executive functioning

Interventions for Executive Functioning Challenges: Attention

April 15, 2019 by pathway2success 1 Comment

Challenges with focus and attention can become a huge roadblock to learning for kids and young adults. Simply put, attention is critical to learning. If students can’t focus on the lesson, they are going to struggle with understanding the new content. If students can’t focus on the directions, they are not going to know what to do. If learners are unable to switch their focus, they are unable to initiate new tasks. When students have difficulty with attention skills, it can be challenging for the educator, but also extremely frustrating for the learner.

It’s important to note that this article isn’t specifically written for kids with ADHD. That is because many kids (whether diagnosed with ADHD or not) have challenges with focus and attention. As always, it’s more important to focus on the interventions and supports than the label. With that said, if you feel your student or child does have symptoms of ADHD, it’s important to share those concerns with the school team or pediatrician.

What is attention? Attention is a fascinating multi-faceted skill. It is so much more than just being able to stay focused. Attention involves having self-awareness about your level of attention so that you can direct and re-direct your focus, as needed. It is being able to ignore distractions, like a cell phone or friends talking nearby. Even further, attention is being able switch your focus to more important information or a new task, such as when new directions are being given while working.

• Examples of Attention •

It’s important to note that attention is an academic skill, but it is also a life skill. It’s really a prerequisite to be able to learn new information. People need to pay attention while hearing new content, but also when having conversations with others. Here are some examples of what strong attention skills might look like:

Keeping eyes on the teacher and listening while learning about a new skill.
Quickly being able to switch focus from one task to another.
Making eye contact and listening to a peer during a conversation.
Listening and thinking about directions being given by a teacher or boss.
Being able to stop, focus, and listen when important information is being conveyed.

• Possible Signs of Challenges with Attention •

Challenges with attention can have big impacts for students. As previously stated, when learners aren’t able to focus on new material, this makes learning that content that much harder. Similarly, when learners aren’t focused during instructions, they won’t understand how to proceed with an activity. Simply put, attention challenges become a major roadblock to learning.

Possible signs of attention challenges might include:

A student constantly staring out the window or down the hallway instead of watching the teacher during a lesson.
A learner who frequently misses hearing important instructions for tasks and then isn’t sure what to do.
A student who constantly plays with objects (pencils, toys, etc) instead of working on assigned tasks.
A child who is unable to finish assignments due to various distractions.

• Interventions, Supports, and Strategies for Attention •

Here are some strategies, activities, and ideas to help learners with time management challenges in the classroom:

Teach about attention and other EF skills explicitly
Give clear, one-step directions
Teach how to stay organized
Highlight most important directions on assignments
Teach and use classroom call-and response
Use a chime before giving important information
Incorporate movement during lessons and activities
Use visuals as reminders and supports
Reduce distractions around the room (ex: too many posters or a fan nearby)
Use preferential seating (find where the student can focus the best, as this is different for every child)
Incorporate hands-on learning activities
Use a study carrel (you can buy one or build it out of cardboard!)
Add center activities to allow for more movement during tasks
Break longer tasks into smaller, more manageable ones
Provide fidgets (and explicitly teach how to use them as a tool)
Give break breaks between lessons and activities
Teach students how to check in with themselves
Set a timer for work sessions
Consider a white noise machine or playing classical music during work sessions
Assign a study buddy during work sessions
Play attention-boosting games and play activities (like Simon Says)
Use student interests in lessons
Provide extra time to complete assignments

• Strategies for Parents to Support Attention Skills at Home •

It’s important to note that parents and families can also implement strategies to help at home! Here are some strategies parents and families can use at home strengthen skills for attention:

Be clear with directions (and give fewer words)
Allow wind-down time after school
Build in routines and consistency
Develop a “homework space and time” (and stick with it)
Teach self-monitoring
Break longer tasks into smaller, more manageable ones
Keep an organized and tidy work space to reduce distractions
Give check-ins during longer work sessions (“Show me what you accomplished so far.”)
Reduce distractions (television, cell phone, computer)
Model focusing while the child is working (read while they do homework, for example)
Use a white-noise machine
Give breaks after work completion
Incorporate rewards for completing chores or assignments

If you notice that your learners need some extra support with their attention and other executive functioning skills, I have units to target executive functioning skills for middle and high school learners and executive functioning skills for younger learners. Get all your materials in one spot to make teaching these skills a breeze!

