Planning Skills Can Make Learning Simpler. Here’s How

Oct 01, 2020 • High School, Middle School, Studying

Planning skills make learning easier. Whether starting elementary school or heading off to college, students can develop better planning skills at any age or grade.

The old saying goes, “a failure to plan is a plan to fail.” Another good one is “be prepared.” These expressions refer to planning skills.

What Are Planning Skills?

Planning skills belong to the executive function set of cognitive skills. Executive function skills are the skills we use to set goals and make decisions—they also support critical thinking and self-regulation. 

Planning skills are not just for the classroom! Planning skills can be as simple as remembering to bring a water bottle to the park or charging the laptop before an online lesson. 

Consider planning skills like a road map to a destination. Whether it’s a big project for school or what to eat for lunch, students of all ages can put planning skills into action. Planning skills help students accomplish their goals, save time, and get organized, at school and at home.

Learn to Plan in a Few Simple Steps

To get started with any plan, first consider the task as well as the time to complete itm then ask these questions:

Next…

1. Break the Task Down Step-By-Step. Big projects can seem overwhelming at first. Break tasks into smaller steps and divide steps over time. This makes tasks that seem large become more manageable.
2. Write it Down. Whether you use a wall calendar, a school agenda, or a phone app, write down the plan. Writing a task down relieves stress because you no longer need to hold the details in your brain. Plus, writing a task out helps the brain better remember that information. 

Beat Procrastination With Planning! 

When students know how to plan they approach tasks and learning methodically, which reduces stress, increases focus, and makes big projects seem manageable! 

Knowing what’s involved in a task or an assignment goes a long way to helping students beat the urge to procrastinate. Putting planning skills to work and seeing a task written out step-by-step eliminates uncertainty which is a big reason that students procrastinate in the first place! 

Navigate the middle school journey with ease—read the full guide here.