Text Leveling System

See You Later, Procrastinator

RDQ:	1431	Max Word/Sent	37	Total Words	3086		Diff Words	855
Lex	810	Ave Word/.Sent	10	Hi Freq occurs	2339	75.8%	Hi freq	350	40.9%
AR	4.2	Long Sentences	10	Low Freq occurs	149	4.8%	Low freq	117	13.7%

Quick Quiz
Procrastination is:
1. a small country somewhere in Europe
2. the opposite of anticrastination
3. a long word that's hard to spell
4. the habit of putting things off, doing
things at the last minute, or not
finishing what you start
5- I don't know-ask me later]]
Procrasti Nation
Are people always
after you to get 
stuff done? 
Do you often
have that freaky
time-is-running out
feeling?
Have you ever told a
teacher "The dog ate
my homework"
when you don't
even have a dog?
Do you usually wait until the
last minute to start things, then
panic, melt down, and blow up
at everyone around you?]]
Do you, in a word, procrastinate?
Hey, join the crowd. More than 1 in every 4
Americans thinks he or she is a total procrastinator.
When it comes to college students, that number rises
to 3 out of 4. Young people are more likely to
procrastinate than older people.
So, does it really matter if you put things off? Only
if you want to live a happy, healthy life. People who
procrastinate tend to be less happy, less healthy ... and
also less wealthy, if you care.
Chances are, someone-like a
teacher or parent-has noticed
that you have trouble getting
things done. Perhaps that
person gave you this book.
Maybe you don't think you
need it and you don't want
to read it.
That's okay. It's not easy to
admit you procrastinate and
could use a little help. Maybe
you do put stuff off now and
then, or you wait and wait and wait and wait
and then end up doing a pretty decent job. Is that so
wrong? Of course not. Everyone procrastinates
sometimes-even presidents.
Andrew Jackson,
the seventh President
of the United States,
once said, "There is no
pleasure in having
nothing to do; the fun
is having lots to do and
not doing it."]]
But procrastination can become a habit that's hard
to break. You may get so used to it that you hardly
notice when you've put stuff off-until you get that
awful feeling of dread as the due date gets closer. You
probably feel bad when you avoid your chores or work,
think you've let someone down, or know you're going
to be in trouble. It all adds up to extra stress, and who
needs that?
You're growing and changing, and if you're not in
middle school already, you will be soon. And middle
school (or junior high) means MORE. More responsibility,
more teachers, more subjects, more classrooms,
more chores at home, more pressure in your after-school
activities, more complicated friendships.
When you have more to stay on top of, you need
habits that work for you, not against you.
That's what this book is about. It doesn't nag you,
scold you, or try to make you feel bad. Instead, it tells
you ways to get stuff done quickly, get organized, get
control of your schedule, and most of all, get started.
For now, the only thing you need to do is keep
reading.]]
The Pitiful Tale of
Peter Procrastinator
"Great dinner, Ma," said Peter Procrastinator as he
jumped up to clear the table. He made sure he was
speedy so no one could get the chance to ask him about
homework. The big math test was tomorrow, and he
didn't want his parents to start bugging him about
studying.
Soon he was parked in front of the TV, game
controller in hand, thinking "Life is good."
Just as he reached new levels of play, his dad
appeared and said, "Pardon me, Peter, but shouldn't
you be doing your homework?"
I'll get to it soon," Peter replied, not mentioning
the test.]]
When his dad returned a half hour later, Peter was
still playing. His dad held out his palm, which meant
"Hand it over." Peter gave up the controller and headed
to his room, but not before nabbing the phone and
hiding it under his sweatshirt. He shut his bedroom
door to fool his dad into thinking he was hard at work.
Peter decided to phone a few friends. They were all
studying for the test and couldn't talk long. So he called
his friends from another school. Then he called his
cousin. "Who else can I call?" Peter wondered. Then he
started dialing. "Hi, Granny, it's me! What's new?"
After all that talking, he needed a snack and went
to the kitchen to make a sundae. He pulled out every
ingredient he could find and built a mini-mountain of
