Self-monitoring: Write your future self a letter

Before school is out for summer, ask your child to write a letter to her next-year-self that she can open on the first day of school in September. This personal note is an opportunity to reflect on the past school year and remind her future self what worked well, what didn’t, and what she might consider doing differently next year. Reflecting back and thinking forward helps her practice the executive function skill “self-monitoring.” And these thoughtful reminders on the first day of school will help her start a step ahead in the fall. Here are a few guiding questions to get her started: What strategy or approach worked well for you this year? What strategy or approach did not work well? What would you do differently? Personal pep-talk: What do you want to remind yourself to ensure you start the year off on the right foot?