This is a blog series focused on interventions to support executive functioning skills. Make sure you read up on interventions for planning and supports for organization!

15+ Ways to Teach Executive Functioning Skills

April 2, 2019 by pathway2success 2 Comments

In many ways, strong executive functioning skills are the foundation for success. These are the mental processes that help learners plan through assignments, organize materials, initiate a task, manage time well, stay focused, try new strategies when stuck, and persevere until the completion of a goal. If you think about it, those skills are important for every single thing we do! They are also integrated into every content and curriculum area that we teach. If we want our students to be better planners, organizers, and flexible thinkers, we need to invest the time in teaching executive functioning skills.

The best part about teaching these skills is that all learners can benefit from improved executive functioning skills. Students can always learn better strategies for planning, organizing, managing time, paying attention, and problem-solving to work through challenges. Of course, it shouldn’t go without saying that some students need these skills more critically than others. Whether you are teaching these skills as an extra support or a necessary intervention, it is always worth the time.

Here are over 15 ways you can teach executive functioning skills:

#1 Teach skills explicitly.

Plan an executive functioning and study skills block to teach skills explicitly. Depending on what time you have available, you can choose to teach these skills for 20 minutes per day or just once a week. As an educator, I know it’s challenging to find more time in the day. Some possibilities that might work include during a lunch group, resource room, morning meeting, advisory periods, or just once a week at the start of your class to start the week off strong. Even though finding the time can be difficult, it is always worth the investment. If you aren’t sure where to start, check out this yearlong executive functioning set of lessons and activities. By learning skills for planning, organization, time management, attention, and more, students will have more strategies necessary to succeed in school and beyond.

#2 Engage in class discussions.

As a group, openly talk about each of the skills and ask questions to get students really thinking. You can always come up with conversation starters on your own. One of my favorite ways to do this, though, is using these Executive Functioning Task Cards. They are already broken up into 10 executive functioning skills. You can just read the card and give time for students to discuss in small groups or as a full class. Some examples of questions might be: “Choose any class. If you had a test in that class, what 3 pages from your notebook would study from? (this focuses on organization)” or “You have a lot of homework and you have practice at 6pm. What can you do?” (this focuses on planning). The whole idea is to get learners thinking and activating their brains for each of the skills. And of course, kids often learn best from each other so discussion is always a great option!

#3 Play board games.

Games are a fun, interactive, and motivating way to practice executive functioning skills. The key is to be purposeful about highlight and teaching the skills as you play. For example, one of my favorite games is Pictionary. By playing, kids can work on a number of skills: They have to plan what they will draw, manage their time as the timer goes down, and be flexible and change their strategy when others aren’t guessing correctly. Read this blog post for more ideas about using games to strengthen executive functioning skills.

#4 Integrate it with curriculum.

Executive functioning skills are in everything we do. It only makes sense to teach and discuss them in everything, too. If you are starting a long-term project, take a little extra time to teach about planning. Help students understand that they should map out exactly what they want to accomplish before they start. During independent work time, discuss strategies for time management and using time well. Before a test or quiz, explain about metacognition and thinking about what you know in order to help learners study what they really need to. The opportunities for integrating EF skills into the curriculum are truly endless.

#5 Read literature and stories.

Literature can be used to discuss and highlight a number of skills. Again, the key is to be purposeful and directed about discussing and teaching those skills. You might ask how a character planned for a certain event, why they used self-control, or how they used perseverance to work through a challenge. There are so many wonderful short stories and picture books that help highlight some of these skills. I’ve also developed an entire set of Executive Functioning Stories that explicitly highlight the skills. Of course, you can highlight many of these skills is almost any story you choose!

#6 Highlight skills throughout the day.

