Executive function Archives - HomeworkCoach

Homework Without the Meltdown: Effective Strategies for Parents of Kids with ADHD

Dennis Freeman — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 17:19:44 +0000

Here's a current blog post from HomeworkCoach, which is dedicated to making homework manageable for the ADHD or disorganized student.

Supporting a child with ADHD through homework doesn’t have to feel like a nightly battle. With the right balance of structure, empathy, and flexibility, parents can transform homework time into a calm, productive experience. Here’s how. By guest author Emily Graham of MightyMoms.

There are a few key concepts that science has shown can guide parents whose child has ADHD school. Create consistent routines; break tasks into smaller steps, offer positive encouragement. All sometimes easier said than done! Here are some practical ways or turning your child’s homework sessions into opportunities for growth rather than sources of stress.

Action Items

Keep routines predictable but flexible
Break tasks into small, visual steps
Use movement and micro-breaks
Model calm focus, not control
Consider supportive coaching for executive function help

Why Homework Feels So Hard

Children with ADHD struggle not because they don’t care—but because their brains process focus, planning, and transitions differently. Sustained effort, sequencing steps, and shifting attention all take extra energy. This means even simple tasks can lead to frustration, emotional fatigue, or avoidance.

Structure the Space, Not the Struggle

How to make the environment ADHD-friendly:

Designate one clear workspace (no more “floating homework zone”)
Keep materials visible but organized — transparent bins work better than drawers
Use timers like Time Timer or apps like Forest to externalize time
Reduce digital distractions using site blockers such as Freedom

Checklist: The ADHD Homework Setup

✅ Consistent workspace
✅ Visual schedule or checklist
✅ Clear start/end time
✅ Minimal clutter
✅ Snacks and water nearby

Break Tasks Into Visible, Winnable Chunks

Large assignments overwhelm the ADHD brain. Break everything down into steps that can be checked off visually.

Assignment Type	Break Into	Completion Signal	Parent Role
Reading	10 pages + 2 highlights	Checkmark on sticky note	Ask one question about the reading
Math	5 problems, short break, next 5	Visual timer reset	Praise focus, not accuracy
Essay	Outline → Draft → Edit	Progress bar	Ask about topic, not grammar

Use Calm Coaching Instead of Commanding

Instead of “Do your homework,” try:
➡ “Let’s plan how you’ll start.”
➡ “Which part feels easiest to begin with?”

These phrasing shifts promote executive function, not obedience. And taking a few minutes to sit with your child as they get started eases the transition into homework.

Turn Accountability Into Encouragement

Children with ADHD often benefit from outside structure — a neutral helper who combines empathy with strategy.

Working with trained tutors who understand executive function can make a remarkable difference. When you work with HomeworkCoach, sessions are built around focus, planning, and follow-through — not just completing worksheets. Our coaches teach supportive accountability and help kids build momentum, transforming “I can’t do this” into “I know how to start.”

Make Movement Part of Focus

Energy management equals emotional regulation. Encourage your child to:

Jump on a mini-trampoline between tasks
Do a short walk before math
Use a fidget or weighted lap pad
Stretch after 15–20 minutes of sitting
It’s OK for your child to stand or even jump around as they practice math facts or as you quiz them on vocabulary

Build the “Scaffold of Success”

Instead of micromanaging, co-create rituals your child can eventually run themselves:

Before homework: snack, five-minute chat, timer on
During: one step at a time, use visual tracker
After: high-five or quick win review

Even small victories compound confidence.

Consider Tutoring for Extra Support

If specific subjects cause tension between you and your child, consider bring in a tutor, either in-home or online. Tutoring offers personalized, human-led support, structure, and consistency from the comfort of home. If your child wants to learn Spanish, for instance, the flexibility of online Spanish courses helps you explore different tutors until you find the best, most effective fit. Choose platforms that allow trial sessions and tutor switching to build confidence and keep learning enjoyable.

