Developing "If, Then" Implementation Plans to Build Executive Function

Have students use this tool to create "If, Then" plans to stay on track for achieving short-term behavior goals. In his book The Marshmallow Test: Why Self-Control is the Engine of Success , Walter Mischel offers strategies for building self-control, one of the skill areas of executive function. The Marshmallow Test itself was part of a series of studies out of Stanford University in the 1960s and 1970s on delayed gratification. Preschool-age children were given the option of one treat (e.g., a marshmallow) now or two treats if they waited 15 minutes. Those children who could delay gratification for the bigger prize were found to experience more school and life success in later years. The good news is that you can build executive function skills, including the skill of delayed gratification. Some students are easily distracted from their goals for immediate gratification. For example, I could get my work done or pass notes to my friend; I could focus on homework or watch that televisio