Executive Functioning Activity Guide

This guide is designed to engage students in interactive exercises that help them build key executive functioning skills, including planning, organization, and time management. These activities are meant to be fun, collaborative, and thought-provoking, allowing students to connect these skills to their daily academic experiences.

Activity 1: Plan & Organize Your Day

Instructions:

1. Brainstorm: Begin by having students list all of the tasks they need to complete in a day (e.g., schoolwork, homework, chores, leisure).
2. Prioritize: Ask students to organize these tasks in order of importance. Discuss why some tasks might be considered higher priority.
3. Time Block: On a weekly planner (provided in the Time Management Worksheet), let students allocate time slots for each task.

Reflection Questions:

• What challenges did you face when arranging your tasks?
• How did you decide which tasks came first?
• What changes would you make to your daily plan if you had extra time?

Activity 2: Role-Play Time Management

Instructions:

1. Scenario Setup: Present a classroom scenario where students must juggle multiple tasks (e.g., finishing a class assignment while planning for a project presentation).
2. Role-Play: Divide the class into small groups. Each group will role-play the scenario, discussing strategies to manage their time effectively while addressing unexpected interruptions.
3. Discussion: After the role-play, discuss the various strategies used by each group. Emphasize techniques such as prioritization, delegation, and concentrated work periods.

Follow-Up Questions:

• Which strategy seemed the most effective during the role-play?
• How can you incorporate these effective strategies into your real-life tasks?
• What did you learn about time management after watching your peers?

Activity 3: DIY Executive Functioning Checklist

Instructions:

1. Create a Checklist: Students will create a personal executive functioning checklist to help them organize their daily school tasks. This checklist should include steps for planning (what needs to be done), execution (how to do it), and reflection (how well it was done).
2. Customization: Encourage students to add at least one personal tip or motivational quote to their checklist for extra inspiration.
3. Share & Reflect: Invite a few students to share their checklists with the class and discuss how they can use this tool to improve their work completion skills.

Reflection Questions:

• Why is having a checklist helpful for managing your tasks?
• What additional items or steps do you think are important to include in your checklist?
• How can this checklist support your academic success over time?

Time Management Worksheet

This worksheet is designed to help you plan and manage your time effectively throughout the week. Use the space provided to write down your tasks and schedule for each day, and then reflect on how you organized your time.

Weekly Planner

Monday

• List your tasks for Monday:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Plan your schedule (include time blocks for each task):
  
  
  
  
  
  

Tuesday

• List your tasks for Tuesday:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Plan your schedule (include time blocks for each task):
  
  
  
  
  
  

Wednesday

• List your tasks for Wednesday:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Plan your schedule (include time blocks for each task):
  
  
  
  
  
  

Thursday

• List your tasks for Thursday:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Plan your schedule (include time blocks for each task):
  
  
  
  
  
  

Friday

• List your tasks for Friday:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Plan your schedule (include time blocks for each task):
  
  
  
  
  
  

Weekend (Optional)

• List any additional tasks or activities for the weekend:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Plan your schedule (include time blocks for each task):
  
  
  
  
  
  

Reflection

After planning your week, take a moment to reflect on your time management for the week:

• What worked well in your planning?
  
  
  
• What challenges did you face?
  
  
  
• How could you improve your schedule next week?
  
  
  

Remember, effective time management is a skill that improves with practice, so use this worksheet regularly to refine your planning and organization strategies.

Reading on Planning and Organization

In this reading, we will explore the importance of effective planning and organization in both school and everyday life. When you plan ahead and organize your tasks, you enable yourself to manage time more efficiently, reduce stress, and increase productivity.

The Importance of Planning

Planning helps you break down large tasks into manageable steps. Just like creating a roadmap, a well-designed plan shows you exactly what needs to be done to reach your goal. When you have a plan, you are prepared for your day, can prioritize important tasks, and are less likely to forget something crucial.

Organizing Your Space and Thoughts

Organization is not just about cleaning up your desk—it’s about arranging your thoughts and activities in a logical order. An organized workspace and mind lead to better focus, quicker decision-making, and enhanced creativity. When you organize your tasks, you build confidence in your ability to manage challenges, and you make it easier to track your progress over time.

