ADD/ADHD Alternatives in the Classroom

by Thomas Armstrong

What does it mean to a kid to be labeled attention-deficit disordered (ADD)? Or to have "hyperactive" added to the label (ADHD)? What can teachers do to boost the success of students with attention and behavioral difficulties? Are we relying too much on medication for these kids and not enough on new perspectives on learning, child development, the child's socioeconomic and cultural background, biological and psychological research, and the learner's emotional and social needs? Armstrong urges educators and parents to look for the positive characteristics in learners who may carry the ADD/ADHD label. Are they bursting with energy? Are they intensely creative? Do they enjoy hands-on learning? Are they natural leaders? Are they unusually introspective and reflective? We need to look beyond a "deficit" approach and embrace a more holistic view of learners that includes teaching to their multiple intelligences, learning styles, and other brain-friendly approaches. For example, here are some classroom activities for kids who "can't sit still" Learning spelling words by having kids jump up out of their seats on the vowels and sit down on the consonants. Mastering the multiplication tables by forming a conga line, moving around the classroom counting from 1 to 30 out loud, and on every multiple of 3 shaking their hips and legs. Showing patterns of molecular bonding in chemistry class through a "swing your atom" square dance.

Genres: Adhd, Education, Teaching, Nonfiction

126 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1999

About the author

I am the author of 20 books, including my latest The Power of Neurodiversity: Unleashing the Advantages of Your Neurodivergent Brain (Completely Updated and Revised Second Edition), which is a complete rewrite of a book I wrote with a similar title but slightly different subtitle in 2010.

My other books include: The Myth of the ADHD Child, 7 Kinds of Smart, Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, and The Power of the Adolescent Brain. I've also written for Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal, and the AMA Journal of Ethics.

I see myself as a reader as much as, or even more than, a writer. Some of the books which I've enjoyed recently include Joseph and His Sons by Thomas Mann, The Story of the Stone/Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin, the complete Arabian Nights (3 volumes), translated by Malcolm C. Lyons, The Studs Lonigan Trilogy by James T. Farrell, and From Here to Eternity by James Jones.

Beyond literature and writing, my hobbies and pursuits include improvising on the piano, doing mindfulness meditation, watching great movies on The Criterion Channel, doing yoga, and cooking Mediterranean cuisine.

Married for twenty-five years, and now divorced, I live in a cute Victorian style home on a hill in Sonoma County, California with my dog Daisy.

Reviews

[Janey · Rating 3 out of 5]

As this is an older text (1999), I didn’t learn anything new as I already implement most of the strategies identified in my classroom. However, there are still many teachers who would benefit from a paradigm shift about the topic as this book suggests, so it could be beneficial to them.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to read more books by this author, especially "Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom" and "The Myth of the A.D.D. Child: 50 Ways to Improve Your Child's Behavior and Attention Span without Drugs." The last part of the book was very helpful in practical suggestions. I liked the ending sentence of the book: "With accumulating evidence from brain science regarding the effect of the environment on the growing brain, it's becoming more clear that everything a teacher uses in the classroom - whether it be computers, music, hands-on instruction, cooperative learning, visual thinking, role play or any other ideas suggested in this book and elsewhere - has its own effect on a child's brain, creating new neuronal connections and enriching the child's neurochemistry in other ways, as well."

[Cadie Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the non-medicine based suggestions for how to help these students.