Homework Help for ADHD: Strategies That Actually Work

Originally published at diversebrainz.com

Practical Homework Tips for Kids With ADHD

Children with ADHD often struggle with completing their homework. They may forget to bring home the proper materials, start their homework at erratic times, lose focus when doing their work, or turn in their assignments late. As a parent, there are many tools you can use to help your child with ADHD build stronger homework habits. Try some of the ideas below:

Time Management Strategies For Kids With ADHD

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Many students with ADHD struggle with time management, which can affect their ability to complete their homework efficiently.

Help your child build stronger time management and homework skills by creating an organized homework schedule.

If they have four assignments to complete, for example, have them decide on the order in which they plan to complete them and label the assignments 1, 2, 3, 4 (either in their assignment or on a separate sheet of paper or digital document). Then teach them the Estimated Time vs. Actual Time, or ET vs. AT, strategy. Starting with their first assignment, have them predict how long they think it will take to complete it and write down the ET, or estimated time. Then have them note how long it actually takes to complete that assignment and write the AT, or actual time. They should use this strategy for all of their assignments every time they work on their homework.

For students who struggle with time management, there is usually a large discrepancy between the ET and AT when they start using this strategy, but the more they practice it, the more realistic they tend to become with their time, and the more their time management skills improve.

Crafting the Perfect ADHD Study Space

Setting up an organized study space can help your child with ADHD build stronger homework skills. To do so, select a space where your child will complete their homework on a regular basis. This spot should ideally be a desk in their room, but an area on your kitchen or dining room table can work too. The key is consistency: anytime your child sits down to do their homework, they should work at their designated study spot.
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Make sure this space contains all of the supplies they need to complete their homework, including pens, pencils, paper, scissors, highlighters, and any other related supplies. If the supplies run low, refill them right away to make sure your child doesn’t wander around mid-session looking for more supplies. If your child works at a communal spot like a kitchen or dining room table, create a supplies bucket filled with the materials they need to complete their work, and have them take the bin to and from their room for their homework sessions.

Create a Consistent Homework Time

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Some children with ADHD complete their homework right when they get home from school; others start later; and many are completely inconsistent with when they do their homework. They might begin their assignments immediately after school, then take several breaks, become distracted by items around your home, and finally complete their work late in the night (if at all).

Help your child build better homework habits by setting a consistent homework time. Talk to them about when they feel they work best. If they prefer to work on their homework right after school to “get it over with,” that’s great. Some children may want a snack or physical activity break after school before starting their homework, while others may work best after dinner.

Any of these options can work; the key is consistency. If your child has after-school activities on some days, plan accordingly and help them find different times for completing their schoolwork on those days.

Pomodoro Technique For ADHD Kids – Give it a Try!

The Pomodoro Technique is a great strategy to help students with ADHD improve their homework and focusing skills. To use this strategy, your child should set a timer for 25 minutes and work consistently for that period until the timer goes off. Then they should take a five-minute break, followed by another 25-minute segment of dedicated work.

After they have completed four of these cycles, they should take a longer break of roughly 15–30 minutes. Your child can also tweak the time windows if need be; if 25 minutes is too long for them, they can start with 15 minutes of work followed by a five-minute break and gradually increase their work time to build stamina.

This strategy can help your child create a structured homework routine and complete their work more efficiently and effectively.

You Can Do This!

As students progress through school, homework demands increase quickly. Teach your child these strategies for building stronger homework and executive functioning skills, and you will set them on a path towards academic success.

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