Why Repeating Instructions Often Stops Working
“Put your book away.”
“Pack up your things.”
“Come and sit on the mat.”
You’ve said it once.
Then twice.
Then five more times.
And somehow… it still doesn’t seem to land.
If this feels familiar, you’re not alone.
It’s Not Always That Students Aren’t Listening
For many ADHD students, the challenge isn’t hearing the instruction — it’s holding onto it long enough to act on it.
This is where working memory comes in.
Working memory is the brain’s ability to temporarily hold and use information.
And for ADHD brains, that system can become overloaded very quickly.
What This Can Look Like in the Classroom
A student may:
• Hear the instruction
• Intend to follow it
• Get distracted mid-task
• Forget the next step
• Need the instruction repeated again
Not because they don’t care.
And not because they’re choosing not to listen.
But because the brain lost the information before the action happened.
Why Repeating Instructions Can Backfire
When instructions are repeated rapidly or with increasing frustration, students can experience:
• Cognitive overload
• Emotional overwhelm
• Tuning out
• Increased anxiety or shutdown
Sometimes the brain stops processing because there’s simply too much input coming in.
What Helps Instead
Rather than repeating louder or more often, try reducing the load.
You might:
• Use short, clear instructions
• Give one step at a time
• Pause before repeating
• Add visual supports or gestures
• Ask the student to repeat the instruction back
• Move closer before speaking
Often, less language creates more success.
Students with ADHD are often trying harder than it appears.
The gap between hearing and doing can feel invisible — but it’s very real.
When we understand what’s happening underneath the behaviour, our response becomes calmer, clearer, and more effective.
And that shift changes more than we realise.
