Free Job Skills Executive Function Cards: First Steps at Work

This free sampler helps students practice one job skill: choose the first step of a task and begin work without waiting for someone to say start.

Why I made this: On a garden center placement, a student stood near the plants for a long time. She knew the steps for watering. She was waiting for an adult to tell her to begin. The skill she needed was task initiation, not more practice on the watering routine itself.

What's included:

• A 6-page PDF and an editable Word copy

• A teacher page with exact card counts and a short teaching plan

• 12 Level A cards from the Getting Started set, each with a job, a made-up job site, a simple picture, 2 choices in 16 point type, and a self-check code

• An answer key with mixed answer letters

• An executive function data sheet with Level A, B, and C columns, a skill line for started on my own, finished, and needed a prompt, prompt levels, and a 10-session graph

• Terms of use

How to use it: Print and cut the cards. Students read the job, pick the first step, and check with the code on the card. After card work, act out a first step with real items in the room or on a job site. Use the data sheet to note whether the student started on their own, finished the step, and needed a prompt.

Who it's for: High school special education teachers, 18-21 program teachers, job coaches, and paras who want a short, free look at executive function practice for ages 14 to 21.

Format: PDF, US Letter, 6 pages, plus an editable Word copy. Prints well in black and white.

How this is different: Many job skill sets track every step of a full routine or ask students to check off a whole shift. This free sampler focuses on one executive function skill, starting the job, with a simple data sheet built for that skill alone.

Pairs with: Other job skills task boxes that practice following directions, workplace behavior, and shift planning once students can start a task on their own.

Jeremy D. Gooch, 20+ years in education.