The Trouble with Time Management
Time management is necessary for organizing academic and personal obligations. Unfortunately, many students, particularly those with language-based learning disabilities (LBLD) and/or executive function (EF) weaknesses, do not have a natural sense of how much time is needed to complete specific tasks. They often find the concept of time to be a highly abstract concept. Therefore, for these students, time does not seem to have much meaning. They may demonstrate little urgency in executing tasks and may lack an awareness of the passage of time. Students with LBLD and/or EF weaknesses may struggle to transition between activities, calculate how long a task will take, or submit assignments on time.
In order to successfully manage time, students must begin by mastering basic time management skills. They need to know how to read a clock, how many hours are in a day, how many days are in a week, how many weeks are in a month, and so on. Students also need to know how to read a daily, weekly, and monthly calendar. Also, students should be able to state how many minutes, days, weeks, or months must pass before a scheduled event.
Being able to tell clock time is different from understanding the concept of time. Many students can read the clock perfectly well, but when asked to estimate how long an assignment will take, they can seldom provide an accurate answer. While some students grossly underestimate the time required and set themselves up for disappointment and frustration, others greatly overestimate and feel overwhelmed before they even begin. Developing a sense of their individual work pace is essential for students to effectively manage their time.
Task Analysis
Task analysis is a critical component of time estimation. Task analysis is the process of identifying the multiple steps that may be involved in a single task. For example, a single homework assignment may have multiple parts. An assignment to “read chapter 1”, for instance, might require students to a.) read, b.) highlight main ideas and details, and c.) look up any unknown vocabulary words. Students unpracticed at task analysis are likely to underestimate the time the task will take to complete because they are not breaking the task down to see all of the required steps. As a result, they may not allocate enough time to the homework assignment.
Time Estimation
Time estimation skills can help students develop an accurate perception of how much time it takes to complete the task. This is an essential skill for planning, and many students require repeat practice. Time estimation activities, such as those linked below, help students learn that their actual times vary according to the length and complexity of the assignments, the level of concentration, and other factors like fatigue, motivation, and interest. They also learn which tasks are quick and easy, and which require more time and effort.
Accurately estimating how much time it takes to complete tasks is essential for long-term planning. When students complete task analysis and time estimation activities for a period of time, they learn that their actual times vary according to the length and complexity of the assignment, their level of concentration, and other factors like fatigue, motivation, and interest. They also learn which tasks are quick and easy and which require more time and effort. Students get quite good at this when they practice enough.