Just like with academic content, students need to hear EF terms and phrases over and over again. One simple way to help kids learn about executive functioning skills is just to talk about them and highlight them on a regular basis. Remind them when they are using self-control to stop and think before answering a question. Encourage a student who organizes their binder during downtime in class. These small reminders can go a long way!

#7 Use an interactive notebook.

Interactive notebooks can be a great tool to teach skills in a fun and hands-on way. I developed a complete executive functioning interactive notebook to teach about all EF skills: everything from planning and organization to self-control and flexibility. If you haven’t used an interactive notebook before, the idea is really simple. Kids follow the directions to cut out items and put them in their notebooks. They have to read passages, answer questions, and complete tasks along the way. Kids learn critical skills in a hands-on way while creating a permanent notebook as evidence of their learning.

#8 Use crafts.

Using crafts can be highly motivating! For many learners, art can be a window into learning skills that are otherwise very challenging for them. One of my favorite crafts is making Executive Functioning Keys. The whole idea is to teach kids about the skills while they put together their own set of “keys to their success”. As you give each student a key to cut out and put on a ring, discuss the skill and explain why it is important. Best of all, learners can keep these keys as a reminder of the skills they’ve learned about.

#9 Watch videos.

There are many free videos for kids and young adults that teach about executive functioning skills. One set of videos called “Adventures of You” highlights EF skills in a very kid-friendly way. These would make for a fun advisory or morning meeting discussion!

#10 Develop and reflect on goals.

Developing goals with students can be extremely beneficial. This activity can be done during morning meeting, an advisory period, or an end-of-the-week reflection time. By creating goals and monitoring the progress on a regular basis, students can start to become more self-reflective. They should think about what worked, why they saw an improvement (or why they didn’t), and what strategies they can implement going forward.

#11 Play activities and other games.

It’s helpful to have a “toolbox” of quick activities for highlighting and practicing EF skills. Simple activities like Freeze, Simon Says, Musical Chairs, and Guard Duty are great when you have just a few minutes left of class and want to use it in a positive way. Head over to this blog post to read more about practicing executive functioning skills with play activities.

#12 Use role play.

Bring up real-life scenarios involving executive functioning skills and have students act out the situation with partners. For example, you might say: You were out sick for two days and you have no idea what the homework was. What might you do? Students act out solving the problem, such as going and asking the teacher, looking up assignments online, calling a friend, or asking a classmate face-to-face. Role-play is one of my favorite techniques because it’s fun for the kids and they will remember the skills they act out!

#13 Give mini-lessons on one skill per week (or month).

If you want to integrate EF skills into the day, plan to teach one skill per week or month. Do whichever works best for you. My favorite order of teaching these skills is: Planning, Organization, Time Management, Task Initiation, Working Memory, Metacognition, Self-Control, Attention, Flexibility, and Perseverance. Start by discussing the skill, explaining what it means and what it looks like, give reasons why it’s important, and strategies to help learners improve the skill. Then, continue to highlight and discuss that skill consistently throughout the week or month. Use this free executive functioning poster to help you discuss each skill.

#14 Use visual cues and reminders.

Use posters or a bulletin board to visually remind learners about the skills. You can even have your students create class visuals with directions on what it means to pay attention, manage your time, and get organized! Refer back to the visuals to discuss and highlight these skills throughout the week. For students in need, you can even give them specialized visuals reminding about specific skills right on their binders or desks.

#15 Use escape rooms.

An escape room activity is a little bit of work to set up, but worth all the effort! I created a few sets of executive functioning escape rooms to target these skills in an interactive way. Students work together in teams to solve puzzles. Each puzzle requires them to learn about and use executive functioning skills. After completing all puzzles, students will get access to a secret phrase to “escape” the room. Try this free executive functioning escape room to get started or read up more about how to build escape rooms in your classroom!

#16 Use brainteasers and brain games.

Start the day with a brainteaser or riddle to get kids thinking! Not only are kids exercising their brains, but these are fun activities that help set a positive tone for the day. One thing I loved doing in my middle school classroom was sharing a riddle and not giving the answer until the end of the day to encourage kids to think on their own and develop perseverance! Brainteasers and brain games can be so much fun.