FAQ

Q: What if my child refuses to start homework?
A: Try reducing the demand — start with two minutes. Often, getting started is the hardest part.

Q: Should I sit with them the whole time?
A: No. Be nearby but not hovering. Proximity helps, presence shouldn’t feel like pressure.

Q: How long should breaks be?
A: For every 15–20 minutes of focus, offer a 3–5 minute break.

Q: Is medication enough?
A: Medication helps attention but doesn’t teach executive function — structure and habits are still essential.

Q: What if homework always ends in tears?
A: Pause homework. Focus on regulation first. A calm nervous system learns; a stressed one resists.

Product Spotlight: Tools That Support Focus

One of the most effective aids for ADHD learners is visual time tracking. Timer tools make time tangible, helping kids “see” how much effort remains. Combine them with calming background sounds from Noisli to reduce overwhelm.

Other resources to explore:

ADDitude Magazine — parenting and ADHD strategies
org — executive function learning tools
CHADD — support for parents and educators

Glossary

Executive Function: Mental skills for planning, focus, and self-control

Microtasking: Breaking work into small, visual steps

Body Doubling: Working alongside someone to stay engaged

Supportive Accountability: Encouragement plus gentle structure

Visual Timer: A clock that shows time passing to make duration concrete

Homework time can shift from chaos to calm when parents move from control to coaching. By setting routines, modeling patience, and breaking tasks into small, doable steps, you help your child build focus, confidence, and independence. These habits strengthen self-regulation and persistence—skills that extend well beyond homework and into everyday learning and life.

The post Homework Without the Meltdown: Effective Strategies for Parents of Kids with ADHD appeared first on HomeworkCoach.

Summer Planning for Kids with ADHD

Angela Wright — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 14:26:58 +0000

Here's a current blog post from HomeworkCoach, which is dedicated to making homework manageable for the ADHD or disorganized student.

Weekly Outings.

Designate Mondays as pool days, Tuesdays as library days, Wednesdays are park days, and so on. This will help create a predictable routine for your student. Letting your child have input to her schedule helps build planning skills. You will also accommodate cognitive flexibility issues by having an established routine. Remember to give you child as much notice as possible if you have to change the schedule.

A New Hobby.

Has your student expressed the desire to join an art class or take on a new sport? Incorporate a new hobby for summer, it will help your student learn a new skill and give them an opportunity to socialize with others. We do recommend not getting overambitious with new activities. Many kids with do not manage time well and sign up for more than they can feasibly fit into one summer. Better to select one or two activities and commit to completing each program.

Summer Reading.

Many students cringe at the term, “Summer Reading.” However, this doesn’t have to be a chore or unpleasant experience. Discuss ahead of time what types of books or topics your child likes, then set them loose in the library or bookstore and see what grabs their interest. Encourage at least 20 minutes reading every other day to start. Kids with ADHD often struggle to get started on an activity. You can help get them going by promising an immediate reward like a piece of candy or a chance to watch their favorite TV show as soon as the 20 minutes is up. Did you know that students who read 20 minutes a day read an average of 1,800,000 words per year? This expands vocabulary and can help students perform better on standardized tests. Read more here

Journaling.

Let your student decorate color or draw in this journal. As well as being a creative outlet, this activity also helps your student learn more her strengths and weaknesses as she documents her day. It will give your student the opportunity to maintain writing skills throughout the summer. Structured writing can also help your student with organization and planning.

At the risk of repeating ourselves, do not over-schedule a child with ADHD. They will get overwhelmed and irritable! Downtime is vital for replenishing their enthusiasm for the upcoming school year. We wish you a happy, relaxing summer!

Note: these suggestions are all designed to strengthen your child’s executive functioning, such as planning, organization, initiation and time management. Click to download our Parents’ Primer on ADHD and Executive Function.

The post Summer Planning for Kids with ADHD appeared first on HomeworkCoach.

Help your Child with ADHD Overcome Working Memory Challenges

Dennis Freeman — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 18:27:19 +0000

Here's a current blog post from HomeworkCoach, which is dedicated to making homework manageable for the ADHD or disorganized student.

