Life Skill Programs
As a Speech Language Pathologist working in the field on Executive Functioning, the SMARTS program combined with my own skill set used in hundreds of individual intervention sessions over a number of years, could provide students with more than study skills, but skills that cover learning at a level that helps them understand themselves as leaners.
Students who successfully complete the SMARTS program show increased motivation to learn, stronger effort, and a desire to use executive function strategies in their school work, homework, and studying. Students also develop the self-understanding to know which strategies work best for them as well as why, where, when and how to use these strategies in their academic work.
SMARTS Program implemented with other tools from Speech Pathology experience and training is evidence based and is included at the end of this letter.
- Activities to develop students’ self -understanding—metacognition—to assess what strategies work best for their learning style, as well as the why, where, when, and how to use these strategies
- Students learn executive function strategies for homework, studying for tests, and planning long-term projects, writing assignments, checking their work, and remembering facts, formulas, and important information.
WRITE RIGHT
Strategies for Purposeful Writing
Aim: Students to become more thoughtful, purposeful and effective writers with strategies targeting writing skills with self-checking strategies, effectively organising and cognitive flexibility to improve their writing.
Sorting and Organizing using BOTEC
The BOTEC organizational strategy (Brainstorming, Organizing, Topic Sentences, Evidence, Conclusion) helps students to brainstorm, organize and outline their writing before they begin.
Bottom-up vs. Top-down Thinkers
Teach students to shift between organizing ideas using a detail-oriented, bottom-up approach and using a big-picture, top-down approach. Help them determine which approach suits them best!
Shifting Perspectives in Writing
Students consider the importance of a flexible approach to writing that addresses multiple audiences. Students learn to adapt their tone, writing structure, and approach depending on that audience.
I-SEE a Strategy
Students learn to identify which strategies are individualized, systematic, efficient, and effective (I-SEE). Then, they examine their own strategies, refining them to ensure they fit the I-SEE model.
READ TO SUCCEED
Reading Comprehension Strategies
Aim: Successful reading comprehension asks students to identify the big picture and the supporting details as well as to analyze a text from multiple perspectives. With this strategy set, you can help your students to actively read for meaning and with a purpose.
Being Flexible and Shifting Expectations
Help students to understand that words possess varied meanings depending on their context.
Skim and Scoop
Provide students with a strategy to extract critical information from each paragraph. Help them to see critical trends and patterns in the texts they read.
Purposeful Highlighting
Teach students strategies to help them understand the importance of organized note-taking and to determine the difference between relevant and irrelevant information.
What is Cognitive Flexibility?
Promote a flexible approach to learning and problem solving.
TAKING NOTES
Successful Note-Taking
Aim: students to become more effective note-takers in every subject area.Teach strategies for re-organising binders and notebooks and continue with strategies for systematic note-taking from a text or a lesson.
The 4 C’s
Help students learn to re-organize their binders and so they can find their notes quickly and easily as needed.
Using the Triple-Note-Tote
Teach students this systematic 3-column note-taking strategy so they can focus on and remember key concepts and relevant details, while ignoring less relevant information.
Note-taking from a Lesson
Teach students strategies to help them understand the importance of organized note-taking and to determine the difference between relevant and irrelevant information.
What is Metacognition?
Help students develop an awareness of their unique strengths and challenges as learners.
REMEMBER THIS!
Improving Working Memory
Students’ use of strategies through visual, verbal, or written associations with information they need to remember. With practice, this will improve their recall over time and reduce the working memory demands of challenging tasks.
Why is Memory Important?
Help students to understand the difference between working memory, long-term memory and short term memory so that they can recognize the purpose of memory strategies when they study.
Cartoons and Associations
Provide students with the strategies they need to remember information by making visual, verbal, or written associations.
Crazy Phrases and Stories
Teach students how to create silly sentences or stories to help them remember information.
What is Cognitive Flexibility?
Promote a flexible approach to learning and problem solving.
TIME TO MANAGE TIME
Planning time is critically important for helping students to accomplish their goals. Organising and prioritising are the cornerstones of executive function because students must meet deadlines and organize tasks in order to create the best school-life balance.
CANDO Goals
Teach students to set (and achieve!) personal goals that are Clear, Appropriate, Numerical, Doable and with Obstacles considered.
Monthly Planning
Help students to create definable goals and objectives to keep themselves motivated and on-track over the course of a long-term project or an extended time-period.
Weekly Planning
Help students learn how to break down upcoming assignments across multiple classes into manageable periods of production time.
What is Executive Function?
Teach students the important role that executive function plays in their day to day lives.
