Are you looking for strategies to help students who do not raise their hand to ask a question? If so, keep reading.
1. Assess the appropriateness of requiring the student to raise their hand. The student may not be capable or developmentally ready for hand-raising. Get the student to use other appropriate means of gaining attention.
2. Create rules for hand-raising (e.g., raise hand for permission to talk, do not leave seat, etc.). These rules should be consistent and followed by everyone in the class. Talk about the rules often.
3. Let logical consequences happen when the student does not raise their hand when appropriate (e.g., students who raise their hands will have their needs met, those students who fail to raise their hands will not have their needs met until they raise their hands, etc.).
4. Give the student an oral reminder to raise their hand (e.g., at the beginning of the day, at the beginning of the learning experience, when the student forgets, etc.).
5. Select a peer to model appropriate hand-raising for new students, students who do not raise their hands, etc.
6. Display hand-raising rules in the classroom.
7. Praise those students in the classroom who raise their hands when appropriate.
8. Recognize the student immediately upon raising their hand (e.g., let the student know when you see their hand, call upon the student, go to the student, etc.).
9. Be sure to let the student know that you will be with them as soon as possible when it is appropriate to be detained (e.g., when working with another student, speaking with another teacher, instructing a small group, etc.).
10. Do not grant the student’s request until their hand is raised.
11. Provide consistent expectations within the capacity and ability level of the student.
12. Give the student alternative, appropriate attention-seeking methods (e.g., display “help” sign on desk).
13. Consider using a classroom management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
14. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
15. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to behave appropriately. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.
16. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.
