Are you looking for strategies to help students who have trouble remaining on task? If so, keep reading.

1. Create classroom rules: • Complete every assignment. • Complete assignments quietly. • Remain in your seat. • Finish tasks. • Meet task expectations. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.

2. Establish time limits for finishing tasks.

3. Converse with the learner to explain (a) what the learner is doing wrong (e.g., failing to pay attention to tasks) and (b) what the learner should be doing (e.g., paying attention to tasks).

4. Select a peer to model on-task behavior for the learner.

5. Urge the learner to create a 30-second definition of their goal to help them remain on-task and focused (e.g., “I will finish ten math problems without a reminder from the teacher to remain on-task. The better I focus and remain on-task, the better I will perform.”).

6. Move materials used for tactile stimulation (e.g., pens, paper clips, loose change, etc.) away from the learner’s reach.

7. Follow up a less desirable task with a more desirable task. Make the conclusion of the first appropriate to perform the second.

8. Praise the learner for paying attention to a task based on the duration of time they can be successful. As the learner shows success, slowly increase the duration of time required for reinforcement.

9. Give an incentive statement along with an instruction (e.g., “On occasions where you finish this task, you may earn a pass to the water fountain.”).

10. Show tasks in the most attractive and exciting manner possible.

11. Minimize auditory and visual stimuli to a level at that the learner can successfully function. As the learner shows that they can successfully tolerate increased levels of stimuli, slowly let auditory and visual stimuli increase.

12. Reward the learner for concentrating on a task for a specific duration of time (e.g., a break, get a drink of water, converse briefly with a peer, etc.).

13. Place the learner’s desk or work area in such a way that they are not visually distracted by others (e.g., turn the learner’s desk away from other students, etc.).

14. Utilize more exciting or stimulating learning activities as a reward for finishing less exciting learning activities (e.g., after finishing a rough draft on paper, the learner can select graphics available on the computer).

15. Reward the learner for finishing a task within the amount of time allotted.

16. Support the learner in finishing class tasks. As the learner shows success, slowly decrease assistance, and require the learner to independently remain on-task.

17. Get the learner to define a goal. Support the learner in developing specific strategies to achieve their goal and following through on those strategies.

18. Urge the learner to create an understanding of themselves and their surroundings. Get the learner to periodically step back and ask themselves, “Am I on-task and paying attention?” “What should I be doing now?”

19. Assist the learner in developing attention-keeping behaviors (e.g., keep eye contact, notes on the subject, ask questions related to the subject, etc.).

20. Let the learner have a break while working on monotonous tasks to relieve restlessness and improve concentration.

21. Consider using assistive technology designed to help students to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to concentrate. Click here to view list of assistive technology apps that we recommend.