How Montessori Helps Teachers Understand & Work with Students with ADHD

ADHD is a misunderstood disorder. Many people associate it with hyperactivity or with a child who fidgets, is constantly moving or talking, and has trouble participating in quiet activities such as silent reading time. Conventional classroom settings ask children as young as 3 and 4 years old to sit still, listen, follow directions, and work quietly. Montessori tells us that movement is crucial to learning. Sitting still at such a young age is difficult for all children, but for children with ADHD, it is almost impossible.

How do we tell if a child has ADHD or if this is just a child who has a lot to say, has more energy than most, or is less socially mature than his/her peers?
And we need to remember that the inattentive subtype (ADHD-I) has very little, if anything, to do with hyperactivity. There are some strong indicators that teachers and parents should be aware of in order to make a referral to a medical professional.

Indicators for Referring for ADHD

Behaviorally	Socially	Emotionally
Short attention span	Immature social skills	Easily angered, moody, irritable
Hyperactive motor behavior	Relates better to younger children	Unable to control impulses
Poor control of impulses	Difficulty developing friendships	Highly anxious
Excessive talking	Difficulty with complex games	Immature social skills
Disturbing others	Plays too aggressively	Frustrated
Daydreaming	Poor decision making skills	Low self-esteem
Seldom sits still	Difficulty with siblings	Rapid/drastic mood changes
Frequently distracted	May not have to follow house rules	Outbursts of temper
Difficulty following/ understanding directions	Parents have difficulty accepting child’s difficulties
Difficulty completing & turning in work	May be punished often
Frequently misplacing personal items

Referring children to a medical professional can help diagnose or rule out ADHD. As we learned in the previous blog, children do not outgrow ADHD. However, appropriate behavior can be learned. Punishment for inappropriate behavior does not work. And behavioral correction without constructive feedback negatively impacts a child’s self-esteem and emotional health. Without help, it is very common for children and adults with ADHD to become anxious and depressed.

Strategies for helping children with ADHD in the Montessori environment

The Montessori environment should be a safe place for children with ADHD to learn and grow, both academically and socially. Learning in the Montessori environment can be very beneficial for a child with ADHD. Giving the child the ability to make choices and work at his/her own pace removes the pressure of measuring his/her progress against that of others. The Montessori environment does not use timed tests and deadlines are developed with the teacher and student working together. Individualized lessons and attention are the norm rather than the exception. Keen observations by the teacher quickly help ascertain when strategies are working and the teacher is quickly able to make modifications in the environment.

Here are some additional strategies to employ when working with children with ADHD.

Difficulty on staying task	Model expected behavior Explain Conduct another lesson Offer choice Offer a snack Suggest working with a friend “Teach me the lesson” (ask the student to teach the teacher)
Frequent outbursts	Ignore the behavior Ask the student to write down his/her feelings and review with student later Class meeting (to offer peer-to-peer strategies)
Difficulty focusing	Break work into manageable chunks Ask student to sit near you (gluing) Remove distracting stimuli Offer visual or verbal cues

Above all else, remember to exercise great patience and respect when working with children with ADHD. Behavioral corrections should be fair and consistent. Children with ADHD are extremely sensitive to correction. For example, limit the number of times you use the child’s name when correcting behavior so they don’t become sensitive or adverse to it.

Children with ADHD have many amazing and remarkable positive traits. They are often your outgoing students who make great classroom greeters when you have guests. They are energetic and like to get everyone involved in games and playground activities. They are always up for an adventure. They are imaginative, creative, inventive, and able to think on their feet. They usually have a great sense of humor and can engage most people. They are sensitive, empathetic, and often understand the needs of others.

A diagnosis of ADHD is not the end of the world. Patient, supportive adults can help students reach their full potential by seeking help from medical professionals and modeling and teaching skills the child needs to become a fully functioning, independent adult.

Works Cited

The Hill Center. Understanding learning differences: An introduction to learning disabilities. Chapel Hill. 2015.

Michelle Irinyi — NAMC Tutor & Graduate

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.
© North American Montessori Center - originally posted in its entirety at Montessori Teacher Training on Tuesday, April 14, 2015.