Effects of teacher-directed versus student-directed instruction on self-management of young children with disabilities.

Jennett et al. (2003) compared two ways to teach self-management to young children with disabilities.

One group got teacher-directed lessons. The other group set their own goals and recorded their own work.

An alternating-treatments design switched the two styles across days so every child tried both.

Kids who first learned the student-directed way used self-management more later when they worked alone.

Teacher-directed training helped during lessons, but the skill did not stick when adults stepped back.

Gureasko-Moore et al. (2006) extends the idea to older students. They gave adolescents with ADHD self-management folders and saw better class-prep habits.

English et al. (1995) also extends the work. Junior-high students with emotional disturbance kept aggression low weeks after training because they monitored themselves.

Friedling et al. (1979) looks like a contradiction. Self-instruction alone did nothing for hyperactive 7- to 8-year-olds until tokens were added. The gap is explained by stricter ADHD diagnosis and no external rewards in that study.

If you want self-management to survive when you walk away, let the learner steer the first lessons. Hand over the data sheet early. Ask, "What should you watch?" and "How will you mark it?" This small shift pays off every time the child works without you.