Teaching With Purpose: ADHD Children Need Edutainment To Learn

The diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children sometimes causes parents to become anxious because the appellation sounds serious and frightening. While it may seem like a serious chronic condition, it is not that bad. I say this because ADHD can be treated in a variety of ways and is generally manageable. The typical symptoms of this syndrome in young children include extreme hyperactivity, talkativeness (interrupting frequently and speaking at inappropriate times), an inability to focus for longer than ten minutes, and an uncontrollable tendency to daydream. 

I've learned from experience that children with ADHD simply need to be taught through edutainment—interactive, movement-based learning—because they can't focus for lengthy periods. Individualised edutainment is a successful technique. Moreover, edutainment involves learning through games, technology, educational toys, music, sport, and dance. Let's look at some strategies for teaching children with ADHD.

10 Tips For Teaching Children With ADHD

1.  To begin, ask the parents what their child likes; for example, does the child like SpongeBob, Spider-Man, Barbie, singing, dancing, puppet shows, drawing, Science, Maths, etc.?

2.  Then, integrate edutainment with the child's interests. For instance, if a five-year-old is learning to read and likes SpongeBob, you may use humour to emulate Sponge Bob's voice while teaching letter sounds, or you might have the child act as SpongeBob's assistant.

3.  Use the "teacher teacher" game to impart knowledge. In this game, both the child and the teacher play the role of the other. This game is an absolute hit among children!

4.  Incorporate toys such as balls, pointing sticks, puzzles, dolls, puppets, building blocks, waffle blocks, plastic eggs, and cutlery, among others.

5.  Include a reward system; stickers are ideal. I advise against using chocolate or candies because they will make the child very hyperactive and may even make them ill if you keep handing them out.

6.  Drill the subject content until you are confident that the child understands what you have taught. Flashcard games, e-learning games, music and dance learning, ball games, and other movement-based drilling techniques are examples.

7.  Employ a lot of movement in your classes, but keep it balanced.

8.  Be mindful to include speech-related activities, such as "broken telephone" or any phonetics-related games, as some children with ADHD suffer from speech impairments. 

9.  Permit the student to squeeze a small stress ball while you are instructing, but ensure they are paying attention to you. 

10.  When teaching a song for the first time, use the MP3 version and include lots of movements instead of playing the song's video.

ADHD-centred learning at Learn English with Bathabile

Our educational curriculum is exclusive, owing to the fact that it is personalised to meet the needs of the client. In addition, LEWB is made up of specialised teachers with training and experience in instructing children with learning disabilities. If you’re looking to enrol your ADHD child for early childhood education look no further, contact us today at +2761 535 1081!