pathway2success, Author at The Pathway 2 Success

6 Simple Ways to Help Kids Manage Big Emotions

April 1, 2021 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

Being able to manage our own emotions seems like a simple task at first glance, but it’s actually quite complex, especially for growing children and teenagers. It involves understanding your feelings, managing stress, using coping strategies at the appropriate times, problem-solving through challenges, and knowing when to ask for help. This can be a lot for growing children and teens. They don’t always know exactly how to manage those feelings, which is why it is so critical for adults to provide support along the way.

Big Emotions, Big Behaviors

Anger, worry, fear, shame, frustration, embarrassment, confusion, and even excitement. These are just a few big feelings that children and teens might need to cope with on any given day.

One important point to make is that when a child is struggling, we usually don’t see the emotion at first. We see the challenging behaviors. This might include acting in aggressive ways such as yelling, pushing, kicking, biting, or destroying property. Other times this might look like work refusal, avoidance, and doing the opposite of the directions given. We might also see withdrawal or irritability. These are just a few examples, as children and teens can behave in various ways when struggling with emotions. Always keep in mind that emotions are often the driving force behind behaviors.

A child or teen most likely isn’t going to say, “Excuse me, I’m struggling with my feelings right now.” They might act out, though. It just happens to mean the same thing. When we see children and teens acting out in negative ways, this should be a cue that they need some support.

Teach Skills When Calm

All kids and teens are going to struggle with managing emotions from time to time. It’s normal and healthy. With that said, some kids are going to need a bit more support than others. If working with learners who continually struggle in this area, consider teaching some of the skills for managing emotions just as you would skills for learning math or reading. Kids and teens can learn how to understand their emotions, check in with themselves, use coping strategies, practice flexible thinking, using self-control, and appropriately deal with emotions. Remember to teach these skills proactively when kids are calm.

Simple Strategies In the Moment

All educators of kids (big and little) need strategies for helping them manage emotions in the moment. And while I’m a huge advocate for teaching coping strategies and skills to children themselves well ahead of time, these techniques are really designed for adults to use while a child is struggling.

This article also puts an emphasis on simple strategies because in any given fast-paced day, it’s important to have to-the-point techniques in our toolbox that work. What’s most helpful in this list of techniques is that they are truly universal; these are strategies that can be used with children in preschool to high schoolers (and yes, even adults).

There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to helping kids manage tough emotions, which is why it’s important to have a few ready for when something doesn’t work.

Here are six simple techniques for helping children and teens manage their emotions:

#1 Listen

The most important technique when a child or teen is struggling with emotions is to actively listen to them. This means giving distraction-free attention to a child and really hearing them out. It helps to remain judgement free while a child or teen is expressing their emotions. Try to avoid taking over the conversation. Instead, ask prompting questions that might help them share more information about how they are feeling and what they need. Sometimes, this can take a while, but if you chat long enough, valuable information is almost always given.

Beyond all of that, sometimes someone just need to be heard. A few prompts for starting the conversation might include:

“What’s going on?”
“I noticed you’re struggling with ______ today. What’s up?”
“Talk to me. How are you feeling?”
“Let’s chat.”
“How would you rate how you’re feeling from 0-10?”

#2 Co-regulate

Co-regulation is the process of actually sitting with kids and teens to calm down together. It’s most helpful if these strategies and techniques have already been practiced ahead of time. This is just because of how the brain works. When kids and teens are overwhelmed, they don’t think as clearly. It’s difficult for them to pick up a new coping skill on the fly. If we want them to use these strategies when they truly are overwhelmed, we need to teach them before.

Even so, sometimes in the moment it can be difficult to embrace the idea of calming strategies. This is why co-regulation can be so powerful. Adults are modeling the skills they want kids and teens to do.

You can start by offering or suggesting a strategy. For example, you might say, “Let’s take a few minutes and color together.” Another idea is to offer a choice between two activities. If neither of those seem to work, just choose a calm down strategy and do it on your own near the child. Quite often, the learner will pick it up and try too.

Here are a few coping strategies that might work best:

Coloring or drawing
Reading a book or magazine
Reading positive self-talk statements
Exercising
Practicing mindfulness
Journal writing
Organizing something
Doing a puzzle
Mindful breathing
Mindful journaling

These are just a few of many different coping strategies you can try. Use a coping strategies list to read more and give them a try.

#3 Give Space

One of the most under-utilized supports for helping manage emotions is giving space. An overwhelmed child can sometimes become more overwhelmed without the time and space they need to get back on track. Give supports, but it’s also okay to walk away. Some helpful phrases to give some space include:

“I’m here when you need me.”
“If you want to talk about that later, let me know, and I’ll be here to listen.”
“Let’s talk about that later.”
“Take a break and I’ll check back in with you in a few minutes, okay?”

#4 Distract

Sometimes children and teens need mental space from the challenges they are coping with. A quick distraction can provide that. Here are some ways to help distract a child or teen in the moment:

Have the child help with a task. Keeping busy can help kids and teens reset their minds. The task doesn’t need to be “fun,” but it’s best if it’s not challenging. For example, ask if they can help you put up some bulletin board pieces or if they can deliver a note to another teacher down the hall.
Ask about a pet or loved one. The people and pets we love are comforting. You might ask about how a child’s dog is doing to set them on a better frame on mind.
Tell a funny story from your own life. Kids and teens loving hearing stories from trusted adults. The story doesn’t need to be connected to how the child is feeling at all. It’s just a quick distraction. Anything to get a laugh is best! I personally loved telling stories about my dog, Nova. Just as an example, the time Nova growled at a snowman was always a favorite.
Ask questions about a favorite hobby or activity. We all experience positive emotions when we talk about our favorite activities. Use that to your advantage when helping a child manage emotions by asking about some of those hobbies. If a teen loves hockey, ask how his team has been doing. If a child loves music, talk about their favorite songs or band.
Ask a riddle or brainteaser. Consider giving a small brain game to help provide a distraction. Again, this technique will not work for every child, but some kids and teens thrive on puzzles and figuring things out.
Play a game. When all else fails, offer to play a game together. While this strategy cannot be done in every setting or in every situation, sometimes it’s important tool to have ready. So often, kids will begin talking and externalizing their emotions during a game. So, sometimes it’s worth a try.

#5 Draw or Write

Not all children and teenagers are capable of verbalizing how they are feeling and what they need. This is where drawing and writing come into play. These different methods give kids a chance to share those emotions in a non-threatening way.

Some strategies to help kids express feelings in this way include:

Write a letter about how they are feeling.
Draw a picture that shows their emotions.
List out all the feelings they feel.
Give free journal writing time.
Journal or draw to music.

#6 Problem-Solve

When a child or teen is calm, one of the most powerful ways to help them manage emotions is through problem-solving. When problem-solving, it’s important to not solve for kids but with them. It is critical that kids and teens know they have the power to solve their own problems, even if they need help sometimes.

Some ways to problem-solve together include:

Come up with a list of possible solutions.
Draw a picture of the perfect way to solve the problem.
Act out different ways to solve the problem.

Teaching Coping Skills

If you’re ready for the next steps in teaching techniques to students, give some of these coping strategies and calm down resources and activities a try.

3 Simple Mindful Practices to Start the Day

March 16, 2021 by pathway2success 2 Comments

The morning is an important starting point to the day, especially for kids and teens. It’s easy to think of the morning as a time that can set the stage for success. With a few extra mindful minutes each morning, this can transform into a time that helps children and teenagers regulate their emotions, improve their focus, feel confident, and be prepared to meet their goals.

Here are 3 mindful practice to start the day and how you can try them:

Mindful Breathing

Mindful breathing is the practice of thinking about our breath as we inhale and exhale. Some mindful breathing techniques use movement, rhythm, or visualizations. What all of these techniques have in common is that by focusing on our breath, we gain calm, improve focus, and reduce stress.

Starting the day with mindful breathing also allows an important pause in the morning, giving kids time to clear their minds before moving on with other necessary tasks. What’s more important is that it’s a true practice, meaning that we get better at it the more we do it.

To get started, try introducing mindful breathing and explaining its benefits. Then, practice together. Here are some of my favorites:

Bubble Breathing – This is one of my favorite ways to introduce mindful breathing because we can all imagine what it feels like to blow bubbles. To try it, sit or stand comfortably with muscles relaxed. Slowly breathe in and then breathe out like you are blowing bubbles. You can even add some real bubbles to the mix to make this a more memorable experience as you learn, but you won’t need those every time of course.

Smell the Flowers – For this exercise, have kids and teens imagine that they have fresh flowers in front of them. Encourage them to close their eyes and visualize the flowers, including what they look like and what they smell like. Then, slowly breathe in to smell the flowers. Hold the breath and slowly breathe out. Continue this a few times.

Box Breathing – Also known as square breathing, this technique is something that athletes and even U.S. Navy Seals use to combat stress and anxiety. To try it, first make sure all the air is out of your lungs. Sit upright and slowly inhale to the count of 4, hold for 4, and then exhale for 4. Continue this process a few more times.

