Simple strategies to help students with ADHD improve focus
A combination of classroom strategies, organisational tools and environmental adjustments can make a difference to students with ADHD.

This is an edited version of an article by Dee Pridgen in 828newsNOW on August 24, 2025.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Students with ADHD, whether formally diagnosed or not, often face challenges with focus that can affect their academic performance. Experts say a combination of classroom strategies, organisational tools and environmental adjustments can make a difference.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends behavioral classroom management, an approach that rewards positive behavior and discourages negative actions. Teachers may use systems such as daily report cards or structured rewards to help students stay engaged.
Organisational training has also proven effective, according to the CDC. Emphasising time management and planning can help students break down complex projects into smaller, more manageable tasks. The Attention Deficit Disorder Association suggests that teaching these skills early can set students up for long-term success.
Taking breaks is another important tool. The American Psychological Association notes that short, purposeful breaks from challenging work can restore energy, prevent burnout and sharpen focus.
Adjusting the study environment may also improve concentration. The ADDA recommends strategies such as noise-canceling headphones, limiting smartphone distractions and keeping workspaces decluttered to minimise interruptions.

Helpful Strategies
It may take some trial and error and some help from educators and physicians, but the following are some strategies that could help students with ADHD as they seek to improve their focus in the classroom:
Ask educators about behaviorial classroom management
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes behavioral classroom management is an approach that involves encouraging students when they behave positively in a classroom. The approach may be centered around a reward system or involve teachers issuing daily report cards. Teachers also discourage negative behaviors. The CDC notes behavioral classroom management is driven by teachers and has been shown to have a constructive impact on students of all ages that increases their academic engagement.
Emphasise organisation skills to students
The CDC notes organisational training that emphasises time management and planning has been tested on children and adolescents and found to be effective. The Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) suggests people with ADHD learn how to break down complex tasks, such as end-of-semester school projects or exams, into smaller sub-tasks, and the planning skills emphasised by the CDC can be employed to do just that.
Take breaks
It’s hard for anyone to maintain intense focus for lengthy periods of time, and that’s true for people with ADHD and those who do not have the condition. A report from the American Psychological Association notes that routine breaks from challenging tasks, including coursework, can restore energy, prevent burnout and improve performance. Fatigue can compromise a person’s ability to focus, so students and parents should not see routine breaks as counterproductive in relation to the goal of improving focus. In fact, purposeful breaks that are not too long can sharpen focus.
Adjust students’ environment
The ADDA notes that several strategies can help students optimise their environment so they can better focus on the task at hand. Utilising noise-canceling headphones while studying in a quiet spot away from noise and distraction is one way students can optimise their environment. Turning off smartphone notifications, periodically decluttering a workspace and keeping only study materials in spots where schoolwork is done can help students with ADHD sharpen their focus.