Warning! Transitions Ahead!

Seth is sitting at his computer playing an online video game. You have stopped by his room twice already to ask him to switch his laundry so you can put the towels in the wash. Seth agreed - both times! An hour later, you go to the laundry room and see everything exactly how Seth left it hours before. Seth has all the intention in the world to get that laundry moved. Remember: he did agree to it - twice! What's happening is Seth is really struggling to transition.

Transitioning is very hard for many students. Transitions exist when students are asked to switch from one task to another. This can be in a more physical sense, such as moving from class to class and getting out the door in the morning. But transitions are also cognitive. Students are being asked to transition their thinking when transitioning from one task to another. This can be seen in the class environment and at home. In the case of Seth, you were asking him to switch not only his body from the seated position to the standing one in order to get this task complete, you were also asking him to stop his flow of thinking. The cognitive shift between Seth's video gaming frame of mind and the laundry machine operating frame of mind are very different and require proper warning in order for Seth to transition most effectively.

What I Suggest: Help your student transition more easily from tasks to task through guided prompting (warnings). First, always set a time frame! Second, break it down into manageable steps with physical and cognitive directives. Let's use Seth as our example for how to do this effectively. The first time you approach Seth ask him to look up and pause his game in 30 seconds. This can feel like a long time, but gamers like Seth deeply appreciate you giving a timeframe instead of starting to talk at them as they are engrossed in their game. Once you have Seth's attention, ask "would you be willing to move the laundry from the washer to the dryer?" Seth would have probably said "yeah". Then ask: "when would be a good time for you to move the clothes?" (Remember, be specific as to what the task is to aide Seth in transitioning.) Seth will give you a time, and if he doesn't you suggest a few ("what about in 5 minutes?", "10 minutes?") because "after my game" is not concrete enough. Then, tell him you will give him a one-minute warning, and actually provide Seth with this minute warning. Before you let Seth continue playing and approach him again at a minute till, ask him "what do you think you'll need to do first in order to transition to switching the laundry?". You want to guide him in answering you with "pause my game", and not "go to the laundry room" or "stop playing". You want Seth to know exactly the first step he and you should expect to do and see. Then, always provide Seth with positive affirmation if he was able to follow all the warnings and transition effectively. 

Reply to this post if you would like a list of tips for teachers on how to transition students effectively both cognitively and physically when shifting activities in the classroom.