The limits are endless when it comes to mindful breathing exercises. Read up on some more engaging mindful breathing techniques to try right away.

Positive Affirmations

The words we say to ourselves are the words we believe about ourselves. Positive self-talk is powerful. There is no better confidence-building strategy to start the morning with than some positive affirmations.

Begin by having kids and teens choose their favorite positive affirmations from a list. Write these down and read them silently or aloud each morning. This is a simple morning routine that helps kids and teens start the morning feeling positive, strong, and ready to meet their goals.

Routine is great, but it’s fun to change up the positive affirmation routine too. There are lots of other ways to integrate positive affirmations, such as writing them on sticky notes as reminders and tossing a beach ball around with positive affirmations written right on them.

Practicing Gratitude

Practicing gratitude is intentionally listing some things in life you are grateful for. By taking time to appreciate what we have, we can feel happier, calmer, and more positive overall.

Things we are grateful for don’t all have to be big things, either. They can be small or simple things, like the feeling of the warm sunshine on our face or the smell of a freshly cooked meal.

Here are some strategies for practicing gratitude:

Daily Gratitude Share – Each morning, have kids and teens identify five things they are grateful for. They can write them out or draw them. Then, share them with the group.
Gratitude Journal – Keep a gratitude journal for every student. Assign practicing gratitude as the first 5 minutes of the morning.
Gratitude Jar – Have each student write something they are grateful for on a slip and add it to the jar. At the end of the day or week, you can review the slips.

There are lots more ways to practice gratitude, but those are a few simple and fun ways to get started. Remember that gratitude is a practice. This means we are more likely to see the effects of it the more we do it.

A Mindful Morning Check-In

If you’re looking to integrate some of these practices into your every day, give this mindful morning activity a try. It’s a free digital and printable activity that helps kids and teens use deep breathing, practice gratitude, say positive self-talk statements, and more.

Spend 5 extra minutes each morning practicing a more mindful routine and you might be amazed at the change you see in your learners. Not only will a little mindfulness help bring calm and focus to your students, but it teaches self-regulation for now and in the future.

25+ Everyday Ways to Build Executive Functioning Skills

March 2, 2021 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

Executive functioning skills are the complicated processes in our brains that help us accomplish everyday tasks. For kids and teens, these tasks might be things like starting morning work after entering the classroom, working through a long-term project, bringing the correct materials to class, and raising a hand to share thought in class.

For many of us with stronger executive functioning skills, we might take some of these tasks for granted. It’s worth mentioning, though, that these activities do not come easy for kids and teens who struggle with basic EF skills. If you work with a child or teenager who has difficulty with organization, planning, time management, attention, or self-control, you already know.

The good news is that executive functioning skills can be worked on in different ways. One technique is teaching the skills explicitly. This includes teaching about how the brain works, what it looks like to be organized, and how to manage work on a daily basis. I’ve recently created an executive functioning interactive workbook to work on 40 different skills. If you just want to get started with some explicit instruction, you can give that a try.

Teach executive functioning skills explicitly with an interactive workbook.

Teaching EF skills outright isn’t the only answer, though. There are many different ways these skills can be taught and integrated throughout the day. Making these skills part of your everyday can be extremely beneficial, since it reinforces the idea that these are in fact life skills we use often.

Here are 25+ Everyday Ways to Build Executive Functioning Skills:

Play board games. A number of board games target different executive functioning skills when you think about it. Scrabble works on flexibility and planning. Chess targets planning and working memory. Need more ideas? Read more about different games to target executive functioning skills.

Use think alouds. Thinking aloud while you work through problems is a healthy way to train kids and teens those same steps. For example, if you misplace something and you’re looking for it, you might say, “I can’t find my ___. Let me think about where I was last. First, I’ll check there.” This example is quite simple but can be done with virtually any task. Think alouds help kids and teens understand the step-by-step process we take to complete tasks.

Ask executive functioning-building questions. What are three tasks you need to accomplish today? What are some possible triggers that might cause you to lose your cool? What are ways you can study for a quiz? These simple questions can help ignite discussions about executive functioning skills. You can come up with your own or use these executive functioning task cards that are ready to go!

Talk about time. Many kids and teens struggle with a sense of time. Talking about time and deadlines can help them make sense of this mystery. For example, you might say, “We have 10 minutes left before going to lunch. That gives us enough time to stop what we’re doing and clean up before we need to be there.”

Organize or clean together. Start small and work together to clean or tidy some areas in the classroom or house. For example, choose to tidy up a bookshelf by putting books back in a neat way. If this is a difficult task for kids, take turns. Make it more fun by listening to music or chatting as you organize.

Give time to be bored. In our digital world, kids and teens are often too busy. Give time to be bored by losing the gadgets and giving downtime. Kids and teens can color, draw, build, or play games. The options are endless, and this is a great way to build on flexibility, creativity, and perseverance.

Make a schedule. Before starting each day, take a few minutes and write out the schedule. This is a helpful technique to model for kids and teens, but it also gives them an overview of what to expect for the day.

Estimate time to complete tasks. Before doing any activity, stop and think out loud about how long you think it will take you to finish. You can even time yourself and assess how well you estimated. This can be done with practically anything, but a few examples are tidying up a room, writing homework down, or getting cleaned up with an activity.

Use literature to talk about executive functioning skills. From organization to perseverance, many different picture books (and chapter books) can guide you through these skills. Planning Isn’t My Priority by Julia Cook is a great book to talk about study habits and planning, for example. Read here for a more comprehensive list of books to support social emotional learning skills.

Take breaks when you need them. Teach that taking breaks can be a healthy strategy to improve focus and motivation. Use these mindful brain breaks with a nature focus to get the practice started in a fun way.

Build something out of nothing. Gather materials and give free design time. This can be crafts, building, or even inventing something new. Hands-on activities allow for problem-solving, flexibility, and creativity.

Learn something new. Choose a topic or idea and learn together! For example, if a teen is interested in outer space, make a list of questions you might wonder and look them up together. Read books and watch movies. You can also let kids and teens explore a new idea or hobby entirely on their own. This also serves as an important reminder that learning should be a lifelong activity.

Write in a planner or calendar. A simple daily task with lifelong benefits, writing in a planner (or calendar) helps kids build on planning, organization, and time management skills. Make it a habit to keep a calendar updated on regular basis, and if a child is old enough, have them keep one too!

Play sports. Many sports target a number of executive functioning skills from attention and flexibility to perseverance and self-control. As you play, talk about the skills! For example, if you are playing basketball, you might talk about how it is important to stay focused on the ball.

Hold a conversation. Chatting about topics is a great way to work on attention and working memory while also targeting a variety of other social skills. Use this free printable list of questions to get the conversation started.

Do arts and crafts. Spend time working with your hands to increase focus and creativity. Crafts are also an engaging way to work on a variety of social emotional skills.

Practice mental math. Math problems are one of the best ways to work on working memory with kids and teens. Make it more fun by taking turns. After you give a math problem for them to solve, make sure they give you a challenging one right back.

Write in a journal. Spend a few minutes a day dedicated to journal writing time. This can be free write time or writing on a given topic.

Make lists for tasks. In the classroom, you can make a list before starting a new project or beginning a new lesson. At home, lists come in handy before going grocery shopping or beginning homework. Make lists and check tasks off as you go to model organization and planning skills.

Do puzzles. Problem-solving, flexibility, organization, planning, and working memory are all skills used when working through puzzles. Use hands-on puzzles or find a digital version!

Exercise. While exercise itself doesn’t improve executive functioning skills, it paves the way for the real learning to happen. Make it a routine to exercise or stretch in the morning or before a study session.

Role-play through situations and problems. Help kids and teens problem-solve by working through real-life problems. When something comes up, act out how you might work through it.

Practice coping strategies. Simply put, coping strategies should be practiced every day! This is to help kids and teens be able to use them when they need them the most. Use this list of 100 coping strategies for kids and teens to get started.

Act out scenes from movies. Reciting scenes can be a highly motivating way to strengthen attention and memory skills.

Talk through “what would you do?” situations. Use real-life situations to talk through what you would do. This is a helpful technique to activate the brain before encountering situations. Come up with your own scenarios or use these problem-solving cards to get started.

Discuss goals. Talk about the goal you are working on. Discuss the plans and reflect on progress. Every day you can do at least one small thing to work towards those goals. It’s important for kids and teens to see this early on!

Use brain games. Mental puzzles work on executive functioning skills, but all along feel like a game! Some of my favorite brain games are brainteasers. Use this executive functioning brain games workbook to help kids and teens unlock their brain powers.

Add a new ending to a book or movie. Help kids and teens think outside the box by adding a new ending to a book you’ve read or movie you’ve seen.

Reward yourself after finishing a task. Sometimes our culture is so driven on work that we forget to reward ourselves. This is a critical element to helping kids and teens feel proud of the work they’ve accomplished. Whether it’s a quick break, time watching a quick video clip, or an ice cream, it’s okay to give yourself a reward sometimes.

Strategies to Build Resilient Kids and Teens

February 18, 2021 by pathway2success 2 Comments

Resilience is the social-emotional skill that helps us get back up after something doesn’t quite go our way. This is an importance skill because we all fail sometimes. That’s part of life.

