Why aren't checklists helping my students be more organized? скачать в хорошем качестве

Why aren't checklists helping my students be more organized?

Checklists aren't a strategy designed to teach executive functioning. They're a tool we use when we have intact executive functioning and we've already engaged in a significant amount of internal planning. This is why so many students struggle to turn in assignments, keep up in class, follow through with tasks (without arguing), and manage their belongings, or appear unmotivated. At this point, you may be thinking: “But wait! I use checklists all the time and I love them!” The reason that many people are able to use tools like visual effectively is because they’ve learned how to use them effectively. The reason checklists work for you is because you've already developed the skills needed to use them effectively. To successfully use tools like calendars, planners, or lists, students must engage in a series of mental steps like: 1. Recognize the Need: Thinking, "Hmm, I'm not going to remember all this information. I'd better write it down." 2. Visualize the Future: Identifying what information needs to be captured and in what format. 3. Recall and Adapt: Remembering that they created a list, retrieving it at the right time, and adjusting it as plans change. The problem is that when adults make the list for a student (or even when students copy a list someone else has made), they're bypassing those critical internal steps. Instead of helping the student learn to think ahead and organize information independently, the adult is acting as the student’s executive functioning system. As a result, the student hasn’t built the mental habits they need to manage tasks effectively on their own. In this video, I explain more about the internal skills students need when making a list or using other "organizing" strategies—and why simply giving students a checklist (or having them copy one) often doesn’t lead to improved planning skills. For more information about how school teams can support students' executive functioning, visit my website at drkarendudekbrannan.com.