The most identifiable skill many children struggle with is the skill of task initiation.

Especially in this new normal of remote learning and blended teaching models of schooling, task initiation is one of the most valuable executive functioning skills a child can possess. Being able to start a task efficiently without procrastination is especially crucial for success in this remote learning era.

What is Task initiation?

Initiating a task requires the coordination of other executive functioning skills previously discussed: planning and organizing, time management, attention, and working memory.

This executive functioning skill is the ability to independently start tasks when needed. It is the process that allows your child to overcome procrastination and begin something, even when she doesn’t want to. In other words, to take action to begin an assignment or given chore. Putting it simply, it’s just getting started.

If your child has mastered the skill of task initiation, she will

• Begin to work on her assignment as soon as the directions are given.
• Put away her toys when that needs to be done, without reminders or prompts.
• Begin a challenging test, even though she’s not confident that she knows all the material for it.

How can you tell if your child has trouble with task initiation?

Children who frequently get in trouble for not doing their work are usually struggling with task initiation. Your child may seem to be intentionally avoiding the task when she really wants to do the work but just does not know how to get herself to begin.  Here are some possible signs to look for:

• She puts her head down on the desk when it’s time to work independently.
• She finds other things to do, like sharpening her pencil multiple times.
• Tells you she doesn’t know what to do, even after receiving detailed instructions.
• Doodles on the paper instead of completing the assignment.
• Becomes frustrated every time it’s time to work.
• Take too long to get ready for school in the morning.
• Performs poorly on timed tests.

How can you help your child develop task initiation skills?

This may very well be the last and hardest executive functioning skill to reach full maturation. Researchers claim that procrastination increases until the mid to late ’20s, then gradually decreases after that. So, if your school-aged child struggles to begin her work in a timely fashion, she is not alone.

Assigning chores to your children from a young age, and ensuring that they complete them whether they like the task or not, helps them to develop this skill.

Here are some strategies to improve this vital skill:

1. Start with easy, brief tasks. Explain that the purpose of the activity is to help them get better at starting work, so the task should not be one she would choose for pleasure, but also not one that she strongly dislikes. Break the task down into small manageable steps.
2. Practice the rocket ship countdown to begin a task: 5-4-3-2-1 blast off and use a visual countdown timer.
3. Create a timeline and a plan to follow-through. Have your child track her progress. Use a simple chart that shows the date, what the task is, the starting time, the place she will work, and the time she completed it.
4. Identify the obstacles that get in the way of her starting the plan, then work with her to figure out a strategy to overcome them. You can create a chart with 2 columns: obstacles and strategy. You may suggest an obstacle or two to get her going, but let her generate most of them. For example, I don’t understand the assignment, or I can’t think of how to begin.
5. Talk to her about the things she doesn’t procrastinate on. Include things she does for pleasure, as well as homework assignments. Help her figure out why she does them, and apply the favored conditions to the tasks she procrastinates on.

Remember that more behavior is caught than taught. So, model your own task initiation skills.

Model getting started on a personal project or the steps you need to take to get yourself ready for your daily activities. Verbalize what it is you want to do, demonstrate the process of brainstorming what you will need to do, and then organize your brainstorming ideas. When you are finished with this process, say out loud, something like, “Okay, this is what I need to do to get started” then, proceed to do so immediately. Remember to include the cues you give yourself to transition from one task to another.

We all procrastinate, but when it gets out of hand or affects every part of life it can be a real issue. For children, initiating tasks without the support of an adult, opens the doors to learning and experiencing their environment in new ways. Help your child open those doors.

What is your favorite tip or strategy for task initiation?