a dessert. It only took 30 minutes. Then he sat down
with his parents and little sister to watch some TV.]]
"I really need to relax," he announced. Everyone
assumed he'd finished his work, and that was just what
Peter wanted them to think.
Peter watched one sitcom, then stayed seated for
another. The whole family was laughing Peter a little
too hard. He had a weird feeling, like he was supposed
to be doing something ... oh, yeah, the test.
"I'll study in ten minutes," Peter promised himself.
"Just five more minutes, then I'll hit the books."
"I'll go when the commercials come on."
"Just a few more minutes." He glanced at the clock
uneasily. It was close to bedtime.
"If a commercial for dog food comes on, that will be
my sign to go upstairs and study."]]
"Your dog will love new Bag O Chow!
"Fine! I'm going!"
Peter said goodnight to his family and dragged
himself up to his room. He climbed into bed with his
math book and a flashlight. Suddenly the math
problems seemed a lot harder than he remembered.
His stomach felt like a lump of cement. "Must be the
ice cream," he mumbled. "Does ice cream make people
sleepy ... ?]]
Procrastination
in Action
Procrastination is a habit, which means you behave in
a way that's automatic. You don't think about it, you
just do it, like biting your fingernails or cracking your
knuckles. You say or think things like:
"I'll do it later ."
"I'll get to it tomorrow."
"It can wait.
In other words, you get in the habit of not doing.
You may dawdle, or stall, or worry, or whine, and time
ticks by. Before you know it, time has run out and
you're in the hot seat. Ouch.
What happens next? You might make excuses. And
making excuses-to other people or yourself-can
leave you feeling like a rat.]]
So, why do people procrastinate/
Good question. Can we get back to you?
Kidding.
People procrastinate for all kinds of
reasons. What matters most to you (and the
people around you) is why you procrastinate.
Time to ask yourself why.]]
Procrastination
Investigation
To get to the bottom of your procrastination, read
about each reason. Which one sounds most like you? Is
there more than one? For each reason, there's a
Procrastination Buster (PB for short) you can try.]]
WEIGHED DOWN?
Maybe you have too much to do-or you think you
have too much to do. Either way, you feel buried and
you don't know how to start digging out.
Pow
Make a list of everything you think you
need to do. Chores, homework, projects,
 tasks-everything. Ask an adult to help you prioritize
your list. Put an A next to things that are super
important, a B next to things that are less important,
and a C next to things that can wait.
Finally (and this is the fun part) cross out anything
you really don't need to do. You know, things you've
been meaning to do for weeks or months and never
got around to. Or things it's now too late to do. Or
things that simply don't matter anymore.
Look-your list just got shorter. Can you pick one
of your A or B priorities and get it done (or at least
start it) today?]]
GROSSED OUT?
Some tasks are just plain disgusting. Does anyone really
enjoy scooping out the litter box or cleaning off the
blobs of toothpaste stuck to the sink? Who wants to
take out the smelly trash or pick up doggy doo-doo?
Zap!
Hold your nose,
grit your teeth, and
get it done. (Be sure to wash
your hands after.) Sorry, but
that's the only way cause if
it's your job and you don't do it, who
will? For majorly stinky tasks, tie a
bandanna over your nose and
mouth. If you're working outdoors,
make sure the neighbors know you're
not a bandit.]]
STRESSED OUT?
Maybe you procrastinate when a project seems too
difficult. If learning a long list of spelling words is hard
for you, then you may get stressed when you think of
the task ahead. Have you ever noticed that the longer
you put off learning the list, the longer the list seems
to become? slam!
Slice your big, difficult project into
smaller, easier tasks. Some people call this
the salami technique. For example, if
you're supposed to learn
15 spelling words,
make 3 lists of 5 words each,
then learn one list at a 
time. (Learn it, don't eat
it.) For more about
long-term projects,
go to page 72.]]
TOO BLASE?*
Maybe you think, "What's the
point of doing homework?" Or
"Why bother doing chores?"
Or "So what if I clean my room?
It'll just get dirty again."
