Arrange the classroom to minimize distractions. Students who struggle to maintain focus may benefit from sitting close to the area of direct instruction. Experiment with seating the fidgety student on an exercise ball. In 2003, "The American Journal of Occupational Therapists" published a study revealing that many students with hyperactivity disorder were better able to focus while seated on an exercise ball. Remove other distracting students, classroom pets or play items from the student's direct line of vision.
Teach the inattentive student a cue that can be given by the teacher to remind her to clear her mind of extraneous thoughts in preparation for learning new information. For example, draw a small square on the board. Fill in the square with chalk. Wipe it clean indicating a clearing of the mind. Pass a clean, dry sponge to the student. She should wipe her desk representing clearing her mind. Make eye contact to affirm the clearing of the mind before beginning the lesson.
Instruct the student to listen to the speaker or engage in the learning by activating prior knowledge. Make emotional connections to keep the student more present and focused. For example, talk together about experiences this student may have had that are similar to the objective being learned. Encourage this student to create an image in his mind to connect to the learning. Remind the student to listen to the connections and ideas other students are creating.
Vary the styles of learning involved while writing lesson plans. Students with a strong bodily kinesthetic learning style will struggle to stay focused when the focus of the lesson is to listen and watch. Require feedback at the close of a lesson by asking questions and having students reply with their answers shaped with moldable clay. Include music, singing and dance in lessons. Move the lesson outdoors to help relieve students who are more fidgety indoors.
Instruct students to repeat the lesson objective to each other. Students who have trouble focusing often lose portions of the lesson objective while not paying attention. Listening to the objective from a new source and repeating it themselves helps students solidify the objective for which they are responsible. Require students to end the school day by repeating to three other people the night's homework or special assignment. Ask students to draw pictures as a reminder or cue to stay organized.