ADHD exercise: staying focused while reading

He reads one line, then another, and suddenly he no longer knows what the text is about. He skips lines, rereads without understanding, gives up halfway through. For a child with ADHD, staying focused while reading is often difficult, even when he decodes well. Here are some exercises and tips to help him keep track.

Reading, an effort of attention

Reading requires maintaining attention on a sequence of words, making links between sentences, and remembering what has been read in order to understand what comes next. In a child with ADHD, attention often drifts during reading. He keeps reading with his eyes, but his mind is elsewhere. He reaches the bottom of the page without having retained anything. He has to start all over again.

This difficulty can discourage him and make him dislike reading. Yet he may enjoy stories. He simply needs help to stay attentive. We adapt the way he reads. We make reading more active. He makes progress. The link with a possible reading disorder is covered on the page ADHD or dyslexia.

The guiding card

A cardboard card, which only reveals one line or a few words at a time, helps the child concentrate. He slides the card down as he reads. Only the current line remains visible. The other lines do not distract him. He skips fewer lines.

You can also use a reading ruler, with a transparent coloured strip. Or simply follow the line with a finger. The child has a landmark. He keeps his place. He reads more steadily. He tires less.

Reading in small chunks

Rather than reading a long text all at once, it is cut into small pieces. One paragraph at a time. After each piece, there is a short break. The child says what he has understood. We carry on.

You can mark the sections with a pencil in the book. The child sees how many remain. He is not discouraged by the length. He moves forward. He gets to the end. The breaking down of a task is developed on the page for finishing what you start.

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Asking questions along the text

To make reading more active, questions are asked along the text. Before starting: what do you think this book is about? During: what is going to happen? Afterwards: what did you like best? The child thinks. He stays engaged.

You can also ask him to look for a specific piece of information in the text. Find the dog’s name. Find where the story takes place. He reads with a purpose. He concentrates. He finds it. He is proud.

Alternating reading

Reading together, taking turns, helps the child stay attentive. The adult reads a sentence, the child the next one. Or one page each. The child has breaks. He listens to the adult. He picks his reading back up.

This way of reading makes the moment more sociable. The child does not feel alone facing the text. He shares a pleasant moment. He discovers stories he would not have read on his own. He develops a taste for reading. He asks for more.

Choosing the right books

For a child with ADHD, the choice of books is important. Short texts with plenty of action, dialogue and illustrations are favoured. Comic books, graphic novels, choose-your-own-adventure books. These formats capture attention. They make you want to turn the page.

Let the child choose his reading according to his passions. A book about dinosaurs, cars, football. He is motivated. He reads more willingly. He discovers that reading can be a pleasure. Audiobooks, listened to while following the text, are also a good option. Advice on written revision can be found on the page ADHD and revision.

When to seek advice

If the child has great difficulty reading, even at the level of decoding, it can be useful to have a speech and language therapy assessment. Dyslexia may be associated with ADHD. The assessment helps to separate the issues. It guides the support. The GP writes the prescription.

To find a speech and language therapist, the directory ProfessionnelsDys allows searching by town. It also lists psychologists and neuropsychologists who assess attention. The two assessments complement each other well. When ADHD and dys disorders overlap, read ADHD and dys disorders.