What you need is a motivator.
A motivator is something you want and
are willing to work for. It's a reward you give yourself
for a job well done (a bonus, not a bribe). Pick things
that are fun and that you don't get to do every day.
TOO BLASE
Maybe you think, "What's the
point of doing homework?" Or
"Why bother doing chores?"
Or "So what if I clean my room?
It'll just get dirty again."
What you need is a motivator.
A motivator is something you want and
are willing to work for. It's a reward you give yourself
for a job well done (a bonus, not a bribe). Pick things
that are fun and that you don't get to do every day.
 Impress all your
friends with this
word. It means
"bored with life."]]
Bang!
An allowance can be a motivator. Talk to
the adults at home to see if you can earn
an allowance for doing chores. (But you
really have to do the chores to get the
cash.) With help from your family, you
can come up with a list of daily and weekly chores, a
fair amount for your allowance, and maybe even ways
to earn extra money for extra
work. Make a chore chart (see
page 66) so you remember what
you're expected to do. Some
families like to encourage kids
to divide their allowance into
thirds: save a third, donate
a third to a worthy cause,
and spend a third on
things you want to buy.
Go to pages 38-39 for
more motivators.]]
WORN OUT?
Do you ever start stuff with a BANG but then just  
lose steam? This can happen with big projects that have
a lot of steps or take a long time to complete. It's easy
to lose interest or get stuck. Even if you sizzle and fizzle,
you don't have to give up.
Bam!
Know your "prime time." When do you
work best? When are you most alert? for
some people, it's first thing in the
morning. For others, it's later in the day.
Experiment to find out when you're at
your peak. Right after school? After dinner? The
moment you wake up? Saturday mornings before
seeing your friends?
FREAKED OUT?
Have you ever had a dream where a monster was
chasing you but you couldn't move a muscle? Fear can
freeze you into doing nothing. It's a major reason why
people procrastinate.
There are all kinds of fears. Maybe you're]]
Scared to Fail
Fear Fact #1: Nobody succeeds at everything.
Fear Fact #2: Everybody fails sometimes.
It helps to have a role model-someone to look up to.
When it comes to failure, the American inventor
Thomas Edison (think the light bulb) is a terrific role
model. Along the way, he had many failures, but he
kept a positive attitude. "I have not failed," he once
said. "I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
Wham!
Look around for a role model. This can be
someone you know or someone you've
heard about or read about. It can be a kid
in your class who has her act together, or a
kid in your neighborhood who always
seems on top of things. It can even be a made-up
character from a book or movie. Think about why you
admire that person.]]
Scared of Mistakes
Fear Fact #3: The world won't end if you make
a mistake.
Fear Fact #4: Perfection isn't possible.
Some experts believe that half of everything we learn
comes from making mistakes. You weren't born
knowing how to walk, talk, or feed yourself. You fell
down, said lots of nonsense words, and dropped food
all over the floor (okay, maybe you still do). But what if
you stopped trying the first time any of those "mistakes"
happened? Well, for one thing, you'd probably still be
in diapers.
Instead of seeing mistakes as failures, see
them as something you learned from.
What would you have done differently?
How might you do better next time?]]
Scared to Decide
Fear Fact #5: Not deciding is deciding.
(Did you ever think of it that way?)
Ka Pow!
Got a decision
to make ? Toss
a coin or do
eeny meeny miney
mo.
Or write things you need
to do on slips of paper, put
them in a hat, mix them
up, and pull one out
without peeking first.]]
FED UP?
Sometimes it's a pain being a kid. Parents, teachers,
coaches, and other adults tell you what to do a lot.
Most adults are big on rules, homework, chores, and
bedtimes. Don't you sometimes wish you could order
them around?
The thing is, grown-ups are in charge, and they
usually want what's best for you. The reason they make
you do things is not to make you miserable, but to help
you learn and grow.
Sock!
List some funny rules you'd
come up with if you were
the adult. Like "School is
optional," "It's against
