Children with attention disorders may be inattentive, easily distracted, and/or impulsive. The term AD/HD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) may be used to describe the child's difficulty with staying on task. Many of the things that help the child with an attention disorder will benefit all children: smaller classes, quieter classrooms, routines, limited distractions, praise rather than criticism, friendship, peer helpers.
- If your group is large, consider dividing it. If this isn't feasible, ask for an adult volunteer so that you can work in smaller groups (or one-to-one if necessary) for some of the activities.
- Establish regular patterns and routines. The way your curriculum structures the sessions should help you establish these routines. Younger children will benefit from using the same song to open your session or repeating the same greeting to introduce story time.
- Listen to stories from an audio format or tell them to the children yourself. See the session plans for additional ideas.
- Keep instructions and rules simple, and then be firm about your expectations. Try to maintain face-to-face contact with a child, especially when moving from one activity to another.
- Remember to keep your attitude positive—this will encourage the other children in your group to be accepting as well.