While all learners can benefit from learning about executive functioning skills, some students are going to need executive functioning interventions and supports a lot more than others. For more information, read up on my blog series about executive functioning interventions and supports.

Interventions for Executive Functioning Challenges: Time Management

February 18, 2019 by pathway2success 1 Comment

Time management skills are essentially life skills. Kids and young adults need this skills now and in the future. All educators and parents want our learners to be able to work independently, use time well, and complete tasks on time. In order to meet these expectations, students need to learn, understand, and continually practice skills for time management.

Kids and young adults can benefit greatly from just learning what time management is and why it matters. The whole idea is that we can work smarter instead of harder, helping us to complete our work more efficiently in a shorter time frame. To kids who struggle with time management, this idea that they can learn tips and tricks to use their time better can actually sound like magic! Best of all, these skills are so broad that they can be integrated into every single thing we do. From every content area to every chore at home, we use time management skills (and they really DO pay off).

What is time management? Time management is having an accurate understanding of time and making decisions to complete tasks in a timely way. As with most other executive functioning skills, time management isn’t just one isolated skill. It includes being able to estimate how long tasks will take, prioritizing, dividing time between tasks, pacing yourself, using time wisely, and working to meet deadlines.

• Examples of Time Management •

Here are some examples of what strong time management skills might look like on the spot:

Prioritizing which homework assignments to start before beginning a list of work.
Someone pacing themselves on a test to make sure they finish in the given time frame.
Writing out a daily schedule to keep track of times and events.
Chunking a project into sections to complete it by a specific deadline.

• Possible Signs of Challenges with Time Management •

It’s important to think of time management as a foundational skill for overall success. Imagine this: A student understands the content in a class well. They start working on a graded project to demonstrate their knowledge. The student is doing a fantastic job – truly their best work! The problem is that they realize the deadline for the project is tomorrow and there is no way they will be finished on time. Does the student turn in a half-completed project? Turn it in late? Rush and complete work that isn’t their best quality? Give up and turn in nothing at all? All of these outcomes demonstrate a clear issue with time management. Simply put, time management skills are a critical element to doing our best work.

Possible signs of time management challenges might include:

A learner spending too long on one problem or section of an assignment.
A student working on an assignment due next week (or not working on anything at all) when they have other work that is due next period.
A student consistently actively working but not finishing assessments or other assignments in a given time period.
A student who appears to always be in a rush at the last minute to finish work.

• Interventions, Supports, and Strategies for Time Management •

As with all executive functioning skills, time management abilities can be strengthened and improved over time. Here are some strategies, activities, and ideas to help learners with time management challenges in the classroom:

Teach time management and other EF skills explicitly
Discuss and practice prioritizing with multiple tasks (one way to do this is make a list of assignments and go back and order them by importance)
Teach how to make checklists for a set of steps or tasks
Practice estimating time for different takes (you can even make it a game! “How long do you think it would take you to clean your room?”)
Use a visual timer to visually show how much time is left for a task or session
Use chimes to warn 5 (or 10) minutes before transitions
Maintain a relatively consistent and predictable daily schedule
Keep the class schedule listed in the same spot every day
Teach, practice, and discuss routines frequently
Have students put their schedules on the front of their binders or desks
Identify and reduce distractors (you can even call them time-eaters!)
Discuss and practice strategies for moving on when stuck (skipping a problem, rereading, asking a friend, etc.)
Practice, model, and teach organization (since it is easier to use our time well when we are orderly and organized)
Practice planning out longer project together with mini-deadlines along the way
Provide work check-ins to students to make sure they are on the right track
Teach how to maximize downtime (ex: if you finish your work early in study hall, look over other work and start something else!)
Teach students how to check-in with themselves (“How am I doing? Am I on track?)
Play time-based games (add a timer to most any game like Pictionary or Scrabble to get kids managing their time!)
Discuss and practice what it means to “pace yourself”

