5 English Tutoring Strategies That Work Brilliantly for Students with ADHD
As a private English tutor with experience supporting students with ADHD, I’ve seen time and again how the right teaching approach can help lively, energetic and creative learners thrive.
Students with ADHD often have fantastic imaginations, quick thinking and brilliant ideas, but traditional English lessons don’t always suit the way their brains work. That’s where one-to-one tutoring can make a real difference.
In this blog, I’m sharing five tried-and-tested tutoring strategies that work brilliantly for my KS3 and KS4 students with ADHD.
✅ 1. Keep Sessions Active and Varied
Students with ADHD tend to focus best when lessons are fast-paced and change activities regularly. In my tutoring sessions, we:
Switch between reading, discussion, planning and short writing tasks.
Use games, verbal storytelling and flashcards.
Set mini-challenges with quick rewards (like a 2-minute break, a quiz or a chance to beat the timer).
This keeps sessions lively and reduces the chance of boredom or distraction setting in.
✅ 2. Break Tasks into Short, Focused Chunks
A long essay plan or comprehension task can feel overwhelming. Instead, I break work down into:
Quick-fire tasks (e.g. ‘Find three adjectives in this paragraph’)
One-paragraph-at-a-time reading
‘Five-minute focus’ writing bursts
Checklists for multi-step activities
This makes tasks feel more achievable and lets students build confidence through small wins.
✅ 3. Use Visual Prompts and Organisers
Organisation and memory can be tough for ADHD learners — so visual supports make a huge difference. I often use:
Colour-coded mind maps
Storyboarding templates
Planning grids for essays
Highlighting key words in questions
These tools help keep ideas clear, tasks manageable and focus in the right place.
✅ 4. Link English Tasks to Their Passions
Motivation is everything for students with ADHD. I build lessons around the student’s hobbies and interests - whether that’s superheroes, football, history or gaming.
We might:
Analyse a football commentary for language features.
Write a fantasy story inspired by their favourite game.
Use headlines from topics they love for comprehension practice.
It’s a simple but powerful way to make lessons engaging and meaningful.
✅ 5. Offer Immediate, Positive, Specific Feedback
ADHD learners often need regular encouragement to stay motivated. In my sessions, I always:
Praise effort, not just outcomes.
Focus on what went well before tackling improvements.
Celebrate creative, original ideas.
Avoid overloading with corrections — one or two clear targets per task is plenty.
This boosts self-esteem and makes students much more willing to tackle trickier work.
Final Thoughts
With the right adjustments, encouragement and flexible teaching, students with ADHD can achieve brilliant things in English. One-to-one tutoring offers the ideal environment to build skills, boost confidence and enjoy learning at a pace that works for them.
If you’re the parent of a student with ADHD and would like tailored, confidence-boosting English support, I have a limited number of one-to-one tutoring slots available both online and in-person across Stockport, South Manchester and surrounding areas.
Contact me today for a private tutoring quote and to discuss how I can help your child thrive.
Visit my Contact page to get in touch.