Self-Monitoring Strategies for Kids and Teens

Self-monitoring is an evidence-based strategy that can help kids and teens manage their behaviors, improve attention, and ultimately learn to meet their goals. The idea of self-monitoring is pretty simple; by paying attention to what we’re doing in the moment, we can learn to re-align our current actions with our goal. For all of us, kids and adults alike, learning to self-monitor is a foundational key to success.

What is self-monitoring?

Self-monitoring is the process of pausing to check with yourself to make sure you are on track to meet your goals. Strong self-monitoring skills help us stay focused by aiming our efforts in the right direction.

When we don’t self-monitor, we can easily lose sight of what we’re doing and get off track. For this reason, self-monitoring is an incredibly important executive functioning skill and life skill we all need.

What does self-monitoring look like?

Self-monitoring is a universal skill we use in all facets of life. We use it to monitor our attention and make sure we’re focused as someone is sharing a story. We use also use it to finish assignments without getting distracted so we can meet deadlines. While this is a critically important life skill, it’s also an essential academic skill for kids and teens in the classroom. Some examples of what self-monitoring might look like in school include:

• A student who notices they didn’t understand anything of what they just read. They go back a few pages to re-read so they can understand.
• A learner who starts to distracted when a friend talks to them, but remembers their goal and heads back to focus on their assignment.
• A student who follows a checklist to make sure they complete their classroom assignment the right way.
• A teen who checks the time in the hallway to make sure they have enough time to stop at their locker before class.
• A child who checks their work one more time before turning it in to make sure they have followed all instructions.

Can self-monitoring be learned?

Self-monitoring, just like any skill, is an ability that can be learned and strengthened with practice. We all know from experience that it’s not always easy to stick with your goal. We all get off track sometimes. This is especially true for activities and responsibilities that may not be our favorite things. The good news is that self-monitoring is a practice that can be improved over time. We can help kids and teens strengthen their self-monitoring muscles. Over time, these strategies can help kids make better choices, become more independent, and even feel their best.

Below are several strategies, supports, and ideas for building self-monitoring skills for kids and young adults:

Build An Inner Thinking Voice

Self-monitoring is built on metacognition, or thinking about our own thinking. Help kids and teens build their inner thinking voice by holding strategy discussions before, during, and after classroom activities and tasks.

After completing a class assignment, you might hold a classroom conversation to discuss:

• What was the goal you were working to achieve on this assignment?
• What strategies did you use to help you accomplish your goal?
• What was difficult for you? What strategies did you use to overcome those challenges?
• Were there any times when you struggled? How did you notice that you were struggling?
• How did you know that you were ultimately finished? How did you know this was your best work?

As an example, after a math group activity, students might discuss that it was difficult to stay focused once the activity got more challenging. During reading time, another learner might talk about how they get off track when they get bored of their book. This provides an opportunity to share strategies about how to notice these challenges in the moment (self-monitoring) and come up with strategies to work through them.

These strategy discussions help students build their inner thinking voice before, during, and after learning. Reflection questions can even be discussed at the end of the day to summarize what you’ve learned.

Infuse extra metacognition practice into your day with executive functioning discussion cards. Add the cards to a ring and discuss one whenever you have a few moments between activities. These are an excellent way to get kids thinking about their thinking.

Write Out Your Goal

The first step in learning to self-monitoring is being able to identify a goal. To practice this with kids and teens, have them use an index card or sticky note to write out exactly what they plan to accomplish during a working session. In simple terms, what are you working on right now?

For example, in study hall, a student might write: I am reading chapter 11 of the novel from English class. Now, this goal written out serves as a reminder for what the student should be doing. Writing out our goals also helps kids and teens build ownership for their behaviors from the start.

Pause, Breathe, Notice

An important part of self-monitoring is learning to pause for a moment. This can be challenging, especially living in such a fast-paced world. Practice with kids and teens by spending time doing some simple deep breathing routines. Start by sitting in a comfortable position. Slowly breathe in and slowly breathe out. As you breathe, encourage kids to notice how the breath feels and pay attention to it. You can even count the breaths in your head as you breathe. Then, take time to notice what you’re doing and how you’re feeling.

This breathwork exercise acts as a technique to help pause in the moment, which is the framework to checking in with how you are doing in the moment. It’s also worth adding that mindful breathing is an evidence-based strategy to help kids and teens so many other skills like self-regulation, managing emotions, and focus in general. It is worthwhile to teach to kids and teens of all ages. Consider adding mindful breathing exercises into your day and week to practice these strategies on a regular basis.

