High Energy Tricks for Successful Homeschooling Kids with ADHD

If you have an ADHD child you know how full of energy they can get. Oh, the circles they can run before you even have time to brew that first cup of morning coffee. Getting them to sit still for a lesson is like pulling teeth.  I know because I have been there. Every single day since we started homeschooling almost 5 years ago. When we first started homeschooling I thought that we had to do everything like school but at home… Ouch. If there’s anything I have learned after all these years is that homeschooling kids with ADHD does not have to be like the school I grew up with. In fact, for my ADHD child, It cannot be.

The key to homeschooling and keeping my sanity was to find tricks that get us up away from the table and gets the kids moving. Subjects like math and spelling can be made active and inside my book “Learning Through Play,” you can find tricks to make ANY subject fun to learn and teach.

I learned tricks like having the kids run through an open meadow while I read our read aloud, Taught nursery rhymes with storyboards and put together our own plays. Science became a world wind of fun experiments and wondrous fields trips to everything from discovery centers to the beach. Homeschooling kids with ADHD is all about building a love of learning.

Teaching my children and having fun doing it became a passion of mine and is to this day.  Over the years I have developed a few tricks that make teaching my ADHD child so much easier. You can try these for homeschooling kids with ADHD and see how they work for you.

When I want my child to sit down while I cook breakfast, I pull out an art project. Now my oldest is a great reader I include a book with the craft and have her lead the morning lesson at the kitchen table while I cook. Kids just love using their creative side.  I split our day up with movement. Lots and lots of movement. 

Dare them to be just a bit more active before heading inside to do subjects like handwriting. The looks I get when I go to the park are hilarious. Between the number of children I have with me, the fact I appear calm, and this one strange thing I do right before we leave everyone pretty much thinks I have lost my mind. I may have, but it works.

Right before we leave I gather the children in front of me. Explain what we will be doing next whether it be a quick trip the store or home for reading while I cook dinner. Kids know what will happen next. Then, I say “I bet you can not run all the way to (point towards the back of the park in our case a fence) and because you are so tired from playing” A child Can not resist and they all takeoff toddler included.

Teach what your child is interested in to make homeschooling kids with ADHD successful 

Unit studies are a great way to get your child to focus on learning center every subject from reading to math on your child’s interests. Do they love Wolves? How about a wolf unit study? You can build a unit study around anything from a point in history to race cars.

Children with ADHD often become hyper-focused when they find something that pulls them in. You can use this hyper-focus to get your child to work on any subject by putting them together. This is why Minecraft is so popular for homeschoolers.  Homeschooling your ADHD child can be fun and enjoyable. For more on how to plan unit studies and a planner to keep you on track check out this Unit Study Guide from A Slip of Southern Sunshine.

Get a subscription delivered to make homeschooling kids with ADHD fun

Subscription boxes are gaining popularity and for good reason. Something new and exciting delivered to your door every month can go a long way to getting your child to love learning. A google search for whatever your child is interested in. It will pull up a box for you from geography to the magic school bus you are bound to peak your child’s interest. Try an entire hands-on curriculum delivered monthly.