
If you know a child with executive functioning difficulties, you have likely heard of the role of self-talk in building and using effective strategies.
Self-talk is that voice in your head that:
talks you through difficult or novel tasks
reminds you when something is similar to something you've faced in the past
keeps you going, shifting plans as needed
promotes cognitive, behavioral and emotional regulation
Self-talk is linked to reading comprehension as well as our ability to generalize new skills in different settings. Unfortunately, self-talk doesn't come easily to all learners. The good news is that self-talk can be taught and fostered with support.
One way I like to introduce the concept of self-talk is through knot-tying experiences. When you first learned to tie your shoes, you probably learned a little verbal sequence involving bunny ears or a rabbit going around a tree. You likely repeated those phrases over and over until the shoe-tying became automatic. That's exactly what we want to see happening when learning new strategies! The concept becomes obvious when learning a new kind of knot.
Start with a bowline knot mnemonic such as the one in this video. Internet personality, Nelson Dellis, also has a video demonstrating 5 different knots with mnemonic phrases for each knot (NOTE there is some censored language in this video, and may not be appropriate for all audiences). Try it for yourself! Pick a knot you think you can use, and try the suggested self-talk phrases.
You can also try out other knots without the suggested self-talk phrases and reflect on how that goes. Is it indeed easier with the mnemonic phrases? You can also try this with other string/yarn experiences such as finger knitting, learning to crochet, making friendship bracelets, and more! Once that concept of self-talk is established, you have set the stage for practicing self-talk in other settings.
Laurie