COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY: A METHOD FOR TEACHING MATHEMATICS TO ADHD STUDENTS

Rebecca Sustaita

MATH DIFFICULTIES EXPERIENCED BY ADHD STUDENTS

Many students with ADHD dislike and even dread math because they have specific difficulty with math computation skills such as: Carelessness and inaccurate computation Misalignment of problems on paper Difficulty organizing and copying problems Inattention to processing math signs Trouble memorizing and recalling basic facts

(Rief, 1993)

WHAT’S THE BEST APPROACH?

Sandra F. Rief explains in her book, How to Reach and Teach ADD/ADHD Children, that students with ADHD can learn best with the following approaches: Hands-on discovery Problem-solving approach Cooperative learning

HANDS-ON DISCOVERY This approach encourages the ADHD learner

to use a variety of concrete materials to teach concepts.

ADHD students are guided to make their own discoveries, moving from the concrete to symbolic levels.

(Rief, 1993)

TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION SUPPORTS HANDS-ON APPROACH

Computer technology provides student: Manipulation of

variables Exploration of

complex systems Product creation

(Roblyer & Doering, 2008)

PROBLEM SOLVING APPROACH

This approach encourages ADHD students to solve problems in meaningful ways by: Providing questioning strategies Encouraging solutions to problems Supporting the development of their own

strategies Allowing self-evaluation of their own results

(Rief,1993)

TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION SUPPORTS PROBLEM SOLVING

Computer technology provides students: Posed problems

through video-based scenarios

Simulations Instructional games

(Roblyer & Doering, 2008)

COOPERATIVE LEARNING

This approach allows ADHD students to work together in order to explore, solve problems, and share discoveries.

This approach also encourages interactive, cooperative groups that help increase participation and active engagement of ADHD students.

(Rief, 1993)

TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION SUPPORTS COOPERATIVE LEARNING

Computer technology provides students to: Do collaborative

Internet research Create

multimedia/web page group products

Compete in instructional group/team games

(Roblyer & Doering, 2008)

MATH COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES

There is supporting research that says computer technology resources help students with ADHD (Rief, 1993).

It is beneficial to students if both teachers and parents have a store of resources to access.

The following are only a few of the many online resources available that can help students with ADHD math instruction.

http://www.coolmath-games.com

http://resources.oswego.org/games/

http://www.mathplayground.com