How to Keep Students On Task

Keeping students on task is important for academic progress and for eliminating the majority of behavioral concerns. Keeping students actively engaged in academics cuts out the majority of behavioral problems that occur in classrooms. Yet, it is often frustrating for staff to get that students engagement. Learning struggles, environmental distractions, etc. can really interfere with academic engagement. To keep students on task, use these strategies.

Instructions

    • 1

      To keep students on task, reduce visual distractions. To do this, move a student to the front of the room where the other students will be behind them and out of sight, remove unnecessary items form their desk, etc.

    • 2

      Reduce the classroom noise level during independent work.

    • 3

      Include as much active, hands-on work as possible.

    • 4

      Give the student an active role in the lesson. (Can they help by writing things on the board, etc.?)

    • 5

      Provide positive feedback for good behaviors in a way that is reinforcing to the student. (Some students will shut down or misbehave if given positive feedback in front of peers)

    • 6

      Provide help to students to get started or continue working on independent work. Students who have problems learning are often off task because they are not good planner and problem solvers. They may not know where to start or how to organize their efforts. Also, they often do not ask for help because they are embarrassed, they have given up, or they do not know what to ask. They may need more guidance to get started and they may need the teacher to initiate that help.

    • 7

      Use novelty and challenge to keep student's interest.

    • 8

      Chunk work into smaller segments.

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