Students with ADD are more prone to distraction than their classmates, leading them to easily zone out during a lecture or assignment. These distractions can manifest in negative ways in the classroom, with the student talking out of turn and engaging in other activities, like doodling or playing with school supplies. ADD may even lead the child to attempt to distract other students. Keeping students with ADD engaged in a lesson is one of the large challenges of modern teaching.
Because students with ADD have difficulty focusing on lessons, they may take less away from their time in school than their peers. This means retention of fewer facts, lower scores on tests, and less comprehension of the subject matter. Students that suffer from ADD may also find it hard to keep track of homework and other assignments and may end up with bad grades due to not turning their work in on time or at all.
Teachers that wish to engage students with ADD and encourage their academic success have several ways in which to approach the problem. Providing students with clear expectations and a regular schedule will help those with ADD meet their responsibilities and stay on task, while small class sizes can provide more one-on-one attention for students with similar learning disabilities. Kids with ADD may need to work on more challenging tasks than their peers, as one cause of distraction in the classroom is simple boredom.
If you want your child to succeed at school, you will need to be involved with his academic progress. Because students with ADD are more likely to forget assignments or cause trouble at school, speak with your child regularly about his class work and keep an open line of communication with his teachers to ensure he is meeting his full potential. Work with your child and his teachers to set realistic goals and follow up on them each month to assess whether adjustments need to be made.