Homework and ADHD are often a clashing duo that causes students to fall back on their homework and subjects them to severe fear. As a result, many students wind up spending more time panicking over the assignment than actually doing their homework.
Unfortunately, the oft echoed Nike slogan ‘Just do it!’ is not a great ADHD homework strategy for your learner. This article will cover some of the best tips to help children with ADHD to cover their homework on time.
How to do Homework with ADHD
While homework is loathed by students worldwide, the task is twice as daunting for children with ADHD. However, this does not imply that you cannot manage homework and ADHD together. Here are some of the best homework strategies for ADHD you may consider to supplement your child’s learning efforts.
- Discover the child’s ideal study period
Before committing to a homework routine, it is great to determine the best duration for your child’s study. Ideally, study sessions should not clash with hanging out with other kids or watching their favourite programs.
Consuming this time may prove a futile battle of retaining their attention to study. Preferably, find a duration they can embrace and gauge the outcomes per session. After a while, you will identify what works best for your kid.
Also, consider the resources that your child studies with best. Find visual, audio and practical activities to promote the child’s learning experience.
Also, ensure to break each session into short segments of about 25 minutes. After each segment, including a five-minute break where your child can recharge on some snacks and water. However, avoid overly engaging activities in these breaks as they may limit your child’s focus in subsequent sessions.
- Engage your child’s teacher
The teacher should be a great resource to guide your child’s study efforts. Insight from the teacher helps you gauge the balance between homework and ADHD strategies and guides you on the best material for various units.
You may also consult the teacher to suggest changes they may consider implementing to boost in-class sessions. For instance, the teacher could reiterate the assignment and insist students jot it down.
This will reduce the likelihood of your student forgetting the homework, ensuring that they cover it on time.
- Have a to-do list
Consider buying a scheduling item for your kid to help them keep track of their pending tasks. Also, motivate them to indicate each homework and its due date on the book.
Doing so will help you prevent the burden of encroaching deadlines and sufficiently cover each assignment.
- Embrace a reward system
While some parents are inclined to scold their children for their errors, the opposite approach is more efficient. Regularly identify your kids for what they have done right and reward them for small achievements.
This will elicit positive behaviour and, with time, promote intrinsic motivation toward homework. However, avoid overworking your child as this may culture a negative attitude towards homework.
If homework extends beyond their ideal study hours, call it a day and inform the teacher of why they couldn’t complete homework on time.
- Create a conducive study area
Distractions are a menace that often results in poor study sessions for students who have ADHD. Curbing distractions is thus key among various ADHD homework focus strategies.
For this, keep away pets, toys, phones and other objects that could hijack their attention. Also, ensure that the study area is well stocked with all resources they require to facilitate the study for a specific subject.
- Medication
Medication is a crucial factor to consider when managing homework and ADHD. Consult your doctor to discover the best time to administer various dosages without negatively impacting the child’s study sessions and sleep.
It is also better to schedule a lesson when the medicine is in effect instead of later in the evening. You may thus consider working on homework as soon as your child reaches home from school.
Final Take
We hope these ADHD homework tips will offer you a go-around to ensure optimal study for your child. If you need help with complex concepts, our team would be happy to offer a helping hand.
