Starting and finishing tasks

Occupational therapy

﻿Hi, I'm really looking forward to our lesson today. I hope you are too. Before we get started, this is just a little reminder, we're here to support any approaches you might already be using, and any work you might have already been set. We know that this lesson is going to be going out to so many different children and families. So if you're not sure about anything or have any questions, then please do contact your usual therapy team

Hello, today I'm going to give you just a few strategies and tips on how to start a task and do it and finish it within the time that you had set to yourself. So today is all about starting and finishing a task. Every day, we have tasks which we need to complete, and these may be tasks at school or at home. There could be ones that have been given to us by an adult or ones that we really want to do ourselves like a hobby or game. When we want to do a task, we need to plan it. And this means it needs to have a start, a middle and an end. We may not always want to do the task, so it's best to plan it and work in order so that we can get it done. Pause the video now to get the following items for today's lesson, paper, a pen or pencil, and a diary or planner. Resume once you're finished. When you get a task, you need to plan, prepare, do the task and then check the task, okay? So here we have a task and now let's make a plan for this task. And when you make a plan, you can ask yourself, "Have you done this task before?" Because if you have, then you should know certain things about the task already. You could ask, how long would it take you to complete the task? What do you need to do the task? Do you need help doing the task? And where are you going to do this task? So there in my example, you can see that I want to feed the cats and dogs. So question one, have I done this task before? Yes, a lot. Question two, how long will it take you to complete the task? Well, it's about eight minutes. What do I need to do the task? I need the food and the bowls. And do I need help? No. And where am I going to do the task? Well, they eat in the kitchen so that's where I'll be going. Okay, I want you to pause the video to complete your task, okay? And this is your task. Plan one of the following tasks below, brushing your teeth or getting dressed or doing homework. Remember your planning questions. Have you done it before? How long will it take? What do you need to do it? Do you need help? And where will you do it? Resume once you're finished. So we've done the planning. Now, we need to prepare. So we're going to stick with my example of feeding the cats and the dogs and what do we need to do to prepare and then do the task. So I need to get the bowls from the cupboard. I need to get the food and the measuring cup from the cupboard. Then I change the water. I then put the food into the bowls and then I give the food to the pets, okay? Pause the video now to complete your task, which is writing and prepare and do checklist for one of the following, brushing your teeth, getting dressed, or doing homework. Resume once you're finished. You can now look at... Let's look at this example, which is slightly more complex and might not be as familiar to you. So the task is to make a birthday card, okay? So let's think about all our questions. First, we're going to ask, when do I have to have the card ready by? Okay? And this is where you can ask an adult and say, "When is the birthday? "When do I need the card ready by?" Okay, then you're going to write that down. Then it says, how long will it take? Now, if you've never made a birthday card before, it might take you a longer time. If it's something you do quite often, then it might go quite quickly because you know where everything is. So let's say you say 20 minutes, okay? Now, what do you need for the card? Well, you need some paper or some card and some colour pencils. And what are the steps? Well, if you've never done this before, you are probably going to have to ask an adult and then follow their instructions. Pause the video now to complete your task. I want you to prepare and do an unfamiliar task. So something you've not done before, and this can be, make a card or water the plants, or you can ask your parent or carer to help you make a snack. Resume once you're finished. Remember, you can start and finish a task if you plan, prepare, stick to the steps and try your best. If you'd like to, please ask your parent or carer to share your work on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter tagging @OakNational and #LearnwithOak. So you soon.

Starting and finishing tasks

Starting and finishing tasks

These resources will be removed by the end of the Spring Term 2026.

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