Children with ADHD often struggle with working memory deficits, which can make it difficult for them to follow instructions. They’ll start on a task, get distracted, then never circle back to it, because it has gone right out of the minds.

Don’t get mad at them, they are not being deliberately disobedient! Instead adopt some strategies that to help your child overcome these challenges. Here are some practical and effective approaches:

1. Break Tasks into Smaller Steps

Why it helps: Children with ADHD can feel overwhelmed by multi-step tasks. Breaking tasks into smaller, manageable steps reduces cognitive load.
How to do it: Provide one instruction at a time and wait for the child to complete it before giving the next step. For example, instead of saying, “Clean your room,” say, “First, pick up your toys, then put your clothes in the hamper.”

2. Use Visual Aids and Checklists

Why it helps: Visual aids provide a concrete reference that can help children remember what they need to do.
How to do it:
- Create checklists for daily routines (e.g., morning routine, homework steps).
- Use visual schedules with pictures or icons for younger children.
- Place checklists in visible locations, like on the fridge or bedroom door or bathroom mirror. Or all those locations!

3. Incorporate Timers and Alarms

Why it helps: Timers help children with ADHD manage time and stay on task.
How to do it:
- Use a timer to break tasks into short, focused intervals (e.g., 10-15 minutes of work followed by a short break).
- Set alarms or reminders for important tasks, like starting homework or packing their backpack.

4. Teach Mnemonic Devices

Why it helps: Mnemonics are memory aids that make it easier to recall information.
How to do it:
- Teach acronyms or rhymes to remember steps or concepts (e.g., “PEMDAS” for order of operations in math).
- Use visualization or mind-mapping techniques, such as imagining a story or picture to remember a list of items.

5. Provide Frequent Feedback and Positive Reinforcement

Why it helps: Positive reinforcement encourages children to stay motivated and builds their confidence.
How to do it:
- Praise specific efforts, like “Great job finishing your math problems on time!”
- Use a reward system, such as stickers or points, for completing tasks or following instructions.

6. Create a Structured Environment

Why it helps: A predictable routine reduces distractions and helps children with ADHD stay focused.
How to do it:
- Establish consistent daily routines for homework, meals, and bedtime.
- Designate a quiet, organized workspace for homework with minimal distractions.

7. Use Chunking for Information

Why it helps: Chunking breaks information into smaller, more manageable pieces, making it easier to remember.
How to do it:
- Group related items together (e.g., remembering a phone number as three chunks: 555-123-4567).
- Teach the child to categorize information, such as grouping vocabulary words by theme.

8. Practice Working Memory Exercises

Why it helps: Regular practice can strengthen working memory over time.
How to do it:
- Play memory games like “Simon Says,” card matching, or sequence recall games. Make this a game with your child, like two sequence recall exercises each evening before bed. (You say “3-7-6-9” and they repeat the sequence either in order or backwards, “9-6-7-3.”)
- Use apps or programs designed to improve working memory, such as Lumosity (for teens).

9. Teach Self-Monitoring Strategies

Why it helps: Self-monitoring helps children become more aware of their actions and progress.
How to do it:
- Encourage the child to check off completed tasks on a checklist. Older children should create their own checklists, at the start of the day or as they begin homework.
- Teach them to ask themselves, “Did I follow all the steps?” or “Do I have everything I need?”

10. Collaborate with Teachers

Why it helps: Teachers can provide additional support and accommodations in the classroom. Even if your child does not have an IEP or 504 Plan, you can enlist the teachers’ help in keeping your child track.
How to do it:
- Request accommodations, such as written instructions, extra time for assignments, or frequent reminders.
- Communicate regularly with teachers to ensure consistency between home and school.

11. Encourage Physical Activity

Why it helps: Exercise has been shown to improve cognitive function, including working memory (if you struggled to remember all the dance moves in Macarena, you know what we mean!).
How to do it:
- Incorporate regular physical activity into the child’s routine, such as sports, dancing, or even short breaks for movement during homework.