Check In With Yourself

When we self-monitor, we have to pause and think about our own thinking (metacognition). Encourage kids and teens to start by pausing during work sessions and asking themselves some of the questions:

• What am I working on? What is my goal?
• What should I be doing right now?
• How am I doing? Am I on track?
• Which strategies are working? Which strategies aren’t working?
• What can I do to improve?

You can help guide check ins by pausing during working sessions. For example, you might pause 15 minutes into a test and remind students to “check in” on their own progress. During working sessions, plan to pause halfway through. Add a chime to make the interruption less distracting. At that time, just encourage kids to check in and ask themselves the questions above to make sure they are on track.

By stopping and thinking these questions, students are turning their focus inwards, checking in on their progress, and reminding themselves of their initial goal. At the same time, this process encourages kids and teens to assess and change their approaches, if needed.

Use Self-Talk

Self-talk phrases are the words we say to ourselves. Positive self-talk can be encouraging and supportive. In general, practicing positive self-talk can help kids and teens build confidence, manage tough emotions, and work through challenges. When it comes to self-monitoring, positive self-talk can also help us get and stay on track.

To give this a try, practice reading some of the positive self-talk phrases:

• “I am working on my goal.”
• “I can stick with it.”
• “This might be challenging, but I can do it.”
• “I can pause, breathe, and get back to my goal.”
• “I can do this.”
• “I can keep myself on track.”

Encourage kids and teens to use positive self-talk to encourage themselves along the way.

Use Visuals

Visuals can serve as important self-monitoring tools to help kids and teens stay on track. Choose visuals and phrases that may act as a reminder to check in and stay on track. Here are some examples for the classroom:

• A picture of a student reading her book with the phrase: “I’m staying focused reading during reading time.” A list of focus strategies can also be added for extra support. The student places this on her desk during reading to help her stay on task.
• A visual of a turtle with the phrase: “I am working at my just right pace.” The student has the visual posted on his desk to encourage him not too rush through assignments too quickly.
• A visual with a list of positive expected behaviors for a child during reading instruction time. The student keeps the visual on their reading folder to help them monitor their choices during the reading block.
• A poster visual in the doorway with a checklist of what items students should bring with them. Kids and teens can review this as they walk into the room.

Write Checklists

Creating a checklist for a multi-step activity helps serve as a visual reminder for the goal. You can design a checklist for any activity where a student is struggling, such as a few of the examples below:

• End of the Day Checklist – Imagine a teen who struggles getting their materials organized at the end of the day. They might put together an end of the day checklist with each of their responsibilities in the last minutes of school. With practice, we can teach that student to use the checklist as a self-monitoring tool.
• Work Completion Checklist – For a student who struggles completing work in class, you might create a checklist together involving steps for writing your name on the paper, beginning the assignment, finishing the assignment, checking it one last time, and lastly turning it in. In practice, the student can complete the checklist along their work to keep them on track for success.
• Morning Routine Checklist – If a student is having a difficult time coming in and getting started in the morning, a morning routine checklist can help. The list might need steps for putting backpack away, taking chair down, reading the morning message, and getting started on morning work.

Checklists can be a great option; they are easily customizable based on the individual needs of the child and they build independence. Once students understand the process, encourage them to create their own checklists for whatever they need in the moment.

Build Executive Functioning Skills

While building self-monitoring skills, it’s also important to consider strengthening other executive functioning skills to provide an extra layer of support. Here are some simple ways we use executive functioning skills while monitoring ourselves:

• Metacognition – Metacognition is thinking about our own thinking. Self-monitoring is built on metacognition skills; this is the ability that helps kids pause to think about how they’re doing and what they need to succeed.
• Planning – Planning is thinking through a situation and coming up with an approach before starting. Students use planning skills to think about what strategies they can use to keep doing their best in a situation.
• Flexibility – Flexibility is being able to go with the flow and adapt to new situations. As kids and teens self-monitor, they need to be able to consider new approaches and try different strategies.
• Self-Control – Self-control is the ability to stop and think before making a choice. With so many distractions out there, kids and teens benefit from learning self-control strategies to help them stay aligned to their goals along the way.

Learn more about executive functioning activities for elementary learners or executive functioning for middle and high school kids.

Keep a Tally Chart

A tally chart helps kids and teens keep track of their own target behaviors. For example, if a student wants to stay focused completing problems on a math worksheet, they might add a tally mark for each problem they solve.

