Megan's Research Topic (Post #1)

The question(s) I am exploring is:

What strategies will help students with ADHD be successful in the classroom?  How do you implement these strategies in a meaningful way to help all students?

    I chose to focus on this question because my older brother and nephews all have ADHD or ADD, and I have seen how they struggle in school.  For example, at the beginning of third grade for my youngest nephew’s I conducted a reading assessment for Jolynn's class.  I was trying to determine what his reading level was and what skills he could use additional support.  It was a very traumatic experience for me, he struggle with the entire assessment and at one point said “Auntie Megan, I don’t read on weekends,” in a sad voice.  He was starting third grade and was severely struggling with a reading passage that was designated at a primer level.  It broke my heart to see him struggling so much and I could not understand why he was not getting the support he needed at school.  I am aware that he is one of thirty students and his teacher is doing the best she can to help him be successful while still teaching the rest of the class.  There has to be a way to help students with ADHD/ADD be successful in the classroom and still be equitable with the other students in the classroom.

    The research I have done so far has given good strategies that can be used to help students with ADHD/ADD in the classroom.  Many of them are teaching students how to help themselves be successful and the teacher is their as additional support.  There has been a rise in the number of students who are being diagnosed with ADHD/ADD, so I think it is important to be aware of strategies that can be used to help them be successful in the classroom.  Students with ADHD/ADD have impulse issues, struggle to concentrate on a single task for an extended period of time, and/or are seen has having a lot of energy.  Almost every classroom has a student that is classified as having ADHD or ADD, or the teacher is fairly confident a student has one of these learning disabilities.  Because these students struggle with maintaining focus on a single task they need to be constantly reminded to regain focus and work on the task at hand.  Sometimes the best thing is to provide them with individualize instruction and support to help them stay on task.  But with over twenty-five to thirty other students in the classroom how do teachers help these students be successful in the classroom, while still providing the rest of the class with an equal education?  Teacher need to know strategies they can use to help these students with ADHD/ADD be successful in the classroom, while still providing the rest of the class with support to learn and also be successful.