12. Be Patient and Supportive

Why it helps: Children with ADHD may need more time and practice to develop working memory skills.
How to do it:
- Avoid criticism and focus on progress, no matter how small.
- Celebrate successes and provide encouragement during setbacks.

And finally, consider hiring a homework coach

As your kids get older, they are more likely to resist their parent’s instruction. One way around this is to bring in a specialized tutor — we call them homework coaches — who can help build your child’s working memory as well as all the executive function skills that often challenge a child with ADHD. Look over our HomeworkCoach website for more information about our service and don’t hesitate to call for a no-cost consultation.

The post Help your Child with ADHD Overcome Working Memory Challenges appeared first on HomeworkCoach.

Tutoring Kids With ADHD: Kindness, Empathy and Bulletproof Structure

Jenna Humphrey — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 22:38:17 +0000

Here's a current blog post from HomeworkCoach, which is dedicated to making homework manageable for the ADHD or disorganized student.

Parents often don’t know where to turn when their children have been handed an ADHD diagnosis. A quick google search will bring a deluge of advice, brain-rewiring programs, psychologists and counselors, natural remedies, nutritional programs and guides to 504 plans. But often if you ask parents what they need most immediately, it is for someone to come to their home to help their child with their schoolwork and relieve the nightly stress of fighting over homework. That’s where tutoring comes in. But tutoring kids with ADHD is vastly different from standard tutoring. Here, I’m going to tell you what an ADHD tutor does, and what separates the good from the bad.

Also sometimes called an ADHD coach or a homework coach, an ADHD tutor can have a huge impact on a student’s life. One 2013 study of 148 college students found that after eight weeks of ADHD coaching classes, students enjoyed significant improvements in learning, self-esteem, and school and work satisfaction. Another study found improved executive function in terms of goals attainment skills, well-being, and self-regulation. As the youth speaker Josh Shipp puts it, “every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.”

But what makes ADHD tutoring different?

An ADHD tutor does not work as much on specific assignments and courses the way a typical academic tutor does. Instead, the tutor will take a holistic approach to all of the student’s schoolwork, helping them create a schedule that works and maintain a good daily workflow. They will set goals together and talk about ways they tend to get tripped up–for example, procrastinating because an assignment seems more daunting than it really is.

A huge difference in teaching style is that ADHD tutors need to be more affirming, positive, nurturing, and patient than regular tutors. This is because ADHD students tend to have lower self-esteem, and have often internalized the message that there is something wrong with their character. On the other hand, ADHD tutors should also be organized, dependable, and firm, able to resist their students’ tendency to talk about something other than the work at hand.

Tutoring Kids with ADHD Takes Patience and Positivity

Because kids with ADHD tend to be more discouraged and have lower self-esteem, they need to know that their tutor believes in them. This goes way beyond the normal call of duty, as far as tutoring is concerned. If you need to get ready for the SAT or pass chemistry, you need an expert in one of those areas. An ADHD tutor, on the other hand, needs to be gifted in the area of motivation. This starts with the tutor’s demeanor; there should be a lot of positive reinforcement, but not in a patronizing way. Rather, kids need to hear simple things like, “That’s neat how you came up with that,” or, “You know, you have a knack for writing.”

ADHD kids often don’t get around to the work they said they would do. They can be frazzled and overwhelmed. A good tutor will respond to these setbacks without judgment or criticism. Instead of saying, “I thought you were going to do this before our next session,” they may say, “Ok, let’s put together next week’s homework schedule a little more carefully and perhaps you can send me a text when you’ve completed each step.”

From Focus to Follow-Through, Executive Functions can be Taught

ADHD students are sometimes characterized as “lazy,” “disorganized,” “unmotivated,” or “impulsive.” But these are not character traits, they are signs of deficient or immature executive function skills. A good ADHD tutor would never think of their student as lazy or unmotivated, they would rather note the underlying executive function challenges, such as the student has trouble getting started on homework, has a hard time switching from one task to another, or gets sidetracked easily.

