Help Student Start Assignment

Why should I do it:

Some students get overwhelmed by too much information on a page
Students who are dealing with ADD/ADHD tend to have difficulties with breaking up assignments
Prevents students from becoming discouraged and giving up before they really get into an assignment
Helps students gain confidence and reassurance
Improves students’ perceptions of the work and assignments
Increases student willingness and participation
Increases engagement, effort, and focus
Helps students to fully grasp the directions, where to start, how to start, and where to go
Helps disorganized students gather themselves
Provides a model for students to emulate when the teacher walks away
Promotes a spirit of team work whereby the student doesn’t feel they are alone when they get stuck

When a student shows signs of being overwhelmed, anxious, unfocused, disorganized, lost, unmotivated, etc
When you are aware a student has ADHD/ADD or when they have symptoms of such
When a student is reluctant to begin, sustain, or complete work
When an assignment is longer, larger, more complex, or has many parts or sections
When a student doesn’t know where to start
When a student tends to be “scattered”
When students have trouble organizing their thoughts
When students have learning or other disabilities or challenges
When a student is not a self-starter

Explain to the student you will do the first several problems with them, then they will need to complete the assignment on their own
Have the student read and explain the directions then move on to the first item
Have the student talk through what they are thinking and doing to solve the problem, assisting and giving explanations and hints as needed
Try to model a method, order, and strategy for doing the problems
After several problems, encourage the student that they can do the next items on their own
Try creating a song or rap to go along with how to break down certain tasks or how to approach certain problems
With assignments you foresee many students needing help to start, try doing the first few problems on the board with the entire class, asking the students questions about what to do, how to do it, and why
With assignments where there multiple sections, each focusing on a different skill, do one or two items from each section to model each skill and problem solving methodology