How to Homeschool a Student with ADD/ADHD

Even if your ADD/ADHD child is medicated they may still have trouble staying focused and on task throughout the day. Keeping your ADD/ADHD homeschool student focused may be a full time task if you do not offer your ADD/ADHD child with the correct environment for them. There is hope for every homeschool family that includes a child with ADD/ADHD. This guide will help you increase your ADD/ADHD homeschool students ability to succeed.

1) A homeschool student with ADD needs a quiet, unassuming environment. Sights and sounds are a sure distraction for any student, but they can become a preoccupation to a homeschool student with ADD. Whatever room you use to homeschool your ADD/ADHD student in needs to be as quiet and plain as possible. There should be little on the walls and avoid seating the ADD/ADHD child near a window.

2) Every homeschool student with ADD needs a digital timer. The timer is one of our homeschools most valuable tools. When my son who has ADD starts a lesson he also sets the digital timer. The timer is set for 45 minutes. As the timer counts down my son knows that he is slowing running out of time to get his lesson done. The timer is a constant reminder that he should be focused on his homeschool lesson. If my son finishes the lesson within the 45 minutes he receives a star for that subject for the day.

3) Homeschool students with ADD/ADHD need a strict schedule. To reduce some of the clutter within your ADD/ADHD homeschool students mind provide him/her with a daily schedule. Seeing what needs to be done and when will help stop the ADD/ADHD child's mind from wondering and worrying about what else he/she needs to accomplish throughout the day. I use a dry erase board so that my ADD son can put a checkmark next to his finished subjects. The act of checkmarking a subject helps give him a sense of accomplishment and again keeps cluttered thoughts and worrying at bay.

4) Break up the lessons with games and exercise to keep your ADD/ADHD homeschool student focused. Children, especially ADHD children, have a lot of energy. Give the ADD/ADHD homeschool student the opportunity to break the bordem and release some of that pent up energy. In our ADD homeschool we take a 30 minute "break" after every two lessons. During these breaks we have been known to freestyle dance to the radio, sing karaoke, and play educational board games. The break from traditional school work is a special treat that helps motivate him to get his lessons done and gives his brain and body some time to "just chill."