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Motivational Time-on-task for kids?


4littleones
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I am looking for a simple plan to keep my kids motivated to stay on task. We have tried planners in the past with medium success (some students are more list -checkers than others).

 

I will be schooling 3 starting in June and I really need something to keep us all in track. We will do Memoria Press' curriculum bundles.

 

I need something simple (cannot afford to buy any special equipment) and motivational :001_smile:.

 

I don't want to be a dragon breathing fire on their neck, I want to be a loving mummy! I am tired of shouting orders "finish your math, don't go until you finish your history!" etc.

 

They are quite capable of working on their own, if only I could find something to keep them on task. They are going to be in 5th, 4th and 2nd grade.

 

Something like a very simplified version of workboxes?

 

Please help me!

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Well, I was going to reply earlier in the day and decided not to b/c we haven't actually started this... but since you haven't gotten any responses, I'll post my ideas as a bump. :)

 

What we're doing this coming year is task cards. Similar in theory to workboxes. I have cards printed with the day's tasks/subjects and they are connected with a ring clip/carabiner. I can switch them out each day (or you can just print a ton and not have to change them out.)

 

For my oldest DD, a sample set would include:

Good Morning card (just for fun)

Math card

Reading/Phonics card

Writing

Lunch card

Read-aloud

Silent reading/quiet time

chores

"you're finished" card

Free play card

 

It's more like a portable schedule/planner. DD will flip through as tasks are completed. My youngest will have a stack of cards with daily play options (playdough or blocks, each day will be different). I used pics from google searches to make my cards.

 

Perhaps, for older children who need motivation to work independently, you could insert "fun/surprise" cards in the stack that they can do once they get to them... ?

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That's great!!

 

Thank you so much, I think I will try this.

 

Perhaps have them loose so they can choose what to do when, and two pouches with "to do" and "have done".

 

Thank you so much for taking time to respond!

 

Any other ideas? How do you motivate your students?

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I use a daily checklist. I have half-sized clipboards for each I bought for a dollar at Target. Each day I attach their lists and any extra things (a strip of mental math or a paragraph to edit, for example). The list is made of three boxes - yellow, green, and red. Items on the yellow list are things they need to work on with mom. Items on the green list are ready to go, inde pendent work. The red list items are the things we are looking forward to once the rest is (like co-op, play practice, building project with dad, etc).

 

It hasn't suddenly turned my kids in super-focused/highly driven individuals, but has greatly improved on-task behaviors.

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