Supporting Students in
the Classroom:
Attention, Organization & Planning
Erin Cowell & Suzanne Nice
Reasons Why Students Struggle

Typical adolescent development
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Physical (nutrition, exercise, sleep)
Emotional (anxiety can look a lot like ADHD)
Social (problems with family/friends can look like poor motivation / ADHD)
Executive Skills (continue to develop well into the 20’s)
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Academic skill differences (Explore Scores are on IC!).
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Students who may not speak English full-time. These students may
have excellent conversational skills but struggle with academic
language.
Brain Development

Recent research indicates that frontal lobe development
may continue well into the 20’s and early 30’s. This
includes typical development and not just those identified
with a disability.

Males lag behind females in frontal lobe development ◦ Females – 25-28 years
◦ Males – 27 – 32 years
Executive Function Skills
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Flexibility – adaptable, improvise, shift approaches
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Goal-directed persistence – sustain effort over time
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Metacognition – self-monitor & observe
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Organization – systematic approach to achieve goals
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Planning – develop a strategy to achieve a goal
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Regulation of Affect – manage one’s feelings
Executive Function Skills
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Response to Inhibition – self-control, delay
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Social thinking – respond appropriately to social conditions
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Sustained Attention - maintain attention in the presence of distractions
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Task Initiation – start a task without procrastination
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Time Management – prioritize and respond in a timely manner
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Working Memory– hold one piece of information while working with
another
Executive Function Challenges in
the Classroom

Inhibit – impulsive, has trouble stopping when silly, doesn’t think
before doing, needs close supervision

Shift – stubborn, can’t get disappointment off their mind, resists
accepting a different way to solve a problem, becomes upset with
new situations

Emotional Control – overreacts to small problems,
explosive/angry outbursts, easily tearful, mood changes frequently
Executive Function Challenges in
the Classroom

Initiate – does not take initiative, not a self-starter, needs to be told
to begin a task even when willing, lies around the house a lot

Working Memory – absent-minded, when given three things to
do only remembers the first or last, trouble with multi-step activities
(directions, assignments, chores, etc.)
Executive Function Challenges in
the Classroom

Plan/Organize – good ideas but can’t get the job done, written
work poorly organized, starts projects without the right materials,
trouble planning for future activities, underestimate time needed to
complete tasks

Monitor – doesn’t ask for help when needed, doesn’t check work
for mistakes, makes careless errors, unaware of how behavior
affects others, leaves work incomplete, not aware when their work
does not match teacher expectations
Ways to support students:
The most important things teachers can do to
support students occur before students walk in
the door.
As we talk, consider your practices. What has
worked well for you? Feel free to share examples!
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Classroom structure & routines
Building relationships to promote engagement
Teach and practice specific skills (organization, planning, testtaking)
Classroom Structure
Structure the environment by building in cues to remind
students of tasks to be done or behaviors to be performed:

Post homework & important reminders in the same location on the
whiteboard & in the same format throughout the year.

For efficient use of class time, write a daily schedule or lesson agenda on
the board. This will facilitate transitions and reduce the need to give
multiple verbal directions.

Identify & clearly label where homework is placed each day, or how it will
be checked.
Establish Routines
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Homework collection routine. Visual and verbal cues.
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Start class by talking about tomorrow’s homework- discuss how will
it tie into today’s lesson.
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Have students get out assignment notebooks & write down
homework together at the beginning of class or stop class early to
give time for this.

Establish a clear routine and practice for sharing critical information
and materials when a student misses class. EXAMPLES???
Building Relationships

Greet students as they walk in the door.
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Greet students when they return from absences.
Help them access notes/information they missed
until it becomes routine.

Provide many opportunities to respond. For
students who struggle with content or are shy,
give them a heads-up about participating.
Promoting Engagement & Attention

Establish relevancy and purpose for learning by relating to previous
experiences.

Pacing of classroom instruction can promote attention or encourage
inattention.
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Extended periods of lecturing without opportunities for engagement
or movement is challenging for all teenagers (and us too, right?!).
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Provide opportunities for movement.
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Alternate quiet/passive and active tasks.
Promoting Engagement & Attention

Prompt students when it is a good time to write something
down.
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Ask students what questions they think might be on a quiz
or test.
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Encourage feedback from students to check for
understanding
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Familiarize students with any new vocabulary before
beginning the lesson.

Alert student’s attention before expressing key points.
Promoting Engagement in Quiet or
Inattentive Students

Make a positive comment every time the student shows any
evidence of interest.

Shape approximations of desired behavior by giving immediate,
positive feedback for participating or being on-task. If student
answers a problem correctly, say “Nice job on that problem. Tell me
how you figured it out?”

Give students advance warning before calling on them.
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Use a pre-planned nonverbal signal to cue student to focus.
Supporting students who have
difficulty paying attention

Many students do not have attention issues across the board.

Consider many reasons why students may present with attention
problems.
 Academic skills problems
 Physical, emotional, social stressors
 Language considerations

Include student in discussion about strategies that might help them
(i.e, cue to focus—be creative, seating arrangement)

Do you need more information from a counselor?
Teach Specific Skills

Don’t assume that students know how to…
◦ Organize Materials / Class Notes
◦ Use Technology
◦ Plan for long-term assignments
◦ Study for Tests
Organization
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MATERIALS: Develop and teach a materials management system
for your classes. Review it frequently & take time to organize
together on an established routine. Clean out & start fresh at the
beginning of a unit or quarterly.
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NOTES: Provide copies of notes or templates to help them
structure notes. This will ensure that they have the critical
information they will need when studying for tests or completing
assignments based on lecture material.
Use Technology
◦ Take time in class to show students how to get to your website.
◦ Give students time in class to practice getting to your website
and navigating through it.
◦ Teacher Website Scavenger Hunt
◦ Have students reply to an email you send them for homework.
Could ask students questions to get to know them better.
◦ Booster sessions to remind students how to get to assignments
on website, etc.
Plan for Long-Term Assignments
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Present all assignments orally and in writing
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Break assignments into parts with check-in points along the way
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Talk to all students about the steps for getting started on an
assignment—this is what you will need to do first, then…

Talk individually with students who you observe are not able to start
something or miss a check-in point.
◦ Are they overwhelmed? Help them prioritize
◦ Difficulty coming up with ideas? Help them brainstorm

Students benefit from being given scoring rubrics that define exactly
what is to be included in class assignments. The rubric can be
written as a checklist that students are asked to complete as part of
the assignments.
Studying for Tests
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Help and teach students how to organize material to prepare for a test.
Be explicit in what they will need to do to be successful on the test.
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See “Tools for Studying” form
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Recommend specific study strategies:
Reread text
Outline text
Make concept map
Use study guide
Study flash cards
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Reread/organize notes
Highlight notes
Quiz myself
Study session with teacher
Memorize/rehearse
Help students create a study plan for tests:
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4 days before test..
3 days before test…
2 days before test…
1 day before test…
Tests Continued…
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Actively teach test-taking skills.
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Prepare students for the specific format of your tests
(i.e., sample problems).
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During testing, cue students about pacing, particularly at
the beginning of the year & with freshmen.
◦ Start Time:
◦ Stop Time:
◦ You have 15 minutes left. You should be near problem #14.
References
Dawson, P. & Guare, R. (2010). Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents. New
York: Guildord Press.
Dawson, P. & Guare, R. (2009). Smart but Scattered. New York: Guilford Press.
Isquith, P.K. (2011, October). Executive Function in Children & Adolescents: Concepts and
Assessment. Presentation at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology,
Chicago, IL.