So often, though, for kids and teens especially, failure doesn’t feel okay. It can test our confidence and perseverance. For kids and teens without strong skills for resilience, they might become overly frustrated, act out, and give up when things don’t go their way.

On the other end of the spectrum, those with strong resilience are able to keep themselves calm when things don’t go right, reframe the situation, and see struggles as opportunities for growth. They can bounce back better and stronger when things don’t go right. That’s the goal.

Simply put, we want kids and teens to be resilient to be able to handle setbacks and failures on their own. This isn’t an easy skill to teach because it means that we, as adults, have to watch kids and teens struggle a little. That can be hard. But it’s better to watch kids and teens struggle now and learn those valuable skills for resilience than be unable to handle setbacks later on in life.

Here are 12+ strategies to build resilient kids and teens:

1. Practice coping strategies when calm.

Coping strategies are an important ingredient in the recipe for resilience. When kids and teens experience failure, it can feel disappointing and even devastating. Being able to cope is critical.

If we want kids and teens to be able to apply coping strategies when they are upset or overwhelmed, we need to practice them when they are calm.

Spend time practicing coping strategies on a regular basis. For ten minutes each day, spend time reading one day and coloring the next. You can even make it a coping strategies challenge to practice 30 different strategies in 30 days.

2. Let kids do tasks on their own.

Kids and teens aren’t always going to do thing perfectly. That’s okay! Let them do tasks on their own, even if it’s not exactly the way you would do it. This is an important step to remind kids that they can accomplish difficult tasks independently.

When we don’t let kids do tasks on their own, the opposite effect happens. Kids and teens might develop learned helplessness. They begin to believe that they can’t do a good enough job anyway, so it’s not even worth trying in the first place.

Build confidence by letting them do chores, assignments, and projects entirely on their own. There’s nothing wrong with a little help or support along the way, but when they can do it independently, let them.

3. Let kids make mistakes.

Sometimes, when we see kids about to make a mistake, our first impulse is to stop them. This is with good intentions, but sometimes the outcome can be not so good. It’s important to let kids make those mistakes.

We learn greater lessons from the times we mess up than the times we do things right. Mistakes aren’t just okay; they’re necessary. These are learning lessons every time.

Instead of jumping in to help, you might:

Ask how the child is doing.
Have a child talk you through their plan for managing a problem.
Remind them you are there if they need help.
Provide encouragement by reminding them they can do it on their own.
Brainstorm solutions with them, but let them choose.

4. Teach and model flexible thinking skills.

A huge part of being resilience is using flexible thinking to our advantage. That’s because there is almost always more than one way to handle a problem or situation. By teaching flexible thinking, we can help kids and teens train their brains to think in more different ways.

Imagine a teen gets a quiz back and they don’t get the grade they were expecting. With rigid thinking, they might first think they are just horrible with that subject. But with flexible thinking, they can learn to stay more open-minded and solution-focused. They might say to themselves, “I didn’t do well. I know I studied, but maybe I studied the wrong material. I guess I should pay more attention to the study guide in the future.”

Flexible thinking does require practice. It doesn’t always come easy! Give these flexible thinking cards a try to practice these skills with real-life scenarios and situations.

5. Reframe struggles as opportunities to grow.

Setbacks are often one of our greatest chances to grow and learn. Instead of shying away from struggles, teach kids to lean into them.

Let’s consider an example. Imagine a teen doesn’t get chosen for a sports team that they really wanted to join. They might first think, “I’m horrible. I’m just going to give up this sport.” With a change of thinking, though, they might think, “This just wasn’t my time. I wonder how I can improve. Maybe this is a chance to try another sport.”

This approach is known as embracing a growth mindset. It’s helpful for building resilience, confidence, working towards goals.

6. Develop SMART goals and work on them.

SMART goals are a tool that help give us direction. These are goals that are specific, measurable, and actionable. So why does this matter when it comes to resilience? SMART goals can be the next step when something doesn’t go right. Instead of dwelling on a failure or mistake, teaching kids and teens to make these goals can help them determine a plan of action moving forward.

In order to make SMART goals:

Consider exactly what it is you want to accomplish (be specific).
Decide how the goal will be measured.
Come up with steps to attain this goals (these should be action-oriented).
Explain why this is important to you.
Set a timeline and end date. The timeline should include times to review the goal as well.

7. Teach that setbacks are part of life.

Let’s normalize setback, struggles, and failures. These are part of life. We’ve all been through them, but for kids and teens, these situations can feel like the worst experience. We need to teach them that these are normal and healthy to go through.

“Grow through what you go through” is one of my favorite quotes for this.

You can talk about your failures and how you’ve worked through them. Similarly, use characters from movies, books (more on this below), and real life to discuss people who have shown resilience.

8. Learn and grow from failures together.

When a child or teenager is upset about a failure, talk it out. Reflection is a powerful too. Discuss what what went well and what didn’t. Consider what they might do differently next time and what lessons are learned. This can be a healthy experience after some time has passed from the setback.

It’s also important to sometimes be okay with not learning anything specific. Sometimes, we just mess up. In these cases, we deal with it and move on, and that’s okay too.

9. Practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness is a practice that helps us focus on the right now; this means not focusing on the past “what ifs” and the future “what will happens.” This is an exceptionally important skill when dealing with a setback because it’s a technique that helps center our bodies and minds to the present.

Some strategies to practicing mindfulness include:

Coloring or drawing while listening to music.
Using a mindful journal (pictured below).
Practicing mindful breathing.
Going on a mindful scavenger hunt.
Guided relaxations (you can find some mindful guided relaxation videos for children on Youtube!)
Spending time outdoors with activities like taking a nature walk, watching wildlife, or looking at the clouds.

10. Teach and practice positive self-talk.

Positive self-talk is one of the most powerful tools we can teach. It’s a universal technique that can be used in so many different situations.

Specifically in the context here, positive self-talk is a critical skill for building resilience. It’s the voice that reminds us we can get back up again, even when it feels like we can’t.

Use this free positive self-talk list to help kids and teens develop a positive voice of their own. You can even use positive affirmations as a morning routine to set the tone and provide extra practice.

11. Use confidence-building strategies.

When kids and teens feel better about themselves, they are better suited to cope with setbacks. Having stronger confidence can be like a shield. It won’t fix all of the problems, but it can give kids and teens the tools they need to deal with challenges.

With that, making confidence-building activities part of your every day. One of my favorite techniques is having kids make their own compliment list. This can be tough for some kids, which is usually an indicator they need the boost even more than usual. Learn more about other strategies to boost confidence for your learners.

12. Encourage self-compassion.

Self-compassion is loving yourself even when you mess up. This helps kids and teens to feel happier, less stress, and more resilient over time. Some ways to cultivate self-compassion include:

Doing something kind for yourself.
Reminding yourself all the reasons you are wonderful and unique.
Practice positive self-talk (“I love myself even when I make mistakes” and “I’m a work in progress, and that’s okay).
Do activities you enjoy.
Practice mindfulness.

13. Check-in with emotions on a regular basis.

Children and teenagers are better able to cope with the stress of setbacks when they keep emotions in check (that’s true for adults too of course). Teach kids and teens to check-in with emotions on a regular basis. That involves asking yourself how you feel, identifying the specific emotions, and sitting with the feelings before moving forward.

Use this printable and digital 5-step emotions check-in to help kids and teens consider how they feel. It’s something you can incorporate into your every day.

14. Teach problem-solving skills.

In order to problem-solve effectively after challenges, kids and teens need to know how. Problem-solving skills are one of the most important life skills we use every day.

One of my favorite ways to build on these skills has always been through real-life scenarios. Ask a question and discuss how you might solve it. This can be a fun group activity as well as an important 1:1 intervention.

Use these social scenario problem-solving cards to discuss situations for the classroom, with friends, at home, and more. I also have a free sample set if you want to try them out first.

15. Encourage independent problem-solving.

We all learn problem-solving skills best by actually having to work through problems. Having the guided practice with an adult is great, but it’s also important to let kids and teens problem-solve on their own.

Don’t be so quick to jump in and problem-solve for kids and teens. Being there to help is always a good thing, but it’s most important that they get the practice of working through a challenge on their own.

16. Practice with puzzles, brainteasers, and challenges.

One way to actually practice perseverance and resilience is through puzzles, brainteasers, and challenges. These are intended to be a bit difficult. In some cases, kids and teens might want to give up at first. What’s important is that they work through them or come back to them if they can’t get the puzzle in the moment.

Try a challenge of the day or let kids go at their own pace with some engaging brain games. As a bonus, many of these games boost executive functioning skills at the very same time.

17. Use literature to discuss resilience.

Literature can be one of the most universal strategies for teaching and discussing resilience. So often, characters deal with struggles. They fail and mess up. They make poor choices. But they also get back up again. That’s resilience.

Use this list of 100+ read alouds for social emotional skills and you’ll be sure to find many that focus on resilience too.

