Getting kids to get to tasks is sometimes a difficult road to navigate given their perspectives of “doing” and the consequences or blockages they perceive to be impeding that journey. The art of supporting student work completion through proper scaffolding and supports.
Articles
Promote Student Success During Independent Seatwork
Increasing Time-on-Task and Student Engagement
School-Wide Strategies for Managing… OFF-TASK / INATTENTION
Simple Teacher Techniques For Impulsive & Distractable Students – Diana Browning Wright, M.S.
Six Reasons Why Students Are Unmotivated (and What Teachers Can Do) – Jim Wright
Possible Interventions for the Function of Escape/Avoidance/Delay
Interventions (PBIS) click links below:
- Alternative modes of completing assignments
- Assign a buddy or partner
- Break down assignment
- Break down directions
- Call on student frequently
- Call on student frequently
- Call parent or note home
- Card Flip
- Clear and concise directions
- Clear, consistent, and predictable consequences
- Color coded folders
- Daily planner
- Do unfinished work during recess or unstructured time
- Encourage interaction with a more self confident student
- Engage student
- Explain assignment
- Explain directions
- Frequent home contact
- Give choices
- Have student repeat directions back
- Help student start assignment
- Helping Students With Home Work
- Individual work space
- Logical consequence
- More structured routine
- Move to a new location in the classroom
- Natural consequences
- Non verbal cues
- Organize materials daily
- Praise student frequently
- Praise when good attitude and involvement occur
- Provide a container for the student’s belongings
- Proximity to students
- Reduce assignment
- Rewards, Simple Reward Systems, & Incentives
- Take away privileges
- Talk one on one with student
- Talk to parent
- Teach coping skills
- Teach organizational skills
- Teach relaxation techniques
- Teach social skills
- Touch base with student
- Turn desk around
- Use timer
- Visual schedule
Checklists
Academic Enablers Checklist from Jim Wright at Intervention Central…Great activity to begin with when considering the student’s current skills and gaps to fill with learning readiness.
Check It Out! Using Checklists to Support Student Learning
Checklists for Teachers By: Sandra F. Rief
IEP Goals
With the use of taught self-regulation strategies and self-monitoring checklists, ______ will independently begin a task (including non-preferred tasks) within 2 minutes of direction for an average of 80% of opportunities, across environments.
With the use of taught self-regulation strategies and self-monitoring checklists, once ______ has began an independent task, he will then remain focused on the task for at least 10 minutes, free from adult prompts, for an average of 80% of opportunities, across environments.
When given an assigned task, ____ will independently complete an assignment/task, and ask for assistance, if needed, with 80% accuracy in 5 out of 5 consecutive trials, in a small group setting, as measured by teacher-charted observations.
When given a non-preferred task paired with the use of self-regulation strategies and rewards systems, ______ will begin the task within 1 minute, and complete the appropriately modified version of the task within a predesignated appropriate amount of time (with use of timer) on 8 out of 10 opportunities, as measured by staff data.
Building Momentum in Schools 