Every classroom runs on routines. From lining up to turning in homework, these daily classroom management procedures and systems create the safety and structure all students need to learn.
For most kids, these classroom routines quickly become automatic. But for some students(especially those with ADHD) it’s a very different story. Despite repeated reminders, redirection, and even notes home, they still don’t follow classroom routines. The Chromebook isn’t charged, yesterday’s math packet is missing, and it can take ten reminders just to line up.
Why? Because ADHD impacts performance, not knowledge. These kids usually know the rules, the struggle comes with completing the routines.
Classroom management procedures are multi-step routines that easily overload working memory, attention, and impulse control. What often looks like “rule-breaking”, is really a breakdown in executive function impacting independent completion, not compliance.
That’s why repeated directions don’t solve the problem.
The solution? Support performance by ensuring that the classroom procedures are Posted, Practiced, and Predictable.
The Three P’s of Effective Classroom Management. Procedures
1. Posted: Make It Visible
When you give a direction out loud, “Get your math book and then start the warm-upon page 5”, it might sound simple to you. But for a student with ADHD, that string of words is a heavy mental load.
Verbal-only directions are the hardest format for students with ADHD because they demand strong working memory, sustained attention, and impulse control, all areas where these students struggle.
Verbal directions don’t stick due to:
- Working memory overload. By the time they grab their math book, the rest of the directions are gone.
- Attention shifts quickly. A sound or movement pulls focus, and the verbal instruction disappears.
- No visual anchor. Words vanish after you say them; without a checklist or visual, there’s nothing to replay.
- Impulses take over. Even if they know the first step, impulses push them off course.
The Fix: Routines should live in the environment, not just in your words. Make instructions visible by posting steps on the board, pointing to a visual while giving the cue, or using visual reminders at the point of the needed performance. If it’s important enough to repeat, it’s important enough to post.
Examples of Posted Procedures:
- Visual schedules by the door
- Desk strips with daily check-ins
- Anchor charts for lining up or dismissal
- Icons at eye level near cubbies, bins, or pencil sharpeners
2. Practiced: Scaffolded for Error-less Performance
It’s easy to assume students will “pick up” procedures with enough practice. But for students with ADHD, practice alone doesn’t guarantee routine performance. Especially if each attempt includes mistakes and corrections. Repeated errors can actually hardwire the wrong pattern into their routine.
When we are trying to improve performance of a routine, we must scaffold practice for error-less performance. .
Why Error-less Performance Matters
- Success builds habits. Habits form through success, not struggle. Each correct repetition (even with scaffolds) encodes the right sequence of actions.
- Protects working memory. Scaffolds remove the guesswork so students can focus on automation, not problem-solving.
- Reduces shame and protects motivation. Constant correction can erode confidence and increase shame. Flip this script, instead of being caught doing it wrong, they’re set up to get it right the first time.
- Reduces emotional barriers: Many students with ADHD experience rejection sensitivity, in which they process any type of feedback as harsh criticism or rejection, creating barriers to learning a routine.
- Creates a clear path to fading supports. Front-load support, then fade prompts gradually as routines become automatic.
What Error-less Scaffolding Looks Like:
- Teacher models the 3-step arrival routine with visuals posted
- Students echo the steps in a guided rehearsal.
- Students complete the routine successfully (not fully independent yet) but error-free
- Supports fade gradually: prompts shift from adult → visual → self-monitor
- Each successful repetition strengthens the right habit until the routine becomes automatic.
3. Predictable: Consistency Creates Safety
Consistency is what turns routines into reliable habits students can count on. For learners with ADHD, predictability creates the sense of safety and stability they need in order to regulate and follow through.
Predictability and consistency do four powerful things for students with ADHD:
- Reduces stress. Predictable routines lower anxiety by removing uncertainty.
- Protects working memory. When the sequence never changes, students don’t waste energy re-learning steps every day.
- Supports regulation. Clear order prevents meltdowns and reduces misinterpretation.
- Reduces decision fatigue. Consistent routines eliminate unnecessary choices, freeing up energy for learning.
Examples of Predictability in Action:
- Start-of-day checklist that never changes
- Timers or countdowns for transitions and unstructured periods ( ie. lunch)
- Neutral teacher prompts : points to visual instead of calling out student for still not knowing how to.
But They Refuse to Use the Checklist!
Most students will resist supports if they feel singled out. Using Universal Procedures solves this problem .
When everyone uses the same checklists, anchor charts, or visual routines, no one feels “othered.” Supports become normalized, which benefits the entire classroom, including students with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, trauma histories, or even kids simply managing a tough morning.
Universal procedures take the shame out of supports and give teachers a one-and-done system that reduces redirection and stress for everyone. Including the teacher!
Key Takeaways
- Classroom procedures are not rules to know, they’re multi step performance skills to teach. Participation in classroom routines and procedures requires explicit instruction, practice, and performance based scaffolds.
- Verbal-only directions don’t stick. Students with ADHD need posted, visible steps to offload working memory.
- Error-less practice builds habits. Scaffolding ensures the right steps get repeated until routines are automatic.
- Predictability creates safety. Consistency lowers stress, protects dignity, and frees up energy for learning.
- Universal SOPs normalize support. When everyone uses the same systems, no one feels singled out and teachers save time.
- Compliance is different than Completion. With the Three P’s, students with ADHD move from “trying harder” to actually completing routines with independence.
Next Steps
Ready to put the Three P’s into action?
Download the free Classroom Procedural Performance Checklist to see which routines need the most support.
And read Universal SOPs for Supporting Students with ADHD to make your procedures inclusive and effortless for all learners.
EASE Framework for Supporting Students with ADHD
The strategies in this post connect directly to the EASE Framework for Supporting Students with ADHD, our step-by-step course designed for school-based OTs, teachers, and professionals.
Inside, you’ll learn how to:
✔ Educate teachers and parents about ADHD
✔ Accommodate learning environments with practical supports
✔ Scaffold executive function skills at the point of performance
✔ Empower students with strength-based strategies
The course is AOTA certified, packed with reproducible tools, and built to give you use-tomorrow strategies that make classrooms calmer and learning more accessible.
Explore the EASE Framework Course here and get started today.