18. Practice gratitude to gain perspective.

Gratitude is feeling thankful for the things we have in our lives. Reciting these things is the process of practicing gratitude. When we practice gratitude, we feel happier and calmer over time. This can help kids and teens bounce back from setbacks a little easier, remembering all the positive things in their lives.

With all that said, gratitude isn’t a magic solution, but it is a helpful tool.

Use this gratitude activity to spark some inspiration. Kids and teens will think of something they are grateful for using every letter of the alphabet. They can even keep it for times they need to remember what matters to them.

19. Teach that perfection isn’t real.

Perfect isn’t real. It’s that simple (or is it?). Unfortunately, in our digital world, kids and teens are exposed to seeing stages pictures and edited photos every day. This sometimes leads them to believe there is a such thing as perfect. Of course, we know that’s not true.

Let’s remind kids and teens often that perfection isn’t real and that our imperfections are really what make us beautiful.

How to Integrate Executive Functioning Skills into the Classroom

February 2, 2021 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

25+ strategies to integrate executive functioning skills in the classroom

If we want learners to develop strong executive functioning skills, it is critical to integrate them into the daily classroom. Integrating executive functioning skills into classroom instruction just makes sense. In short, this means taking important skills like organization, planning, and self-control, and practicing them right alongside average daily tasks.

At first it might seem overwhelming to teach executive functioning skills. It’s important to note that every educator is already a teacher of executive functioning skills. These are skills educators and students use every day (in fact, all people use them every day). Some ways students use them include:

Students organize their desks and binders.
They pay attention during conversations and class lessons.
Students initiate tasks when starting work.
They persevere through difficult tasks and assignments.
Students use self-control to make positive choices.

This is why integrating this instruction into the day makes so much sense. Kids and teens are already using these skills, so let’s teach and support them along the way.

Of course, integrating EF skills is great, but I’m also a huge advocate for teaching these skills explicitly too (you can feel free to read my 12 reasons why). If you want to skip straight to teaching these critical skills explicitly, I’ve got you covered. One great way to start is using this executive functioning workbook. It’s one of my favorites because it’s no prep – just read and learn together. If you want more ideas for integrating in other ways, though, keep reading!

Below I’ve listed some examples for ways to integrate executive functioning skills into the regular classroom instruction. Some of these techniques educators might already do in the classroom. Of course, that’s great! Moving forward, though, it’s even more helpful to be explicit about what you are teaching, why it matters, and how students can use these skills in the future. Name the executive functioning skills kids and using and spending time discussing how it can help them.

It’s also worth mentioning that integrating executive functioning skills isn’t a one-time activity. These tasks can be done again and again. They might need to be reviewed and re-practiced. The good news is that all learners benefit from learning and practicing executive functioning skills. In fact, teaching executive functioning skills too much is almost enough. The goal is that kids and teens learn these skills so well that they no longer need adults reminding them to organize their binder, write down their homework, or make a list of what they need to study.

Teaching executive functioning skills too much is almost enough.

Here are 25+ strategies for integrating executive functioning skills into the classroom:

Explain how executive functioning skills are used in the classroom.

Kids and teens need to know they are already using executive functioning skills every day in class. In math, we use working memory to solve problems in our head and we use flexibility to try a new way when one strategy isn’t working. In reading, we use perseverance to figure out a word we don’t know and megacognition to think about what we’re reading. These are just a few quick examples to begin the conversation. Grab these free printable and digital executive functioning posters to start.

Use think alouds.

A think aloud is the process of actually saying the words out loud that you are thinking. This seems like such a simple task, but it has big impacts! Many times, kids and teens with executive functioning challenges don’t understand why we do certain things. Think alouds can change that. For example, you might say, “I am writing the due date of the upcoming project up on the board right now. This will help all of us remember that it’s coming up. You might want to write it down in your planner, too.” Again, this can be done with literally any task.

Teach and practice study strategies before a quiz.

It only makes sense to discuss study strategies prior to a test or quiz. Of course, this benefits kids by giving them concrete ways to prepare for the upcoming assessment, but it also helps build a toolbox of study skills for a later time. Different assessments might mean different study strategies. For example, before a math test on fractions, students might want to look back on older homework assignments and re-do past examples. Spend time practicing a few in class before sending kids home to study on their own. Read these tips for teaching study skills for more ideas.

Highlight one executive functioning skill each week.

Even if you don’t have an entire class period to cover executive functioning skills, you can dedicate a week (or month – whatever works best for you) to cover them as you go. Start with planning. Spend a few minutes explaining what planning is and why we do it. Then, throughout the week, make it a point to highlight specific examples of when kids are planning, such as writing down in their homework logs or writing an outline before starting a complete report. Grab this free printable executive functioning poster to help explain each skill.

Executive functioning free printable poster

Discuss and list out strategies for getting stuck on assignments.

All kids and teens get stuck sometimes. Before challenging assignments, make a list of ideas for what to do when they don’t know the answers. Make a list to keep on the board or encourage kids to write down their own list ideas. This can even be a poster up in the classroom somewhere you review often. These strategies build flexibility and perseverance along the way.

Make mini-deadlines for a long-term project together.

When assigning a long-term project, take a few moments to map out important mini-deadlines with your students. So often, a long-term project is daunting for anyone. Breaking it apart into more manageable tasks can help with task initiation, organization, planning, and time management.

Map out mini-deadlines for projects to build executive functioning skills.

Give reminders for expected behaviors.

While giving reminders about behavior is just a best practice in the classroom, it’s also a way to strengthen executive functioning skills. Before a lesson, remind kids what behaviors you should see that would help them stay focused and pay attention. Before walking to another class, have a quick chat about how to stay quiet when walking in the hall (self-control). Not only will these reminders help students in the moment, but they can be a great way to reinforce executive functioning skills too.

Give daily and/or weekly organization time.

Daily (and weekly) organization time has huge benefits! Kids and teens need extra time to put papers in the correct spot, tidy up binders, and toss out pages they don’t need. This extra time reinforces the idea that organization is an ongoing practice (not something you do once!). Make it a regular routine by scheduling it into your day.

Exercise.

Movement is shown to increase skills for attention and memory. Make it a morning routine to do stretches, practice yoga, or do jumping jacks. You can change up the routine and even have student leaders (kids love this!). Most importantly, you’ll help set the stage for success for the rest of the day.

Use a visual timer.

A visual timer is a helpful tool that shows how much time is left for something. You can use these during quizzes, working sessions, organization time, or during a transition. It’s a great way to incorporate time management skills into whatever you are already doing.

Use task cards to discuss EF skills during downtime.

Use time during the minutes before class starts, while kids are waiting for the bus, or even between transitions. Every minute is valuable! Spend this time discussing questions and situations to build stronger executive functioning skills. Put your executive functioning task cards on a ring and ask the questions you have time for. Here are a few questions you might want to try (or grab these executive functioning task cards that are ready to go!):

How could staying organized help you reduce stress? (organization)
You have a lot of homework and you have practice at 6pm. What can you do? (planning)
List three tasks you need to accomplish and estimate the time it might take to complete them. (time management)
What are some routines that could help someone get started with work right away? (task initiation)
A teacher in class gives a direction. What can you do to remember it? (working memory)
Give two examples of times when someone might use self-control in school. (self-control)

Use task cards to discuss EF skills during downtime.

Preview changes to the schedule and discuss staying flexible.

When a change to the schedule is coming up, spend time previewing and discussing the switch. For example, if you know there will be an assembly where students will miss part of their art time, bring it up sooner rather than later. This can help kids and teens build skills for flexibility while coping with change.

Talk about executive functioning skills in literature.

Characters show perseverance, self-control, and flexibility. Use such examples to talk about executive functioning skills and why they matter. These skills can be weaved into practically any short story or text, but you can also choose books that specifically target EF skills. Here are just a few:

What We’ll Build by Oliver Jeffers (planning)
Respect and Take Care of Things by Meredith Johnson (organization)
The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey (task initiation)
Your Fantastic, Elastic Brain by JoAnn Deak (metacognition)
My Magical Choices by Becky Cummings (self-control)
Salt in His Shoes by Deloris Jordan (perseverance)

I’ve also developed a set of executive functioning read-aloud stories with activities. These are great to teach skills like planning and time management in a concrete and fun way.

Talk about executive functioning skills in literature.

Role-play scenarios.

Instead of just talking about writing homework down or focusing in class, act out what these behaviors look like. You might say, “Who can show me what it looks like to put this paper away in your binder right away?” Kids and teens will love the acting practice, and it will help them commit these behaviors to memory for the future.

Model and practice positive self-talk.

Positive self-talk is a critical component for flexibility, self-control, and perseverance. Model, practice, and encourage positive self-talk often! Some examples of statements you might use include:

“This is tough, but I can do this with hard work.” (perseverance)
“I can think this through and make a plan.” (planning)
“I am in control of my choices.” (self-control)
“This didn’t go like I expected, but I’m going to go with the flow.” (flexibility)

Model using a calendar and homework assignment list.

