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Getting started on assignments in school and
at home requires students to engage their attentional abilities.
Students must be alert to the task at hand, possibly shifting
focus to a new activity, and have the mental effort necessary
to initiate the task. Students who are able to preview, or think
about the outcomes of a task before beginning, are helped in many
ways. They can have an idea of what a report will be like once
a topic is selected, what materials will be necessary to do an
assignment, etc.
In addition, students who have a strong sense
of ‘step-wisdom’, knowing how tasks or activities
can be broken down into a series of steps, will be able to determine
the first step needed to get started on an assignment.
Here are some strategies to help students improve
their ability to get started on classroom or homework assignments.
Getting Started
- Help students get started on assignments
by encouraging them to preview (think about ahead of time) what
the completed assignment will look like, or what they will do
in the assignment. For example, have students use prediction
charts when reading to organize their predictions and maintain
them for later reflection. Prompt students to preview elements
of the text to gain information before reading, e.g., the title,
pictures, etc.
- Provide jump-starts for students to help
them begin homework or classroom assignments. For example, provide
the first sentence of a paragraph they are to write, start the
first few math problems, read the first paragraph of the story/passage
they are to read, etc.
- Encourage students to start a homework session
or study period by planning what will be accomplished during
the session. If necessary, help students develop objectives
that are clear, specific, and measurable (e.g., how long they
will work, how long the report will be, how many problems they
will do, etc.).
- Encourage students to include reviewing as
a regular part of their study or homework routine. For example,
suggest that they start a homework or study session with a quick
review of the last assignment in class, or recently covered
material related to the same topic. This sort of reviewing can
be brief, taking only 10-15 minutes, and can be thought of as
a kind of "warm-up" to get students started on the
task at hand.
Teacher Techniques
- Have students practice solving problems in
which estimation, prediction, and outcome comparison are necessary
steps. Vary the subject matter and nature of the problems. For
example, in writing, use story starter activities, as well as
collaborative writings where each student contributes a segment.
In social studies, have students make predictions about historical
events before learning the actual outcomes.
- Use affinity areas, or topics/activities
of high interest to students to enhance the likelihood that
they will initiate and sustain work on an assignment.
- Assess students’ attitudes about assigned
activities. Be sure that students feel that their abilities
match the demands of the work they have been given. For example,
be aware that fears of doing a less-than-perfect job might be
interfering with students’ willingness to start assignments
on their own.
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