How to Reach and Teach ADD/ADHD Children: Practical Techniques, Strategies, and Interventions for Helping Children with Attention Problems and Hyperactivity (J-B Ed: Reach and Teach) [Paperback]

Sandra F. Rief M.A. (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0876284136 | ISBN-13: 978-0876284131 | Publication Date: January 1, 1993

A comprehensive resource that addresses the "whole child, " as well as the team approach to meeting the needs of students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Includes management techniques that promote on-task behavior and language arts, whole language, and multi-sensory instruction strategies that maintain student attention and keep students involved.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

For educators, specialists, and parents, here is a remarkable new resource packed with classroom-tested techniques and practical know-how for helping children with attention deficit disorders--with or without hyperactivity.

Focusing on the "whole child" and a team approach that lets you guide these children toward academic as well as personal success, the book shows you...

• What is ADD/ADHD and how to identify it
• Successful home-school itnervention plans based on actual case studies
• How to get and keep student attention & increase on-task behavior
• Specific management techniques that prevent behavioral problems
• What works best to improve students' organization and study skills
• Proven multi-sensory activities and methods for language arts, math, and writing instruction
• How to reach students through learning styles awareness, environmental modifications, and cooperative learning situations
• Various medications, their effects, and school management of them
• How to modify assignments and tests, and accommodate the child with writing difficulties
• Numerous strategies on how to manage kindergarten children
• How to use relaxation, guided imagery, visualization techniques, and music to get the most from your students
• How to avoid problems during transitional and noninstructional times
• A Parent's Story that deals with the many issues, feelings, and struggles that families face when a child has this disorder
• Interviews with teens and adults who share what made a significant difference in their lives

Plus you get sample contracts, charts, a student self-evaluation checklist, sample letters and documentation on communicating with physicians and agencies, a learning styles interview to use with children, obseration sheets, and an outline for a social skills planning unit to help you successfully manage the impulsive, overly stimulated, "quick-to-anger" child as well as the child who just can't focus.

In short, this complete resource is like having an expert at your side to answer virtually any question on how to reach and teach children who need your help and understanding!

About the Author

Sandra F. Rief received her B.A. and M.A. in elementary and special education from the University of Illinois. She has taught children with learning disabilities as well as attentional and behavioral problems for the last 19 years. For the past 12 years, she has been working as a Resource Specialist in the San Diego City Schools. As a mentor teacher, Sandy became actively involved in the Project for Attention Related Disorders (PARD) and wrote a manual for her school district on effective strategies for teaching children with attention and learning disabilities. She presents numerous workshops and inservices, and is a featured speaker at conferences addressing this topic. She is also the author of How to Reach & Teach All Students in the Inclusive Classroom (1996) and The ADD/ADHD Checklist (1997), published by The Center for Applied Research in Education.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass (January 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876284136
• ISBN-13: 978-0876284131
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #447,625 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #26 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Personal Health > Children's Health > Learning Disorders

More About the Author

Sandra Rief, M.A., is a leading author, speaker, and educational consultant on effective strategies and interventions for helping students with ADHD and Learning Disabilities achieve school success. She has written several books and presents numerous seminars, workshops and keynotes nationally and internationally on this topic. Sandra has trained thousands of teachers and other school professionals, as well as parents and clinicians throughout the U.S. and several countries around the world (China, Singapore, Israel, Philippines, Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, South Africa, Colombia, Iceland, Sweden, and Canada). She received her B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Illinois. Sandra is formerly an award-winning teacher (California Resource Specialist of the Year) with over twenty-three years teaching experience in public schools. Sandra retired from San Diego Unified School District, and is currently teaching distance learning/online courses she developed for Seattle Pacific University and California State University East Bay.

Sandra is the author of several popular books. A few of them include: How to Reach and Teach Children with ADD/ADHD, 2nd Edition (2005), The ADHD Book of Lists: A Practical Guide for Helping Children and Teens with Attention Deficit Disorders (2003), How to Reach & Teach All Children in the Inclusive Classroom, 2nd Edition (2006, co-authored with Julie Heimburge), The ADD/ADHD Checklist: A Practical Reference for Parents & Teachers, 2nd Edition (2008), and The Dyslexia Checklist: A Practical Reference for Parents & Teachers (2010, co-authored with Judith Stern).