Kids and teens do what they see. Keep a calendar in the classroom visible where important dates are posted on a regular basis. Similarly, set up a homework spot in the classroom where daily assignments are listed each day. Not only does this provide a clear model for students on how to stay organized and plan, but it also serves as a critical support to those who need an extra boost.

Use digital tools and supports.

Apps like MyHomework and Remind can be extremely helpful to keep kids and teens on track. Even online games and websites can provide a little extra support. One of my favorites is this site filled with virtual manipulatives kids can use in math. Feel free to explore more digital supports for executive functioning skills.

Send ideas home.

Not all executive functioning work needs to be done in school! Encourage families to plan a meal together (planning), learn something new (metacognition), or do a puzzle (working memory). Use this free digital and printable poster to send home to families with some ideas to start.

Executive functioning home ideas printable

Estimate time for tasks.

Build time management skills by helping kids and teens understand how long tasks might or should take. You can even have them give their best estimates, record these, and compare once the task is done.

Allow work re-dos.

Let’s face it – kids and teens don’t always do their best on academic work. Consider times to allow kids to re-do their work for extra points. For example, if a student does poorly on a quiz, you might assign them to re-do the problems they got wrong and give a short written explanation for what they fixed to make it right. This helps kids and teens work on metacognition by thinking about their own thinking. They also work on flexibility by considering what they did wrong and what they need to change. Of course, this task also builds perseverance.

Play games.

Games are a great way to give a break or reward at the end of the week. It’s easy to integrate executive functioning skills playing games when you are purposeful about the skills you’re practicing. Here are a few of my tried and true favorites:

Scrabble (planning, flexibility)
Jenga (planning, self-control)
5 Second Rule (time management, metacognition)

Learn more about other games to build and strengthen execuitve functioning skills.

Assign executive functioning work for early finishers.

If students finish early, give them the “reward” of working on a digital executive functioning workbook. It’s a fun and interactive set of lessons that teach meaningful skills, such as being self-aware, understanding how the brain works, how to plan, using self-control, getting organized, and more.

Model staying organized.

In the fast-paced world of being an educator, it’s not always easy to stay organized. Papers pile up. It’s important to note that kids and teens benefit from seeing more organized spaces in the classroom. That includes student workspaces, teacher desks, and even visual spaces around the room. Work to avoid clutter and organize spaces on a regular basis.

Use questioning techniques.

Rather than telling students what to do, use more questions. In other words, instead of telling kids what to do, try asking them what they should do. This takes a little longer, but builds critical problem-solving skills that help learners become independent over time. This practice prompts kids and teens to think and problem-solve on their own. These are really only limited by your imagination, but here are a few sample phrases you might try:

“What should you do next?”
“What do you think the best way to solve that might be?”
“So, what can you do?”
“What could you try?”
“What are some steps to help you accomplish that?”

Rather than telling students what to do, use more questions to build executive functioning skills.

Give time checks during working sessions.

Kids and teens who struggle with time management often lack a good understanding of time in general. During working sessions, make a quick note when students have five or ten minutes left. Even better, you can try using a bell or chime to give a time warning.

Come up with “study lists” together before assessments.

In order for kids and teens to be able to study well, they need to know what to study. Believe it or not, this can be a huge mystery for kids who struggle with executive functioning. Before a quiz or test, make a study list with your students. While handing out a pre-made study list is helpful, it’s even better to do this practice with students. That’s because you are engaging their brains to start to think about what they need to study and why.

Use visuals.

Visual supports can serve as simple and permanent reminders about executive functioning skills. For example, you can have a poster about perseverance encouraging kids to work hard and not give up when something in tough. You can even add your own strategies for what to do when they get stuck. Post these visuals around the room and refer to them whenever the particular skills come up.

Discuss prioritizing assignments.

Being able to prioritize is a critical skill for planning, organization, time management, and even task initiation. When many different activities are assigned all at once, make the most of your time by talking about how to prioritize them. For example, imagine students have a history quiz at the end of the week, a journal entry due tomorrow, and a book report that needs to be finished next Thursday. Spend time talking about how to juggle and prioritize which work should come first. Let kids brainstorm and share what works for them. So often, kids learn best from one another.

Use executive functioning activities as brain breaks.

All kids need a break sometimes. This is an important time to clear the mind. It just gives a reset! Use this time to play games and activities that also target executive functioning skills. For example, Simon Says is a simple game that can build self-control and attention skills. Need more ideas? Take a look at these executive functioning play activities!

Post an executive functioning bulletin board.

I’m a believer that visuals and bulletin boards in the classroom should be meaningful. Use this space to provide reminders about skills like planning, organization, self-control, and perseverance. Make your own with your students, or use this ready-to-go executive functioning bulletin board.

Give responsibilities.

Responsibilities themselves build critical executive functioning skills. So often, kids and teens really enjoy having jobs in the classroom. Assign weekly or monthly responsibilities to students to help build their skills for planning, organization, time management, and perseverance. Some examples of responsibilities might include:

Board cleaner
Note messenger
Pencil sharpener
Attendance taker
Gardener
Librarian
Technology support

Integrate arts and crafts.

Everyone needs an arts and crafts break sometimes! Consider adding some executive functioning skill work right into this time. One really fun and meaningful craft is to create “executive functioning keys” for each of the skills. You can then have kids hold up their keys when they are using the skill later on.

Conference individually with learners to work on goals.

Individual conferencing is a great way to work on a variety of executive functioning skills, and it can be done by teachers of any grade or academic area. Meet with students briefly once a week or once a month (this is going to depend on the number of students you have, of course). Mark SMART goals together for aspirations your students want to achieve. Go over how they are doing, what goals they’d like to work on in your class, and strategize a plan together. This builds skills for planning, organization, time management, flexibility, attention, and perseverance.

I hope some of these ideas have been helpful! If you love this article, please make sure to share with others, and feel free to comment below with any strategies you use in your classroom.

25+ strategies to integrate executive functioning skills

12 Daily Social Emotional Practices to Try

January 18, 2021 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

Social emotional learning is the process that helps children and young adults learn valuable life skills such as empathy, friendships, confidence, self-control, self-awareness, and responsibility. These are just a few of the many critical skills and competencies that are learned through social emotional practices.

If we want children and teens to acquire social emotional competencies, we have to teach and practice those skills often. Further, these skills are so important that it’s easy to argue that learning about them should be part of our every day.

With that, it is so important for every educator and parent to have techniques, strategies, and practices in their own social emotional toolbox.

Here are 12 daily social emotional practices to incorporate:

1. Practicing Mindfulness

We all want learners to feel more calm, focused, regulated, and happy. Mindfulness is one of the best techniques to help cultivate these qualities with kids and teens. This is certainly a skill that needs to be taught, but it really can be fun to do so!

Teaching about mindful breathing is a great place to start. I love this as a SEL skill and coping skill, because it’s a technique kids and teens can do anywhere and anytime. Some of my favorite mindful breathing techniques include Shape Breathing and Bubble Breathing. There are so many to try!

Ready to start your mindful practice? Use this set of mindfulness activities to teach about mindfulness, why it matters, and how it can be practiced each day.

Teaching mindfulness helps kids and teens learn self-regulation.

2. Positive Affirmations

The words we say to ourselves can have a huge impact on our confidence and perseverance. There is no better way to start off each morning than with positive self-talk statements. Use this free positive affirmation activity to read positive phrases and develop your own individualized lists. It’s the first step in beginning a positive affirmations routine in your classroom (or at home).

3. SEL Journaling

SEL journaling is one of the most effective and efficient ways to teach social emotional skills. It’s easy to assign a journal prompt each morning for learners, have them respond in writing, and then discuss together.

So how can you start? You can come up with prompts and discussion questions that you know your students need the most at the moment. For example, if you need to work on positive decision-making skills, ask students to write about what it means to make a good choice and list off some positive choices they have made this week.

If you need more support and structure in a SEL Journal, you can use a Social Emotional Learning Journal filled with prompts for the entire year (and yes I have a SEL Journal for younger learners too!).

One of my favorite parts of a SEL Journal is that it becomes a record of the skills you have discussed and learned together. That means you can easily review a section if you need to work more on empathy, perspective-taking, responsibility, or any other skill.

4. Practicing Coping Strategies

When managing stress and tough emotions, coping strategies are key. These are the techniques we use to keep ourselves calm. One of the most important points to make about coping strategies is that they are unique for every person. One child might feel calmest during and after coloring, while another child might need to do jumping jacks. This is why practicing coping strategies on a regular basis is so important.

Use this free printable list of coping strategies to help children and teens discuss different techniques and what might work for them.

5. SEL Question of the Day

Discussions can be a powerful tool when it comes to learning social emotional skills. With a SEL question of the day, pose a question and chat about it. It’s really that easy. This can be a positive start to your morning or an activity you do while waiting for the dismissal at the end of the day.

For example, to start the conversation about diversity, you might ask, “What is something about you that is unique, special, or stands out?” It’s just one simple question but helps begin the conversation about how we can all be similar and different at the same time. Because kids and teens will be discussing the questions and interacting with each other, it can be a highly motivating way to integrate SEL skills too.

