How can I help a Student with ADHD Organize their Assignments?
A student with ADHD may appear disobedient because she probably tends to procrastinate her work and then, as pressure builds, become overwhelmed.
Many students with ADHD have a poor sense of time and are unable to properly estimate the amount of time needed for different types of assignments. Most of them need to be trained in this regard.
In order to train them, you may do the following steps:
- Have students estimate how much time a short assignment or task will take and write the estimate down.
- Have the students do the assignment or task and time it.
- Compare the estimate to the actual task time.
For example, a student was assigned a cleanup job and complained that it would take too long. She estimated that the task would take at least 45 minutes. However, when she timed the job, it only took eight minutes. The student was amazed at how much she accomplished in just eight minutes!
Some students estimate too little time for a job. They think they can breeze through the work and then get overwhelmed when the assignment takes longer.
Learn More… Take this course: Understanding ADHD
Discuss Here: What are some ways you can help a student with ADHD estimate time properly?
I always color-coded the folders according to the subject so ALL students could easily manage their materials inside of their desks. I made sure that once a week, students would empty their desks and reorganize according to a master plan I wrote on the board, one folder and book at a time. Those who were done helped students who needed help. Extra papers floating around were put into the correct folders or taken home. The heavy duty clips really help students’ papers stay organized and together.
Having a large timed clock for all to see is a great time management tool. (The red shows how much time one has left). There are smaller clocks for individual desks to help those who need more time management help). Working with a cardboard blocker always helps individual students block out distractions. I bought one for each student, and students had a choice whether to use one or not. It’s amazing that those who need a blocker, use one!
I made sure I personally checked in with each student to see where they were on their assignment. If anyone did not finish, it was taken home as homework. Every day was a fresh slate for each student. Too much unfinished work is overwhelming for students and teachers.