Real-Life Applications

Consider a day when you have homework, chores, and a special project. Without proper planning, it might feel overwhelming. However, by creating a simple schedule or checklist, you can allocate specific time blocks for each activity, ensuring that nothing is missed and that you have time to relax too. These strategies not only help you in the classroom but also in sports, hobbies, and family time.

Benefits of Effective Planning and Organization

• Reduced stress and anxiety.
  
• Better time management skills.
  
• Increased productivity and success in school work.
  
• Improved ability to juggle multiple responsibilities.
  
  
  

Take a moment to reflect on your current planning and organizational methods. What small changes could you make to better manage your time? How might these changes help you achieve your personal and academic goals?

By integrating planning and organization into your daily routine, you can transform how you manage tasks and challenges, paving the way for success both in school and beyond.

Executive Functioning Skills Rubric

This rubric is designed to assess students' understanding and application of executive functioning skills with a focus on planning, organization, and time management. Use this rubric to evaluate how effectively students apply these skills during activities, readings, and worksheets.

Scoring Scale

• 4 - Exemplary: Demonstrates superior mastery and application of the skill; work is highly organized, thorough, and insightful.
  
  
  
• 3 - Proficient: Effectively demonstrates the skill with only minor errors or lapses; work is well-organized and shows clear understanding.
  
  
  
• 2 - Developing: Shows some understanding of the skill but with noticeable gaps or inconsistencies in application; organization and planning are partially evident.
  
  
  
• 1 - Beginning: Minimal demonstration of the skill; work is poorly organized, reflecting a need for additional support and practice.

Criteria

1. Planning

• Exemplary (4):

  • Clearly identifies and organizes tasks with detailed step-by-step plans.
    
  • Demonstrates foresight in anticipating potential challenges and proposes effective solutions.
    
  • Incorporates specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.

• Proficient (3):

  • Lists tasks in a logical sequence and outlines a workable plan.
    
  • Identifies most challenges and similarities, though may miss some details.
    
  • Goals are clear but may lack full SMART criteria components.

• Developing (2):

  • Provides a basic list of tasks with minimal organization.
    
  • Shows limited anticipation of challenges or lacks a detailed plan to address them.

• Beginning (1):

  • Provides an incomplete or unstructured list of tasks.
    
  • Lacks evidence of planning or goal-setting.

2. Organization

• Exemplary (4):

  • Work is neatly presented, with all tasks and materials logically arranged.
    
  • Uses effective tools (e.g., planners, checklists) to enhance clarity and productivity.

• Proficient (3):

  • Work is mostly organized with minor lapses in clarity or arrangement.
    
  • Uses organizational tools, though some aspects may be underdeveloped.

• Developing (2):

  • Work is somewhat cluttered; tasks or materials may not follow a logical sequence.
    
  • Limited use of organizational tools.

• Beginning (1):

  • Work is disorganized and difficult to follow.
    
  • Little to no evidence of using organizational strategies or tools.

3. Time Management

• Exemplary (4):

  • Consistently uses time-blocking strategies to complete tasks within allocated time.
    
  • Demonstrates effective prioritization of tasks and meets all deadlines.
    
  • Reflects thoughtfully on time management practices to improve future performance.

• Proficient (3):

  • Generally manages time well with minor delays or adjustments required during tasks.
    
  • Prioritizes tasks effectively, though some deadlines may be narrowly met.

• Developing (2):

  • Struggles with consistent time management; may frequently run over time or rush tasks.
    
  • Prioritization is inconsistent, impacting task completion.

• Beginning (1):

  • Demonstrates poor time management with significant delays and missed deadlines.
    
  • Lacks prioritization; tasks are often incomplete or poorly executed.

4. Reflection and Self-Assessment

• Exemplary (4):

  • Provides insightful reflections that clearly connect planning, organization, and time management to overall task success.
    
  • Identifies specific strengths and areas for growth with actionable steps for improvement.

• Proficient (3):

  • Reflects on the process and outcomes; the reflection shows an understanding of key concepts.
    
  • Identifies strengths and some areas for improvement, though feedback may lack depth.

• Developing (2):

  • Provides a basic reflection that identifies general areas of success and improvement without detailed analysis.

• Beginning (1):

  • Offers minimal or superficial reflection; lacks insight into the application of executive functioning skills.

This rubric can be used during the second session after completing the lesson and related activities. It helps in providing structured feedback and guiding further development of executive functioning skills.