Some other examples of questions of the day might include:

Self-control is stopping, thinking, and making a good choice. Why is it important to stop and think about choices?
Having a growth mindset means knowing you can improve skills with hard work. What does determination mean to you?
What are some social expectations to follow when playing games or sports?
Relationship skills are the tools and knowledge we use to build relationships. What skills are important in relationships?

If you are ready to start using a question of the day to support SEL skills, you can grab this yearlong set of SEL questions to target skills from self-awareness through decision-making.

Social emotional learning question of the day

6. Greetings

Greetings help children and teens feel valued. While it’s a simple strategy, it’s one worth mentioning. Research shows that greeting children and teens at the doorway as they walk into the classroom sets an important tone. This simple action can increase student engagement, reduce challenging behaviors, and help kids feel a sense of belonging.

Use this free printable (and digital) greetings poster to remind kids and teens how they can greet each other each day. Add it to your morning meeting routine or just do it as students walk in the room.

Free greetings poster for morning meeting

7. Brain Breaks

No one can be “on” all of the time. That’s why brain breaks are so important. They are a semi-structured activity time to help children and teens move their bodies and calm their minds. Practice these tasks between activities or when you notice your students need a quick pause.

Some simple brain break ideas include:

Stretching or exercising
Playing a game like Simon Says or I Spy
Dancing to music
Coloring or drawing
Having a sing-a-long
Mindful breathing

One of my personal favorite brain break activities are these mindful brain breaks with a nature theme. It’s always helpful to try different brain breaks and see what works for your learners.

8. Relationship-Building Chats

Relationship-building is something that should be worked on throughout the entire year with kids and teens. A few relationship-building questions or discussion starters is a great way to support relationship-building while also conversation skills, empathy, and more.

Use this free list of relationship-building questions to always have something fun and engaging to talk about!

Free relationship-building questions list

9. Real-Life Scenarios

Help children and teens make positive choices and learn social emotional skills through real life experiences. To do this, give a scenario and ask, “What would you do?” Students can talk with a partner or small group and then share back with the class.

This is another favorite activity because not only can it be part of your everyday routine, but these cards are an excellent way to maximize instructional learning time too. Just have extra cards ready for when a lesson ends early or when students are late getting picked up.

Download these free social problem-solving scenario cards to get started discussing social skills with your learners.

10. Organization Time

In order for children and teens to do their best in the classroom, they need daily organization time. Sometimes, the day goes by extremely quickly, leaving students with messy binders, disorganized backpacks, and desks filled with things that should be other places.

Make it a daily routine to give 10 minutes of organization time at the end of every day. It’s a healthy way to support social emotional skills while also building executive functioning skills that we all know are so important.

Give daily organization time to support social emotional learning.

11. Morning Meeting

Morning meeting is a semi-structured time to welcome students and perform a group activity. This is a time that sets the tone for a positive climate, builds meaningful relationships, increases student confidence, and creates a community where all voices matter.

In addition to all of that, morning meeting is also one of the best and most natural times to teach social emotional skills. In just five steps in a morning meeting you can:

Start with greetings.
Introduce a SEL skill or topic.
Start a group discussion.
Do an activity or two together.
Reflect and get prepared before moving on for the rest of the day.

You can perform this five-step morning meeting process on your own, but if you need a little more structure and support, you might want to check out this yearlong morning meeting set to get started. It started as printable morning meeting cards (one per day) but also has digital slides to project or use when students are learning from home.

Morning meeting time to target SEL skills

12. Emotions Check-in

It’s healthy and normal to check in with emotions on a regular basis. We need to explicitly teach and practice this for learners to really understand that!

The steps to checking in with emotions include:

Pausing for a moment to breathe.
Asking yourself how you feel.
Saying the emotion words out loud or writing them.
Thinking about your feelings. Sit with them and let them be!
Ask yourself what you need.

Use this free 5-step emotions check in poster to get started!

Just a note that these are really just a few strategies for integrating SEL with kids and young adults. What’s most important is that you try a technique and stick with it to see how it works for you and your learners.

30+ Digital Executive Functioning Tools & Activities

January 4, 2021 by pathway2success 1 Comment

Planning, organization, time management, attention, and self-control: These are just a few executive functioning skills that all kids and teens should learn. With such a focus on remote learning, I’ve put together a list with some digital tools and supports to help learners strengthen their executive functioning skills.

It’s worth mentioning that these resources can be used during in-person or remote learning. From interactive workbooks to apps to games, it’s important to try different strategies to find what works best for your learners.

Just a note: This list started off smaller, but I found myself continually adding to it (and I hope to continue to!). Some of the more robust resources below are paid. I’ve also included many free links to websites, apps, and even several of my own resources (including task cards, posters, and activities). I hope you find these supports helpful.

Interactive Workbooks

Executive Functioning Digital Workbook from A-Z. An interactive workbook with moveable pieces for 40 different executive functioning skills.

Self-Control Activity Book. An engaging interactive workbook that helps students learn how to be a self-control STAR.

Digital Posters

Executive Functioning Skills Poster. A visual and teaching tool to represent each of the 10 core executive functioning skills from planning to perseverance.

Executive Functioning Academic Posters. A set of three digital and printable posters to highlight how EF skills are used in math, reading, and writing.

Daily Emotions Check-In. A free 5-step daily check-in to provide support with self-control and managing emotions.

Executive Functioning Skills for Home Poster. A printable and digital poster to send home with families who might want some extra support with executive functioning practice at home.

Apps

Remind. A communication app that helps send reminders to students and families about important dates.

MyHomework. A student planner that helps keep track of homework and other assignments.

Time Planner. An app that helps make to-do lists and track time on assignments.

2Do. Planning app for project and task management.

Train Your Brain. A fun game that helps work on attention skills.

Mind Map. An app that connects ideas to create graphic organizers.

To Do Reminder. Create simple to-do lists and reminders.

Games

2-D Shapes Sorting (TopMarks). This game encourages using organization, planning, and flexible thinking skills as kids sort items into a grid of different categories.

Concentration Games (MentalUp). This site has a large selection of games that focus on visual attention, focusing, and memory skills. Very engaging and fun!

Jigsaw Puzzles (Jigsaw Planet). Many different digital puzzles kids and teens can work on. Puzzles build skills for planning, attention, and perseverance.

Chess (Chess.com). Use this online Chess game to have students play against the computer at different difficulties. Chess is a strategy game that works on planning, flexibility, and perseverance.

Spot the Difference (Cool Math Games). Practice attention skills with this spot the difference game.

Simon Says (Memozor). A classic game, Simon Says helps kids and teens remember sequential patterns that work on attention and working memory skills.

Self-Control Game. This is a game I originally designed as a printable board game, but added a digital version to support more learners. Just hit the play button on the video to read and practice a variety of situation cards for the game.

Word Ladders (Turtle Diary). Word ladders are a vocabulary game that allow kids to build words on each other. These help kids and teens work on metacognition, working memory, and flexibility.

Scrabble (Hasbro). One of my favorite EF games, Scrabble builds on skills for planning, attention, and flexibility. This can also be a great relationship-building game to play with students.

Digital Lessons & Activities

Executive Functioning Lessons. An introductory set of digital and printable activities to teach about 10 core executive functioning skills.

Self-Control Boot Camp. Lessons and activities specifically targeted to teach and improve self-control skills.

Coping Strategies Practice. A coping strategies list to help identify, discuss, and practice coping skills for self-control.

Organization Boot Camp. A set of lessons and activities to teach organization skills.

Executive Functioning Choice Boards. Printable and digital choice boards filled with meaningful practice for all 10 executive functioning skills.

Executive Functioning Advanced Workbook. One of my most comprehensive executive functioning workbooks, filled with meaningful tools to help kids and teens.

Mindful Morning Check-In. A digital activity to promote a calm, focused, and successful start to the day.

Executive Functioning Flip Book. A printable and digital flip book used to teach about the 10 executive functioning skills.

Videos

Mindful Focus Compilation. A set of videos to help kids practice mindful breathing and other activities to improve focus and promote a feeling of calm.

Spot the Differences. A set of five “spot the difference pictures” that can build skills for attention and problem-solving.

Digital Task Cards

Executive Functioning Task Cards. Hundreds of printable and digital task cards to start conversations about planning, organization, time management, and more.

Executive Functioning Task Cards (for younger learners). Another set of EF task cards designed specifically for elementary learners.

Problem-Solving Task Cards. A free set of problem-solving task cards to help kids and young adults think of solutions to problems.

Websites

Countdown timer. Use this website as a stopwatch. This can serve as a visual timer during work sessions, or a tool to help kids work independently. This site has many other timers to check out too!

Graphic organizers. Use this site to create your own interactive graphic organizers with Google Draw.

Virtual manipulatives. Large selection of virtual manipulatives for math, such as number lines, unifix cubes, and base ten blocks.

Virtual manipulatives library. Another large vault of virtual manipulatives and tools to help kids and teens.

Learning to code. Tools and sites that help teach kids and teens learn how to program. These activities can be highly motivating for learners while working on skills for planning, working memory, and perseverance.

