What is the best classroom environment for a child with ADHD?
The ideal classroom will be informal but structured. That may sound contradictory at first, because we tend to think of structure and formality as being the same thing. They’re not. By “formal” I mean the type of classroom where all children are expected to sit in their seat and the teacher stands in front of the classroom delivering a lecture. Such an environment may look structured, but it isn’t necessarily so. The lectures may be unfocused. The children may not be getting good guidelines on what’s expected of them. The problem with a formal classroom setting is that it presumes all children learn in the same way. Often an ADHD child needs more latitude in how (versus) what she accomplishes. For example, she may need to stand up at her desk and work at her own pace. What are the characteristics of a structured classroom? A well-structured classroom, on the other hand, can be highly informal. But it incorporates lots of cues and tools that help children organize their work and stay fo
