Wikipedia can be a very useful resource for exercising Focus, Self-Awareness, and Reading.Try some of the suggestions below, and let us know what works for your child in the comment field at the bottom of the page.

Focus

Your child should practice staying on task while researching topics on Wikipedia. For example, while searching for information for a school project, your child should be diligent in noting only relevant information to their work. Because so many articles are linked together on Wikipedia it can sometimes be tempting to follow linked articles outside the scope of the original search.

Before beginning work, encourage your child to make a list of possible search terms, key phrases, people, or places they will be searching for. When searching for articles on Wikipedia, your child should be sure to make note of the article’s citations where possible, keeping them for reference and further research. Wikipedia is an excellent destination for a general overview of a topic, but its sources should be independently vetted before your child uses them for academic purposes.

Self-Awareness

Encourage your child to use Wikipedia for personal passions and curiosities. While the website is an excellent starting point for academic pursuits, it can also be a great resource for acquiring a greater understanding of a personal hobby or interest.

Using Wikipedia to learn more about the history of a favorites sports team or player can be a useful exercise in Self-Awareness. Encourage your child to read about the history of a favorite team, following links in the associated articles to learn more about important dates, players, games, or coaches.

Reading

If your child has difficulty staying interested in more traditional text formats like novels or short stories, try reading Wikipedia articles together about a subject that interests him. Whether the article is about a period in history, a particular person, or a fictional character, the options are virtually endless. Engaging your child in reading about a subject that fascinates him will help keep him engaged and could foster more positive feelings toward reading.

Wikipedia & ADHD

Children with ADHD have trouble focusing on singular topics, due to their need to experience constant stimuli. While Wikipedia seemingly perpetuates this need, it actually can help curb these urges. Children can choose to follow topics they find interesting, and further pursue their interests. They must demonstrate a certain amount of restraint, as the impulse to continually click will eventually reduce a great educational tool into a mindless pastime. A concerted effort to use Wikipedia as a supplementary learning tool can be extremely beneficial for children with ADHD - especially those who are struggling readers.

How to Use Wikipedia for Children with ADHD

• Children should use the text heavy nature of each Wikipedia page as a way to practice reading, while learning topics they are passionate about. Wikipedia creates a reading environment much unlike a textbook. It is interactive, visual, and gives further clarification to important people, places, and things - well suited for children with ADHD.

• Children with ADHD should always have a direction when using Wikipedia. Random clicks and haphazard searches will ultimately be a waste of time. By choosing a topic of interest to begin with, children have a framework to work within. Structured searches are extremely important to keep children focused. For example, a search for be-bop jazz will yield a variety of quality results to sift through. Jazz would be too broad and John Coltrane would be too narrow. Establishing the right search parameters will result in proper use of the website.

• Wikipedia is a great way to prepare children with ADHD for an upcoming lesson. Most students are given a syllabus, which outlines the course of study for the entire year. Weekends are a good time for children to use Wikipedia to introduce a new chapter in history class. Having a pre-existing chronological framework and visual representation of an event in history, will hasten the learning process during class time.

Wikipedia is just one online database of information. Below are a few alternatives for researching on the web. Let us know what works for you in the comment box at the bottom of the page.

Scholarpedia

Scholarpedia is a great alternative to Wikipedia when it is absolutely necessary to have credible and accurate information. All articles are contributed by experts in that particular field, with credible citations and peer reviewed articles. Find out more here.

WikiHow

WikiHow is the ultimate resource for how-to guides, where users can find step-by-step guides on how to do almost anything. You can also edit or upload your own how-to guides to add to this growing resource! Find out more here.

About.com

When searching Google for information, users will likely come across Wikipedia and About.com articles quite frequently. About.com offers plenty of articles, tips, and resources for finding information and help on a variety of topics. Find out more here.