A student is told, "Remember to stay on task." He has no way to know, in the moment, whether he is. Self-monitoring gives him one: a short question, a mark, a pause.
This guide covers how to design the check, how to teach it, and how to fade it. All examples are invented.
What it is
The IES practice guide describes self-monitoring as a process in which students assess and record their own behavior to help them become more aware of and able to maintain appropriate behavior. It suggests teachers use a checklist of questions to guide students in assessing social and academic behavior: Did I get started on time? Am I following directions? Am I working quietly on my assignment? Did I ask for help the right way? Did I turn in my completed work? With the answers, the teacher can discuss when and where each behavior is expected, whether the student knows how to do it, and how often the student meets the expectation.
Colorado's guide lists self-monitoring and self-regulation among skills that can be taught so that problem behavior becomes unnecessary, alongside communication, problem solving, tolerating delays, and social skills.
When it fits
Self-monitoring fits when a student can already do the skill some of the time and needs help doing it more consistently. It fits less well when the skill itself has not been learned. In that case, teach the skill first. See replacement behaviors examples. The IES guide also notes that self-monitoring can be a quick way to find out whether a student has the skills to meet an expectation.
Design the form
Keep it small. One to three items, in the student's words, with a way to mark yes or no.
| Age | Form | Example items |
|---|---|---|
| Early elementary | A card with pictures and smiley faces, checked at a timer | "Eyes on the teacher?" "Hands to myself?" |
| Upper elementary | A short checklist taped to the desk | "Did I start on time?" "Did I ask for help the right way?" |
| Middle and high | A small card or digital check-in, kept private | "Was I ready within a minute?" "Did I use my break card?" |
Choose one or two behaviors from the plan, matching the replacement skill. Use the same words as the data sheet, so the student's check and the adult's tally describe the same thing.
Teach it in five steps
The IES guide recommends teaching skills with examples, practice, and feedback, and gradually diminishing prompts and rewards. Applied to self-monitoring:
- Explain why. "Checking yourself helps you notice what is going well."
- Model it. Think aloud as you check a short example.
- Practice together. The student rates a few minutes while the teacher rates the same minutes.
- Compare and talk. Where the ratings match, say so. Where they differ, talk about what each of you saw.
- Use it with a prompt. A timer or a quiet signal at first, then on the student's own.
Check accuracy
A student who rates every minute a "yes" is not monitoring. A way to build accuracy is to have the teacher rate at the same time for a short period, and give recognition for matching, not for the high score. When the student's ratings and the teacher's agree most of the time, the teacher can stop rating and spot check. This step turns the form from a game into a skill. The sources cited here do not set an agreement standard, so use your own, and tell the student what it is.
NCII's behavior guide describes Direct Behavior Rating as a method that merges a rating scale with direct observation, used repeatedly for behavior during a set period under similar conditions. Some teams pair a student's self-rating with a teacher rating on the same form.
A worked example (invented)
Sam leaves his work during independent reading about eight times a week. The plan teaches him to check an on-task card at a timer signal. In week one, the teacher rates alongside him and they match on 5 of 10 checks, with Sam rating himself higher. They talk about what "on task" looks like. In week two, they match on 8 of 10, and the teacher moves from rating every check to every third. In week three, the timer moves from five minutes to ten, and the matches hold at 9 of 10. Over the same weeks, the independent tally of leaving his work falls from 8 to 5 to 3 to 2 per week.
The teacher notes that the number of matches rose first, and the behavior followed. That order is a good sign: the student learned to notice before the count changed.
Reinforcement and fading
Pair self-monitoring with recognition for the behavior, and for the accuracy of the check. Then fade. The IES guide advises gradually diminishing external prompts and rewards and reinforcing use of the skill over time. A path might look like this: timer prompts every five minutes, then every ten, then at the start and end of each period, then a daily check-in. If the behavior holds as prompts fade, keep going. If it slips, return to the previous step. See reinforcement schedules basics.
Writing a goal
A self-monitoring goal can name the check and the behavior. Invented example: during independent work, Sam will check his on-task card at each timer signal and mark it accurately, matching the teacher's rating on at least 8 of 10 checks, and will be on task for at least 80 percent of intervals, for four consecutive weeks. That goal states a condition, an action, two numbers, and a time frame. For more wording, see behavior IEP goals examples.
Data
Track both the adult's data on the target behavior and the student's check, on the same sheet if you can. A student's checks alone can drift upward without any change in behavior, so keep the independent count. See data sheets for BIP progress.
Cautions
- Not a surveillance tool. The point is for the student to notice, not for adults to catch.
- Not for every student. If a form adds stress, change or drop it.
- Not a replacement for teaching. If the skill is missing, teach it first.
- Privacy. Keep cards and sheets out of view of peers.
- Tone. Treat low ratings as information, not failure.
Slips
- Too many items. One to three is plenty.
- No accuracy check. Ratings drift.
- Fading too fast. Step down slowly.
- Using it as a punishment. It should feel like a tool.
- Forgetting the data. Compare the student's checks to an adult count.
Terms are in the glossary.
What your team decides
Whether self-monitoring fits a given student, how to design the form, and how to fade it are decisions for the team and the student. The IES and Colorado guides describe the idea. They do not prescribe a procedure. Ask a behavior specialist or school psychologist if you want help.