Planning, Backed by Science
By Matt Strickland
For most high school and college students, planning is either something new, something we heard about from a teacher, or something our Illuminos Coach is nagging us to do. The most common statements I hear from students when we breach the subject of planning are:
Why do I have to do this? I know my schedule in my head.
I don’t have time to sit down and plan; I would rather just do the work.
Oh yeah… I was given an agenda book by my [insert institution, parent, mentor, teacher].
Let’s start with some basic science. Students don’t have a plan in their heads. This reality dates back many decades and has robust empirical support behind it. Based on an article published by George A. Miller back in 1956, he described the human brain as having an information bottleneck, which he called channel capacity. The channel capacity is the upper limit on the extent to which the observer can match their responses to the stimuli we give them (Miller 1956).
The stimuli our students have, especially today, are enormous. I have trouble learning about a student’s schedule from mom or dad because they sometimes don’t know what’s on their student’s schedule. School portals are often inaccurate because teachers vary widely in how often they update the portals. Miller’s data revealed that, on average, people can only handle a certain amount of input that produces the desired output. Our capacity to handle pieces of information flatlines at about seven, plus or minus two (Miller 1956). This channel capacity is what directly affects our ability to make decisions, especially well-educated decisions.
How does this relate to planning? Our ability to make a well-educated decision is directly correlated to the result(s) we obtain. The more information we have, the more likely we’ll make the right choice. At Illuminos, we want our students to start to know not only the material that’s on the chemistry test this Thursday but also know how to talk to their math teacher about receiving some special attention after class that may offer a leg-up on the next quiz. Just these two pieces of school-related information alone can overload a developing mind. Imagine adding a learning disadvantage on top of that. How easy is it to really have a full understanding of what needs to get done during the week at school and balance practices, performances, and hanging out with friends? This is where planning comes into play.
I use the phrase, “clear your mind so you can use your brain” when I start to work with students on planning. The first step is to reduce the traffic at the brain’s information bottleneck. By dumping the information out of our heads and onto the planner, we make room for the other items and tasks that were buried under traffic. Once the traffic is cleared, we can look at all the information on the page and start making well-educated decisions. We can start to plan our day. When do I like to study? When do I want to hang out with my friends? What time do I need to be at practice after school? What do I need to do once I’m done with practice? If the answer is “I don’t know” to any of these questions, we can look at our planner page where we wrote everything down. Then we can insert our obligations for the day, the extra tasks we need to do, and the fun we want to have.
The fundamental science of planning is not new, but planning is new to some of our students. Learning to work with each student’s unique schedule is our specialty. Teaching students to plan is simple; getting students to sit down and plan on their own time is the difficult part. It’s not until then that the desired results start to show up. That’s when our students start picking up on the value of planning. Let your students grow and encourage them to clear their minds so they can use their brains.
At Illuminos, we provide the customized scaffolding your child needs while he or she learns to master organization, time management, note-taking, study and test-taking skills, self-advocacy, verbal and non-verbal communication, and social skills. To learn more about executive function and how it can help your child, please read our other resources or schedule time to talk with us.
Work Cited:
Miller, G. A. (1956). The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychological Review, 63(2), 81.
It's OK to Allow Room for Failure
Written by: Coach Alison Lake
As parents, we don't want to see our children struggle or fail in school. We do our best to protect them and provide all the support we can. It's a natural instinct to step in and help. Many of us sat up late helping with a last-minute term paper emergency because our child didn't start early enough or felt stuck.
But this approach can prevent growth. There's a fine line between providing parental guidance, which children truly need while growing up, and overprotective parenting. It's important for children to work independently, learn from their mistakes, and experience any consequences. These are important skills they will use in school and later in life.
What does this mean academically?
Long-Term Projects
Let's take long-term, multi-step assignments--the research project, the term paper, the science fair. It can be daunting to start a complicated task and see it through to the end. Students often don't know where to start, or feel overwhelmed by the magnitude. It might be tempting to dive in and work on the project together.
Put in some time at the beginning to map out a plan. Encourage your child to break the project down into steps well ahead of time and estimate how much time each portion will take. They could work on the project 20 minutes every day, for example. They should use a checklist and mark the steps in their daily planner, then review their progress on each step. That way, they are taking responsibility and ownership rather than depending on you to get it done.