Simplenote Note-taking. Website and app that helps sync all notes to one location.

Boom Cards

Organization Boom Cards. Use these executive functioning Boom Cards to practice EF skills in an interactive way. Boom Cards are great to provide immediate feedback to learners as they work on each card.

Hybrid Learning

Guide to Hybrid Learning. If you are embarking on a hybrid learning journey, a good friend of mine put together this incredible website filled with classroom setup suggestions, tools, expectations, and more to help get started. While this isn’t specific to executive functioning, I felt it was worthy to add in, as switching from classroom to online learning can be extremely difficult for any learners (especially those with executive functioning needs).

Suggestions?

I would love to add to this list! If you have free websites or apps you’d like me to add, feel free to comment below or reach out to let me know.

30+ Digital Tools for Executive Functioning

25+ Coping Skills Activities to Help Kids Manage Stress

December 14, 2020 by pathway2success 2 Comments

Coping skills are the supports and strategies that help children and young adults manage tough emotions and deal with stress. For kids and young adults who are still learning how to manage their emotions, learning these coping strategies is extra important. If we want kids and teens to use healthy coping strategies, we have to teach them how.

Practicing coping skills is essential. Research shows that just teaching these strategies once isn’t enough. In order for learners to effectively use these skills and tools to calm down when they are upset, they need to commit them to memory. This comes with practice.

With that, this list is filled with activities to teach and practice coping skills. Choose a few that you think will work for your learners and give them a try.

Here are 25+ strategies to teach and practice coping skills:

1. Start with a Mindful Morning

Use this free printable and digital activity to start each morning in a mindful way. Of course, it’s not something you can do just in the morning but anytime of day when you need a break. It includes deep breathing, mindfulness, practicing gratitude, and more.

2. Make a Coping Strategies List or Menu

Help kids and young adults understand their options for coping skills with a menu. Grab some pre-made coping strategies visuals or use this free coping strategies list to help kids and teens make a list of their own.

3. Watch Wildlife

Spend time outside (or just peek out the window) to observe the beauty of wildlife. Watching wildlife can reduce stress, improve focus, and promote feelings of calm.

4. Use Animal Live Cams

If you can’t get outside to watch wildlife, the next best thing is watching an animal live cam. I love these tools because they are calming from the very start. You can pretty easily find animals that your students will love to watch, whether it is a pair of bald eagles in the wild or a koala cam at the San Diego Zoo.

5. Do a Daily Emotions Check-In

Checking in with your own emotions is a critical way to manage emotions. Use this free printable and digital check-in page to teach students how to pause, ask how they feel, identify emotions, and move forward.

6. Color or Draw

Coloring and drawing are often a favorite coping skill because they are simple and easy to try. It’s important to mention that you don’t need to consider yourself an artist to use coloring as a coping skill. Just color and be. Use these free printable mindful coloring pages to give it a try.

7. Use an Interactive Mindfulness Book

Make practicing coping strategies interactive and fun with a digital mindfulness book. This digital workbook includes activities like breathing and guided visualizations to help kids feel calm and in control.

8. Write a Compliment List

Grab a notebook or just a piece of paper and write out compliments about yourself. This can actually be a challenge for some learners, but helps them focus on the positives while clearing the mind.

9. Listen to Music

Just like most coping skills, listening to music is a highly individualized strategy. Try different types of music and take note of how you and your learners feel.

10. Try Mindful Breathing

By focusing on the inhales and exhales of our breath, it can help restore calm and focus. Mindful breathing is one of the best techniques to try. Use some of these fun mindful breathing techniques to get started or grab these mindful breathing cards to use right away.

11. Read

Reading for pleasure cane help learners of all ages feel cozy and calm. Help kids and teens find the right reading material for them; this can be anything from a picture book (yes, even for older learners), a magazine, or a classic chapter book they are interested in.

12. Exercise

There is so much potential in using exercise as a calm down technique. Try different exercises from sports to stretching to see what works for you and your students.

13. Practice Yoga

Practicing yoga is a unique activity because it is exercise and mindfulness in one. Research has shown that yoga increases levels of GABA in our bodies. This amino acid fights against feelings of depression while creating feelings of calm. There are many videos (like this Yoga for kids Youtube channel) to help you get started.

14. Write in a Journal

Writing in a journal helps get thoughts out in a safe way. This can be extremely beneficial for people of all ages. Sometimes, just by writing thoughts out, you can learn to make sense of things in a different way. Give free writes or use more directed prompts. I put together this list of mindfulness journal ideas you can start right away. You can also get going right away with a journal focused on mindfulness.

15. Make a Coping Strategies Challenge

If you are looking for a way to integrate many different coping strategies, try this free coping strategies challenge. It includes a 30-day challenge focused on teaching a variety of coping skills. As kids try each one, they rate how effective they were.

16. Build Something

Use blocks, Legos, or any other tool to build something. Kids and teens can create freely, or build something based on how they are feeling.

17. Read Positive Affirmations

Reading positive affirmations can build confidence while also creating a sense of calm. Use this free positive affirmations activity to read through a list of self-talk statements and write out favorites to read.

18. Spend Time Outside

Being outside is a natural stress reliever that can be used whenever the weather allows. A walk outside can serve as a way to exercise and practice mindfulness at the same time. Look around and notice what you see and hear as you walk.

19. Make Printable Crafts

It can be calming to the central nervous system to color, cut, and put something together. Printable crafts can serve as a calm down strategy while also teaching about coping skills themselves. One of my favorite crafts is this Coping Strategies Wheel because it is a tool kids and teens can use later on as well.

20. Use a Fidget

Fidgets are tools that can help calm the body and mind. While they are fun, it’s important to first teach that these are not toys when we use them to get calm – instead, they are tools. Some favorites includes putty, kinetic sand, liquid timers, and stress balls.

21. Create a Coping Strategies Notebook

Put together individualized notebooks with this free coping strategies notebook activity. Just list in favorite coping skills, write step-by-step directions, and add a picture. This is a tool kids and teens can come back to again and again.

22. Write an Accomplishment List

Instead of focusing on all the things you have to do, try writing an “accomplishment list.” This is a list of all the things you have accomplished lately.

23. Use Digital Crafts

While printable crafts are a helpful tool, it’s sometimes great to have digital options too. Use this Positive Self-Talk Flower craft to learn about positive self-talk as a coping skill.

24. Use Brainteasers or Riddles

Brainteasers and riddles encourage us to think outside the box and challenge our minds. This can be a healthy brain break to reduce stress and refocus the brain in a positive way.

25. Laugh at Jokes

Laughing helps trigger the release of endorphins in the brain, sending out feel-good vibes and reducing stress. Try watching “try not to laugh” videos together or make up your own joke book.

26. Take Photos

Photography is an engaging hobby, but also a healthy coping skill that people of all ages can try. Use a camera or just a phone to take some interesting pictures of normal objects around you. Just by stopping and thinking about objects around, you are actually practicing mindfulness at the same time.

27. Talk

For some people, talking can be a healthy reset when they are feeling sad or stressed. Talking about topics unrelated to that actual problem can actually be a great way to start because it serves as a quick distraction. Use this free list of 100+ questions to build relationships.

28. Use a Relaxation App

Give calming apps a try! Some favorites include Breathe2Relax, Calm, Personal Zen, and Pacifica.

29. Make a Gratitude List

Gratitude is one of the most powerful tools when you are feeling down. Make a list of what you are thankful for. Change it up by trying to list out something you’re thankful for with every letter of the alphabet. Grab this free set of gratitude activities to give it a try.

I hope this list has been helpful. If you have more of your own favorite coping skills, share them below!

12 Reasons to Teach Executive Functioning Skills Explicitly

December 8, 2020 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

Executive functioning skills are some of the most foundational elements for academic and social success. They are the skills that help us to plan, stay organized, pay attention to important information, use strategies to get us back on track when we veer off course, be flexible when things don’t go our way, and persevere through challenges.

Executive functioning skills aren’t just an extra. They are the critical foundation that allows kids and teens (and yes, even adults) to be successful in the classroom and beyond. With that, they deserve attention.

Can executive functioning skills be taught?

Yes. Executive functioning skills are malleable. This means that we, as educators, can help kids and teens improve these skills over time.

The teen that struggles with bringing the correct materials to class can learn new strategies and techniques to help them be more organized. The student who acts out in aggressive ways when things go to plan can acquire stronger skills for self-control and flexibility. They can learn new coping strategies and improve their ability to problem-solve. The learner that zones out during important classroom instruction can practice strategies to check in with themselves, helping them improve focus over time.

These are just a few examples but they prove one simple point: executive functioning skills can be taught, practiced, and strengthened over time. Already set to get started? Here are some executive functioning resources to make your life easier.

Get started with an interactive executive functioning workbook.

When can executive functioning skills be taught?

