support systems that motivate the child to focus on their work and build’s their self-esteem. Kids can be motivated by using many of the following strategies:

• Implementing homework charts
• Offering in-class rewards
• Allowing them to gain extra recess time
• Providing free time for hands-on projects

Strengthening a child’s self-confidence by providing positive reinforcement improves behavior and emotional grounding. 

Social Interactions

Children with attention and focus issues or ADHD-like symptoms can be labeled as “bad kids.” These children are often misunderstood and may need support in certain areas that turn these misconceptions around. Children with attention and focus delays tend to have poor social interactions with their peers and can even act out to try and gain more attention (even if it’s negative attention).

Making adjustments in the classroom allows the child to have more positive interactions with their peers and gives them a chance to build relationships in new ways. Teachers can modify lessons or classroom arrangements to give kids the chance to work on problem-solving skills with others and communicate in ways that require better interactions with each other.

Classroom Modifications Download

For more information about how parents and teachers can support their child or students in the classroom with different modifications, we’ve created this list of Classroom Modifications for Attention and Focus below. Complete the form to download your copy and check your email inbox for the download, including your junk or spam folders. If you have trouble downloading the information or if it does not come to your email inbox, please email us at info@ilslearning.com. 

References

Evans, S. W., Owens, J. S., & Bunford, N. (2020). Evidence-based psychosocial treatments for children and adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 49(2), 157-199. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2019.1689826

Reiber, C., & McLaughlin, T. F. (2004). Teacher perceptions of classroom management techniques for students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Psychology in the Schools, 41(7), 785-791. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.20037

Reimer, M., & Alpern, G. (2019). The use of sensory tools to improve engagement in students with ADHD: A review. Journal of Attention Disorders, 23(9), 955-963. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054716653082

Pelham, W. E., Jr., Fabiano, G. A., & Massetti, G. M. (2014). Evidence-based assessment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 43(4), 512-543. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2014.915607

Langberg, J. M., Becker, S. P., & Dvorsky, M. R. (2020). Systematic review of academic interventions for students with ADHD: What works? Journal of School Psychology, 78, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2020.01.001

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Integrated Learning Strategies is a Utah-based center dedicated to helping mainstream children and children with learning challenges achieve academic success. Our services provide kids with non-traditional tutoring programs within the Davis County, Kaysville, Layton, Syracuse, Farmington, and Centerville areas. Areas to find Integrated Learning Strategies include: Reading tutors in Kaysville, Math tutors in Kaysville, Common Core Tutors in Kaysville, Tutors in Utah, Utah Tutoring Programs