Planning

Planning is the thinking skill that helps an individual develop a strategy to accomplish a goal. It helps a child to think about how to complete a task before attempting to begin it. For example, Planning is utilized when a child sets out to complete an art project by first deciding what art supplies he will need, carefully assembling and arranging these supplies, and then taking a step-by-step process for completing the project.

Video games can help improve Planning by allowing the practice of this skills while in the midst of a fun and immersive gaming experience. Many games require the use of Planning in game play where sequencing of activities, setting goals, and anticipating the future is required.

Watch the video below to learn more about how video games can help your child improve her Planning thinking skill.




Featured Planning Games and Beyond Games
Pick a Planning game or other digital technology (Beyond Games) from the lists below.

Learn More About Planning

Planning involves the development of a roadmap or a set of strategies in order to accomplish a goal.   Components of Planning include prioritization, sequencing, and foresight. It may involve both short-term and long-term goals and takes into account all aspects of a situation. Responding to the environment as well as to social cues may be important. Planning may involve the estimation, and possibly the anticipation, of outcomes.

Planning can be a very complex process that applies previous experiences to a new situation. Planning is very important for short-term tasks or goals, such as determining whether one's clothes match prior to going to school, and also for more long-term goals, such as having a strategy for completing a lengthy book report.  Planning tends to involve a degree of problem recognition, such as, "I want to look good in my clothing at school," as well as an ability to deal with impediments to achieving a goal, such as, "My jeans are dirty, so I need to wear something else." Planning also takes into account the present situation, such as, "I have ten minutes before I have to leave the house to go to school, and I can't wear a T-shirt with inappropriate language to school, so I must change shirts quickly."

Planning skills are needed for many aspects of a child’s life. At home, Planning is important in extending invitations to friends for a play date, completing one's homework so that one has time to watch a favorite television show, and completing chores before one's parents get home. Planning is involved in a wide range of play activities, as well, whether in developing a strategy while playing a board game, putting together a model, or creating some type of art project.

At school, Planning is extremely important for written tasks, such as writing a brief paragraph or essay, as well as for long-term projects that may involve conducting research, writing drafts, editing, and presenting a final project. The ability to formulate a plan that identifies a set of goals is very useful.

Skillful use of Planning is seen when children who:

• combine school, social, and extracurricular activities without being overwhelmed by stress.
• tend to be good at Planning and scheduling.
• are able to judge the difficulty of tasks and the amount of time it may take to complete a task.
• can anticipate the tools necessary for successful completion of tasks.
• are able to complete tasks or chores in a timely fashion.
• prioritize their activities effectively, such as completing their homework before going out with their friends.
• anticipate the time needed to complete long-term school projects.

Unskilled use of Planning is seen when children:

• encounter problems in step-by-step processes.
• experience difficulties in determining priorities, destinations, or goals.
• tend to complete their homework at the last minute.
• are unprepared for routines, such as organizing their books prior to leaving for school in the morning.
• tend to jump into activities without reading the directions.
• are unable to efficiently start and effectively complete mazes and puzzles.
• forget to take sporting equipment to a game or to obtain the books necessary to complete a report for school.
• are overly-absorbed in the present moment to the detriment of setting and achieving goals.

Home and school situations requiring Planning:

• dressing appropriately, taking into consideration the event and the weather
• packing and bringing a lunch to school
• preparing for and competing in a sporting event
• giving one's self enough time to complete tasks, such as chores or homework, in order to have time for fun activities
• prioritizing tasks in terms of their importance
• saving money to buy something (video games, toys, clothes, etc.)
• bringing toys and activities for a long trip

Hints and strategies to improve Planning:

• create a master calendar of events to help your child plan ahead. This calendar should include important events, meetings, games, and deadlines. Your child can personalize this calendar with pictures, graphics, stickers, or doodles. The calendar should be displayed in a public area, possibly with a duplicate calendar in his bedroom. You can also help him create a calendar on your home computer or laptop, which you can print out or to which he can set alarms or reminders for certain events.
  
  
• work with your child to create checklists of items needed for various activities and events, such as a sports game, field trip, or slumber party. For example, a checklist for baseball practice might include a bat bag, baseball bat, glove, hat, cleats, and water bottle. These lists can be posted in his room or where the equipment for that activity is kept. Over time, he should become less reliant on this list.
  
  
• have your child identify a desired daytrip or outing. Then, assist him in identifying what will be needed to plan such a trip. For example, a child who enjoys nature and animals could benefit from Planning a trip to a zoo, for which he would be responsible for printing out a zoo map from the computer, determining the entrance fee and park hours, and prioritizing the exhibits that he would like to see.
  
  
• schedule a specific homework time for each night. Make homework part of your family's regular routine by establishing a consistent schedule that will allow your child to gain practice in Planning out what he hopes to accomplish during this homework block. If necessary, divide homework time into two blocks (one after school, one after dinner), and have your child identify what he hopes to complete during each block.
  

Further Reading About Planning:

• Cooper-Kahn, Joyce, Ph.D. and Laurie C. Dietzel. Late, Lost, and Unprepared. A Parent's Guide to Helping Children with Executive Functioning (Chapter 15). Maryland: Woodbine House, 2008.

• Cox, Adam J., Ph.D. No Mind Left Behind (Chapter 6). London, England: Perigee Press, 2007.
  
  
• Dawson, Peg, Ed.D. and Richard Guare, Ph.D. Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents. New York: Guilford Press, 2010.
  
  
• Dawson, Peg, Ed.D. and Richard Guare, Ph.D. Smart but Scattered (Chapter 16). New York: Guilford Press, 2009.
  
  
• McCloskey, George, Lisa A. Perkins, and Bob Van Divner. Assessment and Intervention for Executive Function Difficulties. New York: Routledge, 2009.
  
  
• Richard, Gail J. and Jill K. Fahy. The Source for Development of Executive Functions. East Moline, IL: Lingua Systems, 2005.
  
  
• Roehlkepartain, Jolene L. and Nancy Leffert. What Young Children Need to Succeed: Working Together to Build Assets from Birth to Age 11. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit, 2000.

What's Next?

Next, it's time to play Shape Switcher. Click the "Shape Switcher" link in the navigation bar or click here.

Remember, you don't need to play all three games in one session. In fact, in order to give the lessons a chance to sink in, it would be best to play them on separate days.