Exercise ADHD, learning a lesson

Reading a lesson three times, then forgetting it the next day: this is often the lot of children with ADHD. Passive reading does not hold their attention, and the information does not settle in. To learn, they need to be active. Here are concrete methods to turn learning a lesson into an engaging activity.

Why re-reading is not enough

Re-reading a lesson passively is not very effective for anyone, and even less so for a child with ADHD. Their attention drifts. They read the words without understanding them. They feel they have learnt, but the information does not stay. The next day, they remember nothing.

To learn, one must work with the information: rephrase it, transform it, question it. These active methods hold the child’s attention better. They help them memorise. They are more effective. Revision is covered on the page ADHD and revision.

Rephrasing in your own words

After reading a paragraph, the child restates it in their own words. They explain what they have understood. If they cannot manage, they read it again. They are helped. They understand before memorising, which makes learning much more solid.

You can ask them to explain the lesson to someone else: a parent, a sibling, a soft toy. They take on the role of the teacher. They must organise their ideas. They retain much better. They are often proud of their lesson, and sometimes ask to repeat it the next day.

Drawing and diagramming

Turning a lesson into a drawing or a diagram helps children with ADHD a great deal, as they are often very visual. A mind map, with the subject at the centre and the ideas around it. A drawing that represents a concept. A timeline for history. Colours for each type of information.

The child creates their own resource. They become involved. They retain better what they have drawn themselves. They can consult it before the test. They have a personal tool, which resembles them and which they understand at a glance. Revision sheets are also presented on the page ADHD and revision.

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Asking yourself questions

An effective method is to turn the lesson into questions. What is a volcano? When did this battle take place? The child writes the questions on cards, with the answer on the back. They quiz themselves. They check.

You can play a quiz as a family with these cards. Each person asks the others questions. The child has fun. They revise without realising it. They retain better. They are motivated by the game. These cards also help the evening before an assessment, as explained on the page on preparing for a test.

Moving to remember

Many children with ADHD remember better when moving. They can recite a lesson while walking around the house. By throwing a ball at each sentence. By jumping at each key word. Movement helps memory. It also channels energy.

You can link gestures to certain concepts, which children who need to move really enjoy. A gesture for each step of a process, a movement for each date. The child remembers the gesture and the information at the same time. They recall it on the day of the test, sometimes discreetly repeating the gesture under the desk. They have fun. Other activities involving movement are found on the page on exercises involving movement.

Recording and listening back

The child can read their lesson aloud and record themselves on a phone. They then listen back, several times. In the car, before bed, while doing something else. They hear their own voice, which often amuses them. They retain it without having to reopen their exercise book.

This method is particularly suited to children who retain better orally. It allows them to revise without the effort of reading. It can be done anywhere. It is very practical for families who spend time in the car. It complements the other methods without replacing them.

Spreading learning over time

Learning a lesson the evening before a test is not very effective. Learning is spread over several days. On the first day, one reads and understands. On the second, one makes the mind map. On the third, one questions oneself. The evening before, one revises quickly.

This spacing helps long-term memory. The child retains better. They are less stressed the evening before, and sleep better. They arrive at the test calmer. A psychologist or coach can help set up these methods. You will find one near you in the ProfessionnelsDys directory. Planning is addressed on the page for planning a task.