Set a Timer

Use the power of a timer to encourage complete focus and stay on track for a period of time. Choose a goal, set the timer, and go! To practice together, try setting a timer for 10 minutes during a classroom activity like independent journal writing time. Remind students that while the timer is going, they should do their best to stick with their writing. Encourage kids to use strategies like self-talk to help them monitor themselves and stay on track.

Students can then use a timer to self-monitor their progress on their own. Start with shorter time periods and work up as you go.

Review Before You’re Through

Reviewing work is a self-monitoring strategy that helps us make sure we are following instructions and putting our best work forward. Before kids and teens turn assignments in, they can learn to review the assignment and re-do any problems to make sure they are correct. Make this practice a habit for the students in your classroom.

Use a Point Sheet

A point sheet identifies the students goals and rates them on a scale. For example, a student who struggles with completing classwork might have a point sheet stating: I will complete my class assignments. The point sheet should be broken up into manageable time blocks. At the end of the time session or class, the student would rate themselves. They might have to circle yes for completing their class assignments, or no if they didn’t.

A point sheet helps students self-monitor because they are giving themselves immediate feedback on their choices. A student might struggle to complete their class assignments during the first part of math, but once they think about that, it provides them a new chance to make different choices during the second half.

Take Brain-Boosting Breaks

In order to be most effective in monitoring yourself, you need to keep your brain fresh and focused. Take strategic breaks to help you do and feel your best. These also serve as a natural time to pause and check in with yourself. Some break ideas include:

• Practice mindful breathing. Focus on your breath as you inhale and exhale.
• Stretch, jog in place, or choose any exercise of your choice.
• Draw or color for a few minutes. Use these free focus coloring pages to give it a try.
• Listen to music.
• Recite positive affirmations.
• Listen to a story.

Reflective Journaling

After completing an activity, it can pay off to spend time journaling about the experience. Reflecting is the process of reviewing something after the fact. It involves thinking deeply about what happened, what went well, and what could be improved.

Questions to consider include:

• What was your goal?
• What went well? Which strategies helped you the most?
• What didn’t go so well? Which strategies didn’t work out?
• How did you self-monitor and keep yourself on track?
• What is something you could do differently in the future?

After completing a project or assignment in class, give students 10 minutes or so to reflect in a journal using the questions above. For instance, students might reflect about completing a group lab project in science class. One student might notice that they got off track when a friend from another group came over and started talking to them. They might think about how stronger self-advocacy skills might help in order to tell that friend that they are working at the moment. Another student might consider how they did their best using self-talk to keep them focused and on track.

Taking time to reflect helps kids and teens build their self-monitoring muscles and encourages improvement in the future.

Build Other Skills to Strengthen Self-Monitoring

Self-monitoring is a skill built on many other skills. In order to self-monitor most effectively, it’s important to understand how you’re doing (self-awareness) and be open to changes to make improvements (flexibility). These are just a few examples. As you build self-monitoring skills with kids and teens, it also helps to work on the skills below:

• Self-awareness – Self-awareness is having an accurate view of yourself and your needs. In order to self-monitor, kids need to have an accurate idea of how they’re doing in the moment. Use strategies to boost self-awareness for kids and teens like writing in a journal and talking about emotions.
• Executive functioning skills – Executive functioning skills are the brain-based abilities we use to plan, start, and work through tasks to reach our goals. They include abilities like planning, organization, self-control, attention, flexibility, and perseverance. Building executive functioning skills works right alongside with building self-monitoring skills.
• Self-advocacy – Self-advocacy is the ability to speak up and problem-solve to get your needs met. As students learn to self-monitor their behaviors, they also need strategies for speaking up to get their needs met on the spot. Learn more about building self-advocacy with a simple 5-step process.
• Growth mindset – Having a growth mindset means adopting the idea that you can grow and build your skills over time. If we want students to improve their strategies, they have to first know they can.
• Attention – Attention is putting a spotlight on what we want to in the moment. In order to effectively monitor ourselves, we need to put the spotlight on our actions. Teach about the importance of attention and practice attention-boosting strategies like getting organized, reducing distractions, and taking planned breaks.
• Mindfulness – Mindfulness is our ability to pause and focus on the present moment. Instead of thinking about the past or worrying about the future, mindfulness helps kids be present in the right now. This is an essential component to learning how to pause and check in with ourselves as we self-monitor.