• Strategies for Parents to Support Time Management at Home •

Here are some strategies parents and families can use at home strengthen skills for time management:

Model and practice estimating how long a task might take
Create a home calendar with important events listed
Discuss daily priorities and tasks at a common time (such as breakfast)
Develop a daily schedule with dedicated homework and chore times
Use strategies to stay organized and tidy
Reduce and give limits for social media and television time
Practice making to-do lists together and ordering items by importance
Identify, discuss, and reduce distractions (“time-eaters”)
Establish routines (for morning, after school, and bedtime)
Avoid over-scheduling (kids and young adults need downtime to learn how to use their free time, too!)
Consider digital calendars or apps
Model and discuss thinking ahead (such as putting clothes out for the next day)
Use a timer for working sessions
Use and discuss deadlines for tasks (“Your room needs to be organized by Thursday.”)
Provide rewards and incentives for completing tasks (“When all your homework is done, you can have 30 minutes of video game time.”)

If you notice that your learners need some extra support with their time management and other executive functioning skills, I have units to target executive functioning skills for middle and high school learners and executive functioning skills for younger learners. Get all your materials in one spot to make teaching these skills a breeze!

This is a blog series focused on interventions to support executive functioning skills. Make sure you read up on interventions for planning and supports for organization!

Interventions for Executive Functioning Challenges: Task Initiation

February 4, 2019 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

Strategies and supports for executive functioning challenges can make all the difference, especially for students who struggle with task initiation. This is such an important skill, since it’s like the motor in allowing us to get started on all tasks and assignments. When someone is struggling to initiate, tasks take longer and require more effort. This can be extremely frustrating for both educators and the students themselves. Sometimes, a lack of task initiation skills can be misinterpreted for behavioral problems and defiance. This is because it looks like the child is avoiding what they should be doing, when in reality, the child might not have the skills to get themselves going in a positive way. This can be difficult to discern at first glance and often takes a little bit of investigating. It is helpful to observe the child, talk with them, and even try some of the interventions listed below to see how they help.

The ultimate goal is helping kids and young adults learn strategies to independently get themselves going so they can be successful. Best of all, these are skills that every single person can benefit from, since we could all improve our ability to get started right away on what we need to.

What is task initiation? Task initiation is the ability to start a task. It includes overcoming procrastination and getting started on tasks even if you don’t want to do them. Obviously, this is a critical life skill, since there are many chores and tasks we must complete even when we don’t feel like doing them at the moment.

• Examples of Task Initiation •

Skills for task initiation can be difficult to spot, because it just appears like someone doing what they are “supposed” to do! Just a few examples of what task initiation looks like includes:

Starting an assignment in class right away after directions are given.
Cleaning your room when it needs to be done, without reminders or prompts.
Beginning a tough test or quiz, even if you aren’t 100% confident on the assignment.

• Possible Signs of Challenges with Task Initiation •

Learners who struggle with task initiation are frequently getting in trouble for not doing their work. While at first glance this can appear as intentional avoidance behavior, kids and young adults who struggle with task initiation really lack the skills to get themselves going. Again, this can be extremely frustrating for learners, since they often want to do their work but just don’t know how to start or get themselves in action. Being able to notice possible signs can be helpful to target these students early on.

Possible signs of challenges with task initiation include:

A student putting their head down when it is time to begin work independently.
Someone who finds other things to do when it’s time to work, such as sharpening pencil multiple times or getting a drink.
A student who says, “I don’t know what to do,” even if directions were just given.
A learner who just doodles on their paper instead of completing the task.
A child or young adult who is frustrated when trying to start their work.

