Task initiation

For some time now, writing this article has been on my to-do list. However, it just hasn't happened. No inspiration, no time, a busy family... The excuses are plentiful. And this is precisely the frustration that so many parents express during conversations here in my practice. Especially with teenagers, procrastination is seen as a pressing issue by parents. Yet, our teenagers often see this behavior in a more nuanced way. School assignments are either not completed or turned in late, study material is only looked at at the last minute, just before a test. Like me, these young people have plenty of excuses for this behavior: the material isn't interesting, the assignment isn't graded anyway, or the new season of their favorite game has just been released. The underlying causes of this procrastination are varied and occur across all ages. People find it difficult to concentrate, or lack motivation or self-discipline. Sometimes, there may also be factors like fear of failure, perfectionism, or feelings of incompetence at play.

When procrastination becomes more of a rule than an exception, there may be an issue with the development of task initiation. This is one of the executive functions. These functions ensure that you are able to effectively complete a task at the appropriate time. You need executive functions for both action and thought tasks. Task initiation is the ability to start something without delay. Of course, a combination of different executive functions is always necessary to successfully complete a task. The good news is that task initiation, like other executive functions, can be developed or trained. In this article, we'll set aside the motivation to start a task for now. Naturally, it's crucial to offer children interesting and motivating tasks, within their zone of proximal development. On the other hand, everyone regularly encounters tasks that have none of the aforementioned qualities and still need to be completed. This skill is indispensable for both academic learning and everyday life and work.

How can you address underdeveloped task initiation?

Young children, and many teenagers as well, initially need the help of an adult. With young children, we often don't expect them to immediately start a task. However, it's advisable to teach them to start with unpleasant or boring tasks before moving on to something fun. Visual support can be helpful when there's more than one task. This can be done with a list or pictograms. Also, ask the child themselves what they think they need to get started.

Discuss with the child or teenager where, how, and when they will complete the task. This allows room for the child's autonomy. Furthermore, visualizing the task in this way already reduces the likelihood of procrastination. To make a task more manageable and thus easier to start, it's best to break it down into small subtasks. This is motivating and gives a quicker sense of accomplishment. Children sometimes need the help of an adult with this because they often can't see the forest for the trees. Try to make the 'how' of the task very concrete. 'Studying math' is very vague and doesn't encourage starting. Break it down into, for example, 'reading introduction page 6', 'studying definition on page 8', 'doing exercises on page 12'. It may seem obvious, but in practice, this often comes as a revelation to many students.

Teachers' patience is often endlessly tested by students who just don't get started. Some students need a lot of time to gather their materials and seem to dawdle, unable to start on their own. Try to show a lot of empathy and find out what this student needs. Children can be overwhelmed or anxious because they set the bar too high for themselves. Repeat the instructions aloud and check if everything is understood. Optionally, set a timer with the maximum allowed time to gather all the necessary items. Break the task into small pieces and possibly make a start together.

What can you expect from young children?

A preschooler should be able to stop playing to follow an adult's instruction. A child between 5 and 7 years old should be able to remember and execute two tasks, such as putting on a jacket and returning to the group. Between 8 and 11 years old, they can, after some practice, remember and execute four tasks. They can also adhere to a (homework) schedule. Sometimes, they still need a reminder to get started.

For younger children, Meichenbaum's bears are very useful to guide them. What should I do? How will I do it? I do my work. I check my work. What do I think of it?

Playing a game is a good exercise to train this skill. After all, a game also needs to be set up and put away. You have to see what needs to be done before you can actually start. Examples of good games for this purpose are Roadblock, Vlotte Geesten, Colonisten van Catan, and Dobble.

References

Dawson P., & Guare, R. (2019). Executieve functies bij kinderen en adolescenten. Uitgeverij Hogreffe

SLO. (2019). Executieve functies, een handreiking. SLO, downloadable via https://www.slo.nl/thema/meer/jonge-kind/executieve-functies/

Copyright © 2024 Liesbet Smedts, De Vlinder Brugge – All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. Online sharing is permitted provided that the author is credited and a link to this article is included.