Sandra has also developed and presented the acclaimed educational DVDs:
ADHD & LD: Powerful Teaching Strategies & Accommodations, How to Help Your Child Succeed in School: Strategies & Guidance for Parents of Children with ADHD and/or Learning Disabilities, Successful Classrooms: Effective Teaching Strategies for Raising Achievement in Reading & Writing, and Successful Schools: How to Raise Achievement & Support At-Risk Students (with Linda Fisher and Nancy Fetzer).

In addition, Sandra has written laminated cards which are bifolds or trifolds packed with strategies and available through her website. The titles include: Section 504: Classroom Accommodations, ADHD & LD: Classroom Strategies at Your Fingertips, Dyslexia: Strategies, Supports & Interventions, and Executive Function: Practical Applications in the Classroom.

Visit Sandra's Web site at www.sandrarief.com for more information.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical advice providing hope for desperate parents, July 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Reach and Teach ADD/ADHD Children: Practical Techniques, Strategies, and Interventions for Helping Children with Attention Problems and Hyperactivity (J-B Ed: Reach and Teach) (Paperback)

This book is extremely practical. It describes my 11 year old son perfectly. I was desperate, thinking that there was something wrong with my son, with our family, and now I see that he has a physical neurological problem. The book provides practical advice to parents and teachers on how to deal with these wonderful special children who need to be treated differently in order to maintain their self esteem and grow to be valuable members of society. Very highly recommended.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quite Theoretically Sound, April 20, 2002

By 

L. Dann "adhdmom" (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Reach and Teach ADD/ADHD Children: Practical Techniques, Strategies, and Interventions for Helping Children with Attention Problems and Hyperactivity (J-B Ed: Reach and Teach) (Paperback)

This 'manual' presents a technical and philosophical overview of the complex array of variables that factor into effective teaching of the ADHD child. The author has compassion as well as insight into the children, who often face rejection and failure. The co-occuring low self esteem can carry over a lifetime. A variety of methodologies specific to learning domains are very helpful for diagnostic purposes and lesson planning. As a principal and mental health administrator, I have this book well-placed on my shelf. I refer to it often and occasionally lend it to my staff who are searching for help with a specific child.

Glancing back at the chapters as I prepared this review, I was actually astounded at the sophisticated details embedded there. In particular I think the information that supports the "multi-sensory" approach is greatly needed. The amount of times we write "multi-sensory" activities just because it fits in an IEP is amazing. My own experience with teachers is that they basically have a very limited understanding of the neurological underpinings of sensory and perceptual limitations.

My only reservation about the book is that despite its layout, it actually is fairly theoretical. I think that when a teacher reaches for it, he or she may be looking for some more 'lesson planning' ideas and tend to gloss over the more comprehensive information. I definitely recommend the book for special education teachers who are genuinely interested in a more in-depth review, as well as for purposes of diagnostic and prescriptive planning. I also recommend it for administrators who are involved in staff development or individual supervision.
The only other concern I have is that despite the amount of information about the medication questions, it does not include enough about the tomes of research that is available to support augmenting behavioral programs with psychopharmacology. A teacher should check with his or her supervisor to gain access to this data so that they can respond to questions on this highly charged subject with sophisticated and thus helpful answers.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keep it handy for quick reference!, October 11, 1999

By 

Linda Crawford (Roswell, Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Reach and Teach ADD/ADHD Children: Practical Techniques, Strategies, and Interventions for Helping Children with Attention Problems and Hyperactivity (J-B Ed: Reach and Teach) (Paperback)

I have used this book for years. It has many practical techniques that can be used with all students. I require all new teachers at our school to read outlined sections. I reread it myself every year to help me renew goals and revisit the methods. (We have an LD program and a traditional program, college prep.) Who wouldn't benefit from a multi-module approach!