Page 25 - Course 4 Strengths & Skills Part 3 Brain Building

What should I practise now?

SKILLS TO PRACTISE / STRENGTHEN RAG

1 Teach children about Brain Building so they know their difficulties do not have to be forever.

2 Always use language which emphasizes that their difficulties do not have to continue forever yet also
emphasise that it will take hard work and practice. E.g. “I notice it is still hard for you to … We will keep

helping you to build that skill. It will get easier with practice and be better for everyone around you too.”
3 Use the language of skills – and make sure everyone learns that Executive Function Skills can improve.
Make sure individuals are not labelled as ‘naughty’ by making sure everyone uses the language of skills and

not ‘good’, ‘bad’, ‘naughty’ or ‘choices’. Talk about improving skills so the child and the people around them
believe it is possible for them to do better and succeed well in life. Make sure the child and those around
them do not believe things have to stay the same and they must have a lifetime of ‘behaviour problems’.

4 Use the language of skills whenever a child DOES NOT keep to expectations: at these times, use the
language of difficulty – ‘I notice it is still really hard for you to...with practice, you can strengthen your brain
pathways and it will get easier.”

5 Use the language of skills when a child DOES keep to expectations: when a child is keeping to what is
expected, use the language of improvement – ‘I notice you are getting so much better at ….. It is much
easier for you than it used to be. You must have strengthened those brain pathways!”

6 Explicitly teach the Executive Function Skills that children are missing and give regular opportunities to
rehearse in the same context they are struggling by e.g. by recreating situations to practise with guidance –
like being an apprentice.

7 Be patient and do not expect a child to change unhelpful habits after one chat. Explain this to the child,

other adults and other children so they all know it will not change overnight and the individual will need
scaffolds and support in the meantime.