Identify the Problem Source
Parents can help by asking questions to uncover the source of the problem. Ask where they feel stuck, if any portion of the assignment is confusing, and how much time they have been spending on it each day. Review their system of organization and how they are keeping track of assignments and items. Daily planner use and a binder divided into subjects and sub-tasks will help them easily see what they need to do that day and what's coming up.
Encourage Reflection
Let's say a student stayed up late working on a paper they left to the last minute. Or they forgot their homework binder one yet again and Mom or Dad didn't bail them out by driving to school to pick it up. Or they didn't listen in class when the teacher shared important details about an upcoming test, and did poorly on that portion of the test.
That's a good time to gently encourage reflection and ask your child what they learned from the experience. How did being late and disorganized make them feel? How was their motivation level? Did other things take priority? How would success look in this circumstance, and what steps would they need to take to get there next time?
Answers to these questions will provide information about where they fell short and help guide your child to a better approach going forward.
Of course, your child doesn't need to struggle alone if there is a chronic problem, such as consistently bad grades or lack of motivation. That is a good time to consider supplemental options such as an executive coach, subject-area tutoring, after-school help, or additional resources.
No one wants to see a child fail. But when they experience failure from time to time and learn from it, they will build a foundation of coping and project management skills that will help them succeed in the future. Children will become more resilient, and free to experiment and explore different ways of achieving their goals.
How to Eliminate Procrastination
It’s Thursday evening and you’re frantically working to finish up an English project due tomorrow morning. Tired, angry, and anxious that you can’t watch your TV show tonight, you ask yourself, “How did this happen?”
First, you spent your entire weekend binging Netflix, since you were giving yourself a break from the week. Then during the week, you spent hours on Tik-Tok, then you shared them with your friends, spending more time laughing at them and discussing what other videos are comparable in a group chat. That is called procrastination, and it is one of the most destructive habits.
However, if you make a habit of being proactive, it can lead to positive results if you focus and stay committed. Below are a few quick tips that you can use to transition from being a procrastinator, to a proactive student.
Make a Plan
Using a planner and making a detailed plan for the project is key. All supplies need to be present and important rubric points need to be highlighted for various parts of the project are just a few of the many details needed. A planner helps you keep all of the notes, comments and steps within your plan. A whiteboard is also beneficial as it can help you see the big picture when you lay out your plan. Remember, always get an overview before going through the details.
Remove Distractions
Whether you’re studying at home in a living room, bedroom, or kitchen, you are surrounded by distractions. You know what those specific distractions are and they’re part of the reason you procrastinate. Your social media accounts, your phone, your Tik Tok videos – all are in your control. Remove those distractions and watch your productivity rise and you’ll come to realize later that you’ve finished the project early and have time for yourself. Next time you find it hard to focus, look around the room and remove the biggest distractions. The environment plays a huge role in productivity. Control it or it will control you.
Start Early
The earlier the better, as it will allow time to fix mistakes or add to your project, while leaving you with more time for yourself when you are finished. You should start your project like any other homework, immediately the day it is received. No matter how small the first step is. Procrastination is often caused by the fear of starting. By making progress, even minimal progress, from the beginning, you are less likely to procrastinate later on.
Dividing Goals
Whenever any project is assigned, it is best to divide the project into small manageable steps. In addition, writing the amount of time each part will take gives a realistic idea of how long it will take. This makes it easier to focus rather than getting overwhelmed by the project as a whole. By breaking your project into small manageable chunks, you’re able to measure the progress you’re making with each item complete.
Support Systems
Getting started on tasks isn’t always easy, and it’s difficult to push yourself when it’s a task that isn’t fun or interesting. Therefore, find someone to push you to get started. Whether it’s a parent, friend, sibling, or tutor, find a support system that works for you so that you are motivated to start and finish your project.
The truth is procrastination plagues the productivity of people all over the world, not just students. However, students who learn how to manage procrastination by becoming proactive thrive in the adult world. If your student struggles with procrastination or any other executive functioning skill, let us help!