Dyslexia and ADHD Activities

Sponge Activities

These activities are drawn from an inclusion-oriented disability project at the Brooklake School in Florham Park, N.J., which was funded by a Teaching Tolerance grant. Note: It is important or teachers to consider and provide for the needs of students in the class who may be dyslexic or have ADHD to make sure they do not feel uncomfortable. You may wish to consult their parents or excuse them from the exercise, but it would be best for all the students if the project remains inclusive. If you are unsure which students may have dyslexia or ADHD, ask the class on the day before the exercise to discuss the disabilities and briefly explain what they are.

For teachers, the website British Dyslexics examines the complexities of defining dyslexia, but a simple explanation for children is that it is a disorder involving difficulties in reading, and that it can occur in anyone, and doesn't meant you're not smart; in fact many times children with dyslexia are bright and gifted. ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is also subject to varied interpretations, but New Zealand's ADHD online support group says the most commonly agreed upon simple definition is "an early onset, biological disorder, classically characterized by a triad of symptoms: hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. These three symptoms are persistent and at developmentally inappropriate levels." You can explain it more simply to children as a disorder that makes it very difficult to be still and concentrate. Explaining these disorders may help you identify any students with dyslexia or ADHD who have not previously been known to you.

• Prepare a "fake" quiz for the students to take and rearrange letters within words, putting them out of order. Tell the students that they have ten minutes to finish this quiz and cannot ask any questions. Most students will eventually understand the questions, but it will take them a few extra minutes. Explain to them again what dyslexia is and how many students experience this, as well as some things they do to overcome this disability.
• Give the students a reading passage from a typical day's lesson and allot a quiet reading time. As the students read, teacher and colleagues should try to distract the students by making noises in the back of the class. When the reading time has ended, use a question and answer discussion to let the students tell what distracted them and why. Explain to them again what ADHD is and how the disrupted reading time provides a sense of how ADHD can affect a person's concentration. Remind them that nearly 9 percent of American children — approximately 2.4 million between the ages of 8 and 15 — meet medical diagnostic criteria for ADHD.
• Follow-up with written or verbal reflection. Create space for students to speak with you individually as well.

Parental and Community Engagement

• If your classroom is inclusive, reach out to parents or guardians of children with disabilities and ask them what other students should know about the disabilities. Working with parents and their children, structure activities where children with disabilities teach other students about their disabilities.
• Working with a local organization, launch a service-learning project.
• Check with local museums and other educational venues to inquire about possible exhibits. The Louisiana Children's Museum, for example, once offered an interactive exhibit that allowed children to have hands-on experience with deafness, blindness and disorders of the muscular and nervous systems.