1. By: Aulbrey Clark

2. What teaching strategies can teachers use with ADHD diagnosed students to help them read and comprehend? QUESTION:

3. Elementary Public Schools in the United States should consider having most of their teachers utilize the following techniques for ADHD students: use of an iPad, small groups, and Think Before Reading, Think While Reading, Think After Reading (TWA) strategy. THESIS:

4.  As part of a project a pre-service teacher was encouraged to use an iPad on a child named Josh who was struggling with reading.  Barbara McClanahan says, “The device not only helped the student focus attention, it facilitated his becoming much more metacognitive in his reading. Comparisons of pre- and post-assessments showed that the student had gained one year’s growth in reading within a six- weeks’ time period” SUPPORTING EVIDENCE: “A BREAKTHROUGH FOR JOSH: HOW USE OF AN IPAD FACILITATED READING IMPROVEMENT” BY BARBARA MCCLANAHAN

5.  A study was done in a classroom with three ADHD diagnosed students, they had activities in small groups, whole groups and individual seat work.  Katie Hart said, “Our findings suggest that group size is an important factor for ADHD children’s on-task behavior during instructional periods.”  Smaller groups ended up working for the three ADHD students. SUPPORTING EVIDENCE: “IMPACT OF GROUP SIZE ON CLASSROOM ON-TASK BEHAVIOR AND WORK PRODUCTIVITY IN CHILDREN WITH ADHD” BY KATIE HART

6.  TWA is a strategy in which the students think before reading, think during reading, and think after reading.  TWA gets the students thinking about what they know, what they want to learn, check their speed, the authors purpose, what they learned and to link knowledge.  A study was done on two students and one of the participants named Marshall stated, “Now I remember to reread and watch my speed. I talk about the author’s purpose.” Proving that the strategy works. SUPPORTING EVIDENCE: “COMPREHENSION STRATEGY INSTRUCTION FOR TWO STUDENTS WITH ATTENTION-RELATED DISABILITIES” BY LAURA HEDIN

7.  Jean Segal talks about this issue is important because not only does the teacher end up suffering but the student does also.  Their grades are low, they get punished, have low self esteem, and are teased by their peers.  Segal says, “Meanwhile, you, the teacher, wind up taking complaints from parents who feel their kids are being cheated of your instruction and feeling guilty because you can’t reach the child with ADD/ADHD.”  If teachers would take the time and come up with strategies that worked for the ADHD students in their classrooms, it would make things a lot easier and ADHD students wouldn’t get left behind. WHY IS THIS ISSUE IMPORTANT?