Behind these behaviors is always a “why.” The student may procrastinate starting on her research project because she hasn’t broken it down into little bite-size chunks yet, can’t remember where she put the outline instructions, or feels overwhelmed because she’s never put together a bibliography. The tutor and student can talk through all of this and write down the steps that need to be taken, then put together a task list.

We aren’t born knowing how to eat with a fork, and we certainly aren’t born with the ability to write a good task list. The same goes for to-do lists, weekly calendars, agendas, and so on. An ADHD tutor doesn’t just assume that students already know how to organize their life on paper like this. That’s why so much of tutoring kids with ADHD is about setting goals, writing things down, and using practical tools.

The same goes for another problem with ADHD kids: time blindness. With ADHD, an hour can feel like five hours, or it can feel like five minutes, depending on how distracted or hyper-focused they are. ADHD tutors work on time management by helping the student project ahead of time how the rest of his day and week will look. She may have him estimate how long a set of problems will take, and then time him on it. People with ADHD often push off doing important things because they wildly overestimate how long it will take. On the other hand, they wait until the 11th hour to start on things because they figure it won’t take long. With practice, ADHD kids get a better grip on how their time and workload fits together.

Non-Judgmental Teaching Yields the Way

I have always wanted to hire a home organizer. My closets are all full of clothing, knick knacks, and keepsakes that I don’t want to throw out, but also don’t know where to put. What keeps me from hiring someone, aside from my budget, is the fear of being judged. I think this is how ADHD kids feel. Any time they have been approached by an adult regarding their cluttered book bags or terribly maintained agenda, it has been with an attitude of, “What’s wrong with you?”

And that attitude is almost always met with defensiveness. When you get defensive, you can’t hear what another person is saying. You are too overwhelmed with the feeling that you need to protect yourself to even hear what the other person is saying. A good ADHD tutor knows how to say, “Let’s organize your papers together,” and guide the child to a filing system that works for them. The tutor never imposes a solution on the student; together, they develop the tools that help the student feel more organized and on top of schoolwork. This is why our company calls our tutors “homework coaches” — the coach observes and guides the child to be the best they can. Slowly, that sense of order being unattainable goes away. It’s amazing how enthusiastic, even zealous, an ADHD kid can get about order once they start to feel empowered.

If you are looking for an ADHD tutor, please consider HomeworkCoach. We have put hundreds of hours of research into tutoring kids with ADHD. We work with students everyday who are facing these struggles. We recruit, train, and certify tutors all over the country. Follow these links to learn more about our tutoring program and ADHD tutors.

The post Tutoring Kids With ADHD: Kindness, Empathy and Bulletproof Structure appeared first on HomeworkCoach.

Turning Around A Failing Sophomore Year

Dennis Freeman — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 01:57:42 +0000

Here's a current blog post from HomeworkCoach, which is dedicated to making homework manageable for the ADHD or disorganized student.

A HomeworkCoach Success Story

Ninth grade was a tough one for Caitlin McLaney and her sophomore year was off to no better of a start: she had failing grades in all of her subjects. The East Cobb, GA, student had always had academic challenges and had long benefited from medication for ADHD, but the transition to high school was proving particularly difficult.

“I knew we couldn’t have a repeat of last year,” Caitlin’s mother Elaine says. “Yet with both parents working outside the home, and with Caitlin’s own busy sports schedule, we needed a solution that could fit with our schedules.”

The McLaneys turned to HomeworkCoach. As Elaine puts it, “A one-on-one student to teacher ratio is what works best for Caitlin.” HomeworkCoach assigned Courtney Taylor (pictured above left) to tutor Caitlin (right) and implement the program’s learning-specialist-tested methodology. A homework coach is a tutor whose goal is to help the student’s overall academic success, providing the tools and encouragement needed for the student to stay on top of all her assignments

Tracking assignments and deadlines
While Caitlin was struggling in math, English and physics, Courtney knew that it was an overall approach to homework and studying that needed to be addressed. “We started by looking at Caitlin’s short term and long term goals,” she says, “providing Caitlin with specific achievements we’d aim for within stated timeframes.”

