Executive Functioning for Kids: Checking In With Yourself
This session includes executive functioning activities for kids, helping students pause and check in with themselves before they start a task. Through a short video, a discussion about starting a worksheet, and a quick game where students respond to different choices, they practice checking in with themselves. This small habit helps them start work feeling more prepared.
Extension activity
- Skill
- Self-Regulation
- Goal
- Executive Functioning
- Grade level
- Elementary School
Get everything you need to teach the skill
These materials are part of a no-prep session designed by our clinical team, with all the structure, scaffolding, and support you need to teach included.
Engaging materials
Video modeling lessonChecking In With Yourself
An important part of learning to self-regulate involves teaching our learners to stop and ask themselves, “How am I doing?”.
- Extension activity
Interactive Worksheet: How to Check-In With Yourself
In this matching activity, learners review the concept of understanding how they are feeling as they work toward completing a task or goal.
Plus everything you need to teach them
Warm-up
- Video: Hot Cocoa Breathing2:05
- Video: Daily Intention2:59
- Video: Body Squeeze2:12
Session Opener
Guiding Question: What does it mean to check in with yourself?
Practice
- Discussion Question
- Role-Play Activity
- Mini Game
How to use it with your students
- 1Watch Play the video modeling lesson so students see the skill in action.
- 2Practice Try the skill together with a discussion prompt, role-play, or mini game.
- 3Extend Use the extension activity to help students carry the skill further.
What's Covered
In this lesson, students learned how to pause and check in with themselves by asking, "How am I doing?" before starting a task. They practiced noticing how their body and feelings were doing and choosing a small step to help them feel ready to begin.
Key Terms
- Check In With Yourself
- Stopping for a moment to ask yourself, "How am I doing right now?" Noticing how your body and feelings are doing helps you figure out what you need next.
Sample IEP Goal This Session Supports
-
Executive Functioning
Given a multi-step task, learner will use at least one self-selected organizational strategy (e.g., visual planner, breaking the task into steps, visual timer) to initiate and work through the task with decreasing adult support in 4 out of 5 opportunities independently/given X prompt(s).
Send this tip home to support generalization
At home or in the classroom, when a student is about to start something, try asking, "How are you doing right now?" Pausing to notice feelings first can make a hard task feel easier to begin.
Ready to teach Checking In With Yourself?
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More Self-Regulation Activities
Frequently asked questions
Is this intervention free?
Yes, this ready-to-teach session on Checking In With Yourself is free. You can access this intervention free for 14 days through the Everyday Speech Session Library. Every user gets three free sessions, but you can get more or extend your access by sharing the Session Library with friends and colleagues.
What ages is this for?
These materials are designed for elementary school students.
What's included?
You'll get access to your choice of warm-up videos, a session opener, a core material on Checking In With Yourself, three practice prompts, and an extension activity, Interactive Worksheet: How to Check-In With Yourself.
What skill does this intervention teach?
This ready-to-teach session is on self-regulation - more specifically, executive functioning.
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