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Student Services » Follow-Through

Follow-Through

A student who struggles with follow-through may...
 
  • dislike school
  • be afraid to make mistakes
  • be off-task or distracted
  • struggle with the academic content
  • be disorganized/messy
  • struggle with multi-step directions
  • ask repeated questions (or questions that have already been asked/answered)
  • appear confused
  • have difficulty completing work
  • act out (like a class clown)
  • seem to have no sense of urgency
 
 
When supporting a student who is trying to focus, some general strategies involve
 
  • use wait time--sometimes it is an assumption that they are not following through because they actually need more time
  • use a work in progress folder
  • prioritize times in class for different goals (i.e., work with the student to finish the assignments during DEAR time)
  • avoid taking away recess 
  • be short and specific/reduce language
  • be cautious to not offer choices you don't mean
  • use routines
  • avoid correcting students mid-process...they will learn to not finish/put in the work; let them explain their thinking and reinforce their effort
 
Interventions may include
 
  • create checklists/to-do lists
  • use a time timer with clear checkpoints
  • carry an extra worksheet that you model on (highlight, circle, underline) and have the student mark up their own paper for a sense of control and possible memory support
  • contracts for task completion
  • reinforcement charts/systems
  • use if/then for specific work tasks (or first/then)
 
Literature Links
 A Little Learning Book About Following Directions at School by Lorin Neikirk
I Just Want to Do it my Way by Julia Cook
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett
What do You do With a Problem by Kobi Yamada
Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg
The OK Book by Amy Krause Rosenthal
Thanks for the Feedback, I Think by Julia Cook
That Rule Doesn't Apply to Me by Julia Cook
Baditude!  What to do When Life Stinks by Julia Cook
 
 
Teacher Reading
Class Clown (Responsive Classroom) or Gifted Student (NPR)
Refusing to Work During Your Lesson