An early focus was to establish a system for Caitlin to track her assignments and deadlines. “Every student functions differently,” explains Courtney, “So it is important to find a suitable agenda system for each student. Some students may prefer a daily agenda divided into subjects, and some students may prefer a weekly agenda divided into school days.” In Caitlin’s case, a daily subject agenda helps Caitlin keep track of both short and long-term assignments while providing a focused day-by-day plan.

Courtney typically sees Caitlin three times a week, one hour sessions. At each session they review what’s happening with all her subjects, then focus on completing the day’s homework and studying for tests. The hour ends with a listing of the tasks Caitlin needs to complete before the next session. In this way, Caitlin is absorbing the organization and time management skills that will serve her well as she completes high school and transitions to college. Just as important, by identifying the tasks Caitlin will do between sessions, Courtney can keep her accountable and responsible for completing work on her own.

Within the first semester of sophomore year, Caitlin’s grades improved from failing grades to a B in her math class and a grade of C in her other classes. Courtney works with Caitlin in all subjects, but Caitlin notes that “Courtney has helped me improve in my math class the most.” Caitlin learns most effectively with a step-by-step process, so “Courtney explains more about the details than my math teacher.” Courtney’s concern for and understanding of Caitlin’s learning style has allowed Courtney to adapt her tutoring approach to be most effective with Caitlin.

Not only has Courtney helped Caitlin with grade improvement, but Caitlin acknowledges that having a tutor has helped her “stay organized and up-to-date on homework and studying.” Caitlin benefits from additional time outside of the classroom and finds that “Courtney knows how to better explain my class material and has strategies to help me study for tests.”

“She has become more outgoing”
Caitlin has made remarkable academic progress during her first semester of sophomore year, but having a tutor provides more than success in the classroom. Courtney’s interest in Caitlin’s activities outside of the classroom has improved Caitlin’s overall confidence regarding school. In the beginning of the year, Caitlin “wouldn’t really get involved with school, but working with Courtney has helped [Caitlin] become more outgoing.”

By the end of sophomore year, Caitlin’s goal is to achieve a grade of B in all of her classes. Both Elaine and Caitlin agree that the goal is attainable “with all of Courtney’s support and encouragement.”

“Courtney has been an answer to our prayers,” Elaine said, “and we would recommend In-Home Tutors and HomeworkCoach to other parents.” When asked if Caitlin would recommend the program, she said “Absolutely! HomeworkCoach really improved my grades and I think they would help others, too.”

Caitlin is one student among many that have found academic success through the HomeworkCoach program. With dedicated and supportive tutors and a unique program methodology, HomeworkCoach is committed to helping students blossom into well-rounded, confident individuals.

HomeworkCoach can do the same for your child! For pricing and additional information, please call us at 877-715-5442.

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Know Whether to Challenge or Calm your ADHD Child

Dennis Freeman — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 20:54:50 +0000

Here's a current blog post from HomeworkCoach, which is dedicated to making homework manageable for the ADHD or disorganized student.

Your ADHD child is resisting getting started on homework, as usual. You’ve learned that yelling and nagging won’t work. So what should you do? This blog post suggests a starting point: determining whether your student is overstressed or bored.

The graphic above — which we have taken from a nice article by BEabove Leadership — illustrates an interesting aspect of ADHD. Your child’s ADHD-typical behaviors, such as poor impulse control, procrastination, inability to follow directions, lack of organization, can result from both stress and boredom.

These behaviors are managed in the brain’s pre-frontal cortex, and this part of the brain functions best when it has the optimum level of neurotransmitters. If your child is bored or un-stimulated, the pre-frontal cortex will not have enough dopamine or norepinephrine to kick-start homework. If your child is stressed, too much dopamine or norepinephrine will have the same effect. Lack of focus, inability to get started. That’s why the BEabove authors joke that the pre-frontal cortex is like Goldilocks. It needs its neurochemicals to be just right.

