Bookends Program

Executive Functioning Skills Prepare Students for Academic Success

The Bookends Program consists of executive functioning skills groups in which students come up with organizational strategies for their academics and career internships. Students learn to prioritize tasks, set goals, plan ahead and communicate more effectively. Working in small groups and using visual prompts, students receive instruction on how to carry these skills forward into the workplace and daily life. This program is offered on Mondays and Fridays, serving as “bookends” for each week.

At school, students are asked to be organized and keep track of important materials, set goals to fulfill requirements, plan and prioritize to get work completed and communicate with instructors and classmates. The same basic ideas are carried through to the workplace.

5 Main Areas of the Bookend Program

• Organization
• Goal Setting
• Planning Ahead
• Communication
• Assessing Progress

Bookends Executive Functioning Skills Teams

Within the Bookends Skills Teams, students create their own organizational system, choosing the method that works best for them. Within the organizational system are items such as monthly and weekly calendars, instructor sign in sheets, course syllabi and Gantt charts.

Setting a goal, following through to it's completion and not being put off by or distracted by competing interests, students work to break larger goals down into smaller, achievable steps.

These Teams Serve 3 Key Purposes

• Identify Executive Functioning strengths and challenges
• Allow the incorporation of Executive Functioning skills into daily routines
• Provide a forum to share knowledge, struggles, and successes