Executive Function and Study Skills for Middle School: Planning, Notes and Test Prep
Executive Function and Study Skills for Middle School: A Teachable Unit
It is the third week of term. A seventh grader has a science project due Friday, a vocabulary quiz on Thursday and a planner that says only "stuff". Advisory or homeroom is often the one period where you can slow down and show what a plan actually looks like. This page sets out a path through four Grades 6–8 units, starting with study skills.
See the study skills unit →Resources that fit
A study skills unit and three companions
The study skills unit is the core of this page. The other three units cover habits that sit next to it in an advisory program: checking sources, looking after sleep and food choices, and repairing conflicts.
Executive Function and Study Skills | 8 Lessons, 4 Planning Tools & a Project | Grades 6–8
Eight lessons on planning, retrieval, spacing, notes and test preparation.
Spotting Misinformation and Deepfakes | 8 Lessons, 6 Verification Files & a Project | Grades 6–8
Teaches students to check a claim before they study from it.
Sleep, Nutrition and Wellness | 8 Lessons, Label Comparison & Project | Grades 6–8
Sleep and routine lessons that connect to how students plan their week.
Conflict Resolution and Restorative Circles | 8 Lessons, 4 Facilitator Cases & Project | Grades 6–8
Listening, repair agreements and follow-up for group work that goes wrong.
Middle School Life Skills Bundle | Misinformation, Study Skills, Wellness & Conflict Resolution | 4 Units | Grades 6–8
All four Grades 6–8 life skills units in one purchase.
Where each skill appears
Which lesson teaches what
| Skill | Where it is taught | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Breaking a big task into a next step | Lesson 1 | Executive Function and Study Skills |
| Planning backward from a due date | Lesson 2 and the weekly plan | Executive Function and Study Skills |
| Retrieval and spacing | Lessons 3 and 4 and the retrieval record | Executive Function and Study Skills |
| Notes that can be used for studying | Lesson 5 | Executive Function and Study Skills |
| Preparing for a test | Lesson 7 and the error transfer page | Executive Function and Study Skills |
| Judging a source before studying from it | Lessons 1 to 3 | Spotting Misinformation and Deepfakes |
| Sleep routines and a realistic goal | Lessons 2, 3 and 8 | Sleep, Nutrition and Wellness |
| Repairing a problem in a group project | Lessons 5 to 7 | Conflict Resolution and Restorative Circles |
The first five rows are all in the study skills unit. The last three show where the companion units pick up. For a wider view of what to teach in advisory, see how to teach social-emotional learning.
Planning
Start with the next clear step
The unit begins with a small question: what is the next clear step? Students take a large task, such as a science project or a book report, and write down the first concrete action. Not "work on project" but "list three questions I could test". This sounds minor, yet it is where many students stall. They see the whole task, feel it is too big and do nothing. Lesson 2 then plans backward from a due date, so intermediate steps get their own days. The weekly plan in the study skills unit gives students a page to fill in during advisory and check again on Friday. Keep the first two lessons close together so the plan is still fresh when students use it.
Notes and tests
Retrieval, spacing and notes that get used
Lessons 3 and 4 deal with how students review. The unit explains why recalling from memory works better than rereading, and why spreading review over several days beats one long session. Students record what they could recall in a retrieval record, so they see their own results instead of a feeling. Lesson 5 then looks at note structure: notes should be set up so a student can quiz themselves from them later. Lesson 7 pulls these strategies together into a test plan, and the error transfer page asks students to look at a mistake, name the cause and write what they will do differently. Lesson 8 closes the loop by judging which strategy actually helped.
Limits
What this unit is and is not
This is a classroom practice program. It does not diagnose attention or learning difficulties, and it does not replace support plans or specialist help. Lesson 6, Focus and access, looks at study conditions and adjustments that students can try themselves, and the accessible study plan gives a format for students who need a different layout or pace. The teacher guide has differentiation notes and an assessment key with feedback. If a student's difficulties go well beyond what a class routine can address, that belongs with your school's support team. For a wider set of activities around self-management, our page on middle school SEL activities is a good next stop.
Companion units
What else belongs in an advisory block
Study habits depend on other things. A student who cannot judge a source will study from a bad one, and Spotting Misinformation and Deepfakes teaches checking strategies in eight lessons and six verification files. Its health miracle case is a media literacy exercise and gives no medical advice. Sleep, Nutrition and Wellness gives students a way to talk about routines, sleep and screens without blame. Conflict Resolution and Restorative Circles is classroom practice for group work conflicts; it is not mediation or counseling. If you plan to use all four across a year, the Middle School Life Skills Bundle costs less than buying the units separately: save $34.97.
In practice
A four-week advisory plan
- Week 1: next stepsTeach Lesson 1 and have each student write a next step for a real assignment due this week.
- Week 2: plan backwardTeach Lesson 2 and fill in the weekly plan together. Check it again at the end of the week.
- Week 3: retrieval and spacingUse Lessons 3 and 4 before a real quiz. Students fill in the retrieval record.
- Week 4: notes and test planTeach Lessons 5 and 7, then use the error transfer page after the quiz result comes back.
- ReflectUse Lesson 8 to ask which strategy helped and which one to drop.
Every resource is built around the curriculum you teach – and if something doesn't fit your standards, the TeachLessons Guarantee applies: we adapt it for you.
Questions teachers ask
Frequently asked questions
Is this a program for students with ADHD or executive function disorders?
No. It is a classroom skills unit for all students and does not diagnose or treat anything. It does not replace individual support. The teacher guide has differentiation notes.
Which standards is the unit closest to?
No single academic standard covers study skills. The closest US reference is the CASEL self-management competency. No alignment or endorsement is claimed.
Are answers included?
Yes. The separate 13-page teacher guide has expected responses for all eight lessons, an assessment key with feedback and notes on differentiation and observation.
How long does the unit take?
The materials give no fixed duration. Plan it by lesson: eight lessons with an explanation page, a practice page and a case card each, plus four planning tools and a project.
Can I use it in a subject class instead of advisory?
Yes. The unit is written for homeroom, advisory, study-skills days or learning time, and for teachers who want to build these habits into a subject class.
Do the four units have to be taught together?
No. Each unit stands alone. The bundle is for teachers who want all four, and it costs $34.97 less than buying them separately.
Give students a plan they can follow
Four Grades 6–8 life skills units, from study skills to conflict repair, in one bundle.
See the life skills bundle →