So that’s the theory. How does that help you as a parent? Our suggestion: find out which side of the curve best fits your child right now and from that determine the best strategy to get them going on their homework.

When your child is stressed:

You can usually tell when your child is stressed. Anger toward you or a sibling is one sign. Did something happen at school? Talk to your child, see if they can identify what they are feeling. Simply naming their feelings can begin the process of reducing stress and lowering adrenaline levels.

Create a relaxing homework environment

Remove distractions including pets and have your child sit at the homework table or desk. Background music is effective with a lot of children.

Try breathing exercises

If your child still seems agitated, see if you can get them to take deep breaths for a few minutes. Here are some ideas to make the breathing exercise fun. Keep a pinwheel on hand, for example, and see how long your student can keep it spinning by breathing out slowly.

Help them get started on the first assignment

Many ADHD children struggle with “initiation” which is not quite the same as procrastination. Often you will find that if you help them start their homework, for example, complete the first math problem or write the first sentence, they will keep going without you.

When your child is under-stimulated:

Turning to the left hand side of the curve, you no doubt know when your child is simply bored and is therefore resisting what seems like the torture of doing homework. Your goal is to find a way to increase the flow of dopamine to the front cortex and that is usually all about rewards.

Set short-term goals with a reward at the end

ADHD children do not respond well to far off goals (“get good grades so you can get into a good college”). They do better with a short-term incentive that will help them focus. If they have a daunting worksheet of 20 problems, break it up into 5 problems at a time with a reward of a cookie or two-minutes to check text messages.

Find ways to challenge your child

An ADHD child really struggles to focus on a topic that holds no interest or challenge. See if you can work on that somehow. Can you talk through the history assignment and find ways to make it interesting? Can you make a game out of a repetitive assignment, timing how long each homework section takes, and seeing if you child can beat the clock? Challenges and sparking curiosity have both been shown to stimulate dopamine production.

We hope you find these ideas useful. If you wonder whether you have the time or energy to put these ideas into practice every school night, you might consider hiring a homework coach who can help your child complete homework while strengthening their executive function skills.

The post Know Whether to Challenge or Calm your ADHD Child appeared first on HomeworkCoach.

Help your ADHD Child Focus on Completing Homework

Dennis Freeman — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 00:59:03 +0000

Here's a current blog post from HomeworkCoach, which is dedicated to making homework manageable for the ADHD or disorganized student.

It’s hard enough to get your child started on homework. Keeping him or her working is just as challenging. Here are a few tips to help your child stay focused on completing homework.

Don’t Rush- Your child has spent the day in school and probably will not want to jump straight into homework the minute he gets off the bus.This would be a good time to have a healthy snack, burn off extra energy with a few minutes of quick exercise, or just take a few minutes to relax. But do establish a routine that you stick to throughout the week. For example, “Homework begins at 4pm.”

Break Time into Segments- Time management and the concept of time are difficult for ADHD diagnosed students to understand. When your child sees he has to complete a math assignment with 30 problems he may think to himself, “There’s no way I’ll be able to finish all those problems! I don’t even know where to begin!” Try setting a time limit or goal. Suggest doing 3 problems and then taking a 5 minute break. Or use a timer and challenge your student to see how many problems he can do in 10 minutes before taking a short break.

Listen to Music- While working, let your student listen to some music. Songs that they like with a recognizable beat are best. Music has rhythm and rhythm provides structure, helping the ADHD brain stay on a linear path. Kirsten Hutchison, a music therapist at Music Works Northwest, a nonprofit community music school near Seattle says, “Music exists in time, with a clear beginning, middle, and end; that structure helps an ADHD child plan, initiate, and react.”

Free download: if you have a younger child, you may find our fun GoalPad helpful for planning homework.

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