• Interventions, Supports, and Strategies for Task Initiation •

Task initiation skills can certainly be improved with practice. Here are some activities, tasks, and ideas to help with task initiation needs in the classroom:

Teach task initiation and other EF skills explicitly
Practice brain breaks between tasks
Give choice for how to complete the task or demonstrate knowledge
Be explicit with directions and provide them orally and in writing
Incorporate areas of interest into the content and curriculum (i.e. the price of skateboards in math)
Train a peer mentor to help the student in need get started on tasks
Practice the rocket ship countdown (Say: 5-4-3-2-1 blast off… on “blast off”, get up and get going!)
Allow the student to work with a partner
Use a timer to countdown time to get to work
Have the student answer the questions before starting: What am I doing? What do I need? How can I start?
Make getting started like a race with a countdown
Pretend a set of assignments is like an escape room
Show a model of expected work prior to starting
Keep a reminder card on the student’s desk – “What should I be doing right now?”
Provide visuals with step-by-step directions for getting started
Identify which content areas are most challenging and reduce the difficulty to give momentum
Develop a work contract that highlights what the student should do during work time
Incorporate incentives and rewards for completing difficult tasks (use this free reward list to get some ideas)
Practice problem-solving skills (i.e. “What could you do if you don’t know the answer to a problem?”)
Take turns writing out sentences or problems to get started together
Set up a clean and organized workspace without clutter
Reduce or eliminate distractions
Allow the student to complete every other problem or choose a certain number of problems

• Strategies for Parents to Support Task Initiation at Home •

Here are some activities parents and families can do to at home strengthen skills for task initiation:

Create a schedule for chores and homework time (and make it a routine)
Exercise or play a sport with your child before work time
Create a daily chore checklist
Use a timer to countdown time to get to work
Work in short bursts and then give breaks
Provide incentives after a set of tasks is completed (use this free reward list to get some ideas)
Practice the rocket ship countdown (Say: 5-4-3-2-1 blast off… on “blast off”, get up and get going!)
Do challenging tasks together (i.e. cleaning a bedroom or starting homework)

If you are looking for ways to help your learners strengthen their executive functioning skills, I have units to target executive functioning skills for middle and high school learners and executive functioning skills for younger learners. Spending a little extra time early on can make a world of a difference!

This is a blog series focused on interventions to support executive functioning skills. Make sure you read up on interventions for planning and supports for organization!

Using Task Cards to Teach Executive Functioning

July 25, 2017 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

Executive functioning skills are in everything that we do. They include our ability to have self-control, develop a plan, manage our time, begin an assignment, remember important information, and persevere through a challenging task. Executive functioning skills are definitely academic skills, but they are also life skills. Kids and young adults need plenty of practice and instruction with executive functioning skills to succeed in their daily lives.

Here are five simple ways you can teach executive functioning skills with kids and young adults using task cards:

1. Set up class centers for each executive functioning skill. Allow small groups to walk around and work at the center until time is up. Then, they can move on to the next executive functioning center. This will help kids and young adults develop an appreciation and understanding for each individual executive functioning skill.

2. Group students up to discuss the task cards. Each group can focus on one particular executive functioning skill. Have the group then share out what they learned about the skill. You can choose whether the groups share their thoughts on paper or just aloud to the class as a whole.

3. Allow students to pick a card and random and discuss in a small group. Let the students run the group discussion. Remember that it’s okay if students have different opinions on each card. Let your students talk it out and provide reasons to back up their opinions.

4. Have students independently read a card and respond in their journal on their own. After writing their response, give students time to discuss the card and share their response with a partner. Give students time to go back and reflect upon their response, including identifying if there is anything new they learned from their partner.

5. Use a card each morning as part of a guided class or small group discussion. This can also be part of a morning meeting. Starting the day with a positive intention can help pave the way for a great day.

To get started teaching executive functioning skills with task cards you can make your own or consider these Executive Functioning Task Cards. They are a set of 160 task cards that focus on all areas of executive functioning skills: planning, time management, working memory, self control, flexibility, organization, task initiation, metacognition, attention, and perseverance. A page explaining each skill is also included to make teaching executive functioning skills simple and easy.

The cards can be helpful for a range of professionals, including regular education teachers, guidance counselors, special education teachers, 504 coordinators, tutors, school psychologists, and mentors. These materials can also be used during advisory for middle and high school students.

You really can start teaching executive functioning skills anytime. The best time to start is now so that kids and young adults can learn to use these skills independently for the future.

Using Task Cards to Teach Executive Functioning

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