Planning and prioritising

In continuing my series on Executive functioning I would like to focus on organisational skills and in particular on ‘Planning and prioritising’, which are essential for success at school and in everyday life.

As students’ progress through school a greater level independence and organisational skills are expected. Planning is required for projects and longer assignments, as students need to work out the steps and tasks involved and they need to allow adequate time for each stage. Prioritising is essential for all subjects in school. When making notes students need to be able to decide which information to write down and which parts to leave out. It is needed in maths when solving word problems so that a student can identify the key facts and decide on the appropriate calculation. In projects and presentations, students also need to be able to prioritise what is important, so that time is used productively on the key aspects of the task and not wasted on non-essential parts. For example: some students get overly caught up in the finding pictures or choosing the font rather than reading a variety of texts to research the topic properly.

Difficulty with planning and prioritising can make it hard to start and complete homework and some tasks can seem overwhelming. It can mean that when assignments are completed, important sections are left out or rushed. This affects the quality of the work and can mean that capable students may under achieve. Students with these difficulties can find it hard to work in a logical sequence and understand the overall outcome or aim of the task.
Planning and prioritising skills can be developed but need considerable practise. Regularly talking through everyday tasks as well more academic tasks and explaining what needs to be done first can be very helpful. When discussing a task that needs to completing, adults can model writing a ‘to do list’. The students should then be involved in deciding which order the different parts should be done in and why. Mind maps can help some students who find sequencing difficult to plan out their ideas effectively. Once all their ideas are noted, they can decide which order to tackle them in. This allows them to work systematically through a task step by step. Sticky notes can also be very helpful as each idea or task can be put a separate note. This allows students to physically move them into a logical order and it gives a sense of achievement as a note can be discarded as each part is completed.  Students themselves can be involved in evaluating their own strategies and should be encouraged to share those that they have found effective with their peers.

For some organisational skills come naturally but for others these skills need to be explicitly taught. For those with poor organisational skills a lot time and energy can be wasted orientating themselves through the day. There can be anxiety about making sure they have the correct equipment. For some finding things in their locker or bedroom can be challenging. Simply not being able to find relevant handouts or guidelines while doing a homework task can lead a student to miss crucial information and under perform. Disorganisation can cause students to be distracted from the task at hand and frustration from losing belongings can waste energy that could be channeled into their studies and learning.

Parents and teachers have a key role in developing good organisational habits early on. This can be done both through modelling and guiding children in specific skills. Students need to be encouraged both at home and at school to keep equipment in specific places and follow routines. Simple habits like always putting equipment away when it is finished with, before starting another task can make a big difference long term. Showing children how to pack their school bag in the same order each day develops a routine which later becomes a habit. This can then be applied to other situations like organising your locker or desk or packing a suitcase. Thinking ahead to the next day and making a list of activities and tasks that need to be done over the week has great benefits. Students should be encouraged to make use of calendars and planners rather than trying to keep everything in their head. Having a sense of order allows students to be fully focused on what they want to achieve academically and personally.