the law to serve Brussels
sprouts," and "Kids can stay up as
late as they want." Laughter can be a
motivator. It lightens your mood and
adds more fun to your life.]]
BUMMED OUT?
Maybe you've put off apologizing to a friend or writing
a card for someone who's sick. Perhaps you've been
working on getting in shape or fitting in better at
school, but you think you're not making progress.
At times like these, worries or sadness can get in the
way. Procrastinating might give you a little lift a brief
sense of relief. But don't let yourself fall into the
procrastination trap. That feeling of "Good, I don't
have to deal with it!" won't last. You'll feel better if you
take a deep breath and just do what you have to do.
Thwack!
Talk with an adult you trust about your
worries or sadness. Ask for help
if you need it. No matter
how bad you feel,
you're not alone, 
and someone out there 
cares and will listen.]]
SPACED OUT?
A lot of kids procrastinate because they don't know
what else to do. No one has ever taught them how to
plan ahead, make good choices, and get things done.
They get discouraged because they don't know where
or how to start. Or they get off to a good start but don't
know what to do next. Help!
Yum!
Fix yourself a sandwich and keep reading. One
way to get rid of the procrastination habit is to
replace it with great new habits that help you
feel more in charge of your life. That's what
you're about to do.]]
20 Ways to kiss procrastination good bye
Don't worry you don't have to learn all 20 ways at once. And you don't have to learn them in order. Take your time and ask for help when you need it.]]
Take a Chill Pill
This book isn't about turning you into a Super Kid who
always gets everything done on time and never goofs
off. Who wants to live like that?
Don't sit around thinking you're a loser because
you're not great at starting or finishing stuff. Maybe
you're having trouble at home because your family
isn't organized or doesn't have much time for you.
Maybe you're struggling in school because you're bored
or confused, or don't understand what your teacher
expects of you. It's possible you procrastinate because
you now have bigger responsibilities you don't know
how to handle.
If you want to make changes, you can. If you think
you can't do it on your own, get help. Go to an adult
you trust-a parent, other relative, teacher, or school
counselor. You might say something like "I feel stuck
and need some help," or "School is hard for me. What
can I do?" Just saying those words is a start.
Now relax for a moment. Think about a time when
you accomplished something you really wanted to do.
Maybe you read a long book and wrote a great report
on it. Maybe you reached a goal in a sport or an activity,
or helped organize a volunteer project with your class.
Perhaps you learned a new piece of music, planned a
party, or made something you're proud of.]]
Whatever it was-you did it. Which means you can
kick the procrastination habit, too.
Time to say ...
See you later, procrastinator.
Buh bye putter offer.
hit the road, dawdler.
Sayonara, slowpoke.
Make up other funny ways to say farewell to your
inner slacker.]]
Mission: Organization
Getting organized is one of the BEST ways to get your
act together. Lucky it's not Mission: Impossible.
Even the worst clutter
bunny can learn to get
organized. It's the only
way to avoid the dreaded
Domino Effect.
That's when you stand a
row of dominos on end,
knock over the first one,
and they all fall down.]]
How do you get organized? It doesn't happen all in
one day. It's something you may need to work on bit
by bit. Some areas of your life may be more organized
than others, so you'll want to take a look at where you
need the most help. For example, are you pretty
organized at home but not at school? Or maybe it's the
other way around. Do you need help in both areas?
Check out pages 42-44, 50-51, and 56-57.]]

Subjective Criteria

Illustrations: Little support

Simple graphics supplementary to text comprehension

Vocabulary: Many difficult words

Language: Many descriptive words

Sentences: Some Long/Complex

Text structure: Formal

Captions

Inserts/Side bars

Concepts: Concrete/Simple Social

Table of Contents

Index

Headings

Author's purpose: Obvious

Features

Present Tense

Topic

Attitudes

Values

Behaviors

Habits

*Feelings, Behaviors

Low