As an educator myself, I know that time is valuable and precious in the classroom. Here are some ways to sneak in executive functioning instruction:

Advisory period – Arrange students in small groups that meet on a regular basis. Use this advisory time to work on all sorts of skills, including executive functioning skills.
Morning meeting – Plan time each day for morning meeting. Use this time to perform greetings, check-in about emotions, and teach valuable skills like executive functioning skills.
The 1st 10 minutes of class – If no other time is available, spend the first few minutes of class discussing and teaching EF skills to your learners. This works whether you teach math, science, reading, or anything else.
Academic tutoring support time – For learners who need academic tutoring support, add executive functioning skills instruction into what they are learning.
Health or life skills class – Since executive functioning skills are in fact life skills, it is completely logical to add them into a health or life skills time.

Why should executive functioning skills be taught explicitly?

Executive functioning skills require support, practice, and direct instruction. Here are 12 reasons why these skills should be taught explicitly:

#1 Executive functioning skills are shaped, not innate.

Kids and teens aren’t born with a toolbox filled with executive functioning skills. Instead, they are born with the capacities to improve them over time. While it’s true that some learners acquire these skills early on at home, through interactions with peers, and as part of the hidden curriculum, many learners do not.

These skills deserve time to be shaped and supported in the best ways possible. Quite often, that means explicitly teaching skills like how to organize your binder, study strategies, techniques to persevere through challenges, and how to keep your cool in times of stress.

#2 Executive functioning skills are life skills.

Sometimes when we talk about executive functioning skills, we only think of them through the lens of school when actually these skills are used our entire lives. We use planning and time management to schedule our daily and weekly responsibilities. We use organization and task initiation to keep a tidy space at home. We use self-control, flexibility, and perseverance to handle difficult decisions every day.

Executive functioning skills are not just academic skills, but life skills, and they deserve to be taught.

#3 Executive functioning skills build independence.

As educators, one of the main goals we have for learners is to teach them to be independent. Stronger EF skills can help with just that. These abilities help kids and teens make better choices, manage their time well, plan, and work through challenges. In essence, all of these abilities also help them become independent. Executive functioning skills don’t just help kids and teens in the moment; they empower them to make positive choices for the future.

#4 Executive functioning skills impact social development.

Social skills and executive functioning skills are linked, which provides another reason why EF skills should be targeted and taught. When learners have meaningful conversations with others, they need to use working memory to think about what they want to talk about and attention skills to stay focused. We also use self-control skills on a regular basis to make socially-sound choices. When we strengthen executive functioning skills, we are strengthening social skills too.

#5 Strong executive functioning skills support academic growth.

Think about all the executive functioning skills kids and teens use during the academic day: focusing on instruction (attention), keeping materials orderly (organization), starting work right away (task initiation), knowing what material to study for a quiz (metacognition), working through challenges (perseverance). The list goes on.

Strong executive functioning skills support academic growth. While it’s true that any educator can tell you this from personal experience, the research also supports the link between executive functioning skills and academic success.

#6 Some learners need to learn these skills explicitly.

I’ll be the first to say I’m a huge advocate for integrating executive functioning skills into the curriculum and what you are already teaching. This is efficient and often effective. Not all kids and teens pick up on this type of learning, though. Sometimes, skills need to be taught explicitly.

This means teaching exactly what organization is, what it looks like, when you should engage in the skill, and how to assess yourself as you go. When you think about it, there is actually a lot to learn for every single executive functioning skill! And since some learners will not pick up on all of these skills on their own, they need to be taught.

#7 Executive functioning skills are a component of social emotional learning.

Social emotional learning has gotten a lot of attention lately, and that’s a great thing. It’s worth mentioning, though, that executive functioning skills fit into social emotional learning quite well. That’s because they are skills related to self-management, decision-making, and self-awareness. Teaching executive functioning skills support social emotional learning too.

#8 Executive functioning interventions are critical for struggling learners.

Executive functioning skill instruction is truly helpful for every learner. With that said, struggling learners need these skills are a far greater level. These are the kids who forget their binders, misplace homework, and can’t focus in class. These are the young adults who get frustrated when the schedule doesn’t go the way they thought it would and give up when questions on a test seem too hard.

These are the learners who need executive functioning skills right away. When a learner struggles with executive functioning skills like organization, time management, and planning, we should take it as seriously as when someone struggles with reading or math.

#9 Research shows executive functioning skills are important.

Even though any educator can tell you that executive functioning skills are critical to academic success on their own, it’s worth mentioning that the research supports this too. Strong executive functioning skills can be an early indicator of academic success.

And this just makes sense, right? When learners are better able to manage their time, focus during lessons, and persevere through difficult tasks, they are going to do better academically. Executive functioning skills certainly strengthen all academic skills from reading to math and beyond.

#10 Teaching EF skills proactively can reduce academic challenges later on.

So often when we think of executive functioning instruction, we think of it as an intervention for struggling learners. While it’s true that learners who already struggle with basic executive functioning skills absolutely need this type of support (as mentioned above), sometimes this can miss the bigger picture.

By teaching executive functioning skills proactively, we can reduce academic challenges later on. It essentially gives kids and teens the building blocks they need to be successful from the start.

I’m an advocate for teaching EF skills early on, even in elementary school. Short stories can teach skills like planning, organization, and time management. Games like Jenga and Pictionary can provide practice with self-control, planning, and perseverance.

If you are looking for where to start, I developed executive functioning resources specifically for elementary learners.

#11 Learning skills for executive functioning requires lots of practice.

For kids and teens who lack strong executive functioning skills like planning, organization, and time management, improving them can often be a great deal of work. It’s important to carve out time to focus on teaching them. Kids and teens already have a lot going on with academics from learning new math skills to writing history papers. By dedicating some amount of time to executive functioning skills, it can provide that extra practice for learners who need it the most.

#12 Executive functioning skills teach positive study habits.

Planning for a long-term project, reflecting on progress, and getting organized before an exam – these are all helpful study habits kids and teens can take with them throughout their lives. Simply put, teaching executive functioning skills also teaches study skills and habits.

Are you interesting in starting to teach executive functioning skills? Use some of these articles and resources to get started:

20+ Things All Kids Should Believe About Themselves

November 17, 2020 by pathway2success 2 Comments

So often, as adults, we want kids and teens to behave in certain ways. We want kids to take responsibility for their actions and own up when they make a mistake. We want them to make positive choices from the start. We want them to take risks, learn, and grow. We want them to feel empowered and use their voice to make a positive impact in our communities.

All of these things sound great, but they all start with one thing: mindset. In order to be at their best, kids and teens need to develop a more positive mindset about themselves and what they can accomplish. This is just one small component to social emotional learning as a whole, but it’s a great place to start.

The original idea for this actually started with just a small Instagram post, but I learned quickly how important this topic was to other educators.

View this post on Instagram

What else would you add?

A post shared by Pathway 2 Success (@pathway2success1) on Oct 8, 2020 at 5:29pm PDT

Kids and teens are constantly getting messages from friends, social media, television, and beyond. Unfortunately, those messages are not always the most positive ones.

As an educator, I believe it is part of our responsibility to help shape the minds of kids and young adults for the better. That means helping them develop a more positive voice, use positive self-talk on a regular basis, and improve their confidence.

Since that Instagram post, I have thought about more statements that all kids and teens should believe and added them to a longer list.

There are many different ways you can use these statements to help kids and teens rethink their thinking about themselves. Here are just a few:

List or read one statement each day. Discuss it and ask kids to share their thoughts.
Have kids make their own lists to reread when they need.
Use the topic to introduce positive affirmations.
Cut out slips with the positive statements. Have kids randomly pick one to read aloud.
Have students list out their statements and believes to create a class bulletin board filled with positive thoughts and ideas.

20+ ideas and beliefs all kids and teens should believe about themselves. Kids and teens need a more positive mindset to approach challenges, overcome problems, and reach their goals. Use this article with some fun free posters and activities to help.

Free exclusive printable for Pathway 2 Success members.

If you love this list and are already signed up as a Pathway 2 Success member, head over to the free resource library to grab the printable posters and activity. Head here to learn more about joining – it’s free, provides you with article updates, and gives you access to a complete free resource library for social emotional learning. I would love to have you!

Here are 20+ things all kids and teens (and yes, even adults) should believe about themselves:

I can do difficult things with hard work and perseverance.
I am enough and a work in progress all at the same time.
It’s okay to mess up sometimes, as long as I learn and grow.
I will have touch days sometimes, and I can get past them.
How others treat me is a reflection of them, not how I treat others is a reflection of me.
I can help and be helped.
I should take responsibility for my actions in good times and in tough ones.
Every day I can have a fresh start.
My feelings matter.
I am free to make my own choices.
It’s okay to embrace my emotions, no matter what they are.
I am unique and don’t need to compare myself to anyone to feel happy.
My quirks are wonderful; they make me who I am.
I have the power to make my dreams come true.
Things won’t always go the way I planned, but I will cope and be okay in the end.
It’s okay to cry sometimes.
I can say “no” when I’m uncomfortable with something.
My voice matters.
I am loved.
Taking care of myself is important.
Stepping outside my comfort zone helps me grow.
Even when I know about about something, there is still more to learn.
I am proud of my accomplishments.
I am growing into the best version of me.

What statements would you add? Let me know. I’d love to add to the list!

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