Studying Strategies for ADHDers

Do you know what is the hardest part about studying? Getting started (aka Task Initiation). Put yourself back in your child’s shoes: Relearning something you’ve just learned sounds terrible! Now imagine you also have challenges with executive function skills or think you aren’t interested in learning the content assigned to study.

Studying now sounds even more difficult! What can you do to make studying easier for your child (or yourself)? Read on!

1. Set up a place for academics.

Having a dedicated space for learning can help the brain with understanding transitions between being at home and studying or doing homework. At school students have their desk, a cubby, a locker, different classrooms for subjects; all of which signal to the brain to anticipate learning. By creating a dedicated space for studying at home, you are telling the brain that this environment is a place to focus on learning and reducing the amount of time it takes to initiate studying.

Don’t have space for learning where you live? Try studying at the library or setting up a spot in the living room where your child has their learning materials nearby.

2. Create a plan

Nothing is more difficult than trying to start something without a plan of action. For students who have challenges with executive function, planning is essential to ensure they know what they need to accomplish and there are steps towards accomplishing their goal of studying.

So how do you create a plan for studying?

First, reach out to your child’s teacher. Most curriculums have an outline of the unit that your child is learning, so teachers can give you an anticipation date for when a test would be.

Then assess with your child the best ways for them to practice what they have learned.

Is your child someone who prefers to do homework as soon as they come home? Or do they need time to rest after school? Do they have multiple subjects to study for or one least favorite subject? How does your child best learn? Asking these questions with your child is a great way to start making a plan that is realistic and addresses their needs.

Next, determine how much time is needed for studying. If your child works better in shorter bursts, then setting aside 15-25 minutes a night for studying might be perfect for them.

Have multiple subjects to study for? Create a weekly study plan to focus on those specific subjects in 20–30-minute sessions.

3. Make a review packet

Do you remember getting the HUGE review packets at the end of a unit and thinking “Did I really learn all of this?” I felt this frequently since I would forget what we had learned previously, and I had to re-learn everything before the test.

For students with challenges in their executive function skills, remembering what they learned can be more difficult than it is for a neurotypical student. The working memory can get overwhelmed when there are too many sensory inputs and information can get lost easily.

What can you and your child do to support their studying? Create your own review packet.

The easiest way to start is by gathering old quizzes, learning checks, or homework that are relevant to what your child needs to study. By reviewing old work, you and your child can both see what they understood and where they need extra practice.

For strengthening the working memory, externalizing learning has been shown to improve understanding by moving the information that is caught up in the brain into the physical world. Rewriting notes is a helpful way of moving information between the brain and the physical world.

Need more practice? Check with your child’s teacher to see if they have a review packet available or have additional websites to visit for practice.

4. Try different strategies for studying

Learning isn’t one size fits all, so why should we expect our students to all learn and study the same? Re-reading chapters in a textbook can be beneficial for one child, but for children with challenges in their executive function skills, re-reading can feel pointless.

Here are some ideas for making learning meaningful and moving information from short-term to long-term memory:

• Have your child rewrite their notes in their own words with examples on flashcards.

• Create a song for remembering dates of historical events or events that happen in a book.

• Have your child record their notes, vocabulary words, or steps to an equation using voice memos.

• Use resources like Khan Academy or YouTube to watch content about what your child is studying.

• Invite a peer over to study together.

• Use questions in your review packet to create a game for studying. Quizlet or Kahoot are great options to make them more interactive and competitive.

5. Schedule in breaks!

This last strategy feels the easiest but can be difficult to keep in mind when planning to study. A child’s brain needs rest and breaks between learning so information can be stored from short-term to long-term memory. Children also have limited attention spans, so breaking up studying to work with your child’s attention span will be beneficial for them to learn their limits and reduce stress or anxiety while studying. Setting timers is helpful for students who have challenges with executive function skills because they provide structure for when to focus, when it's time for a break, and reduces time blindness.

Here are some ideas for breaks in between study sessions:

• Movement breaks such as dancing, running, jumping, or stretching

• Sensory breaks with kinetic sand, slime, or fidget toys

• Make a snack together! Snacks that are high in protein help keep students full and focused

• Take a walk outside or reconnect with nature

• Spend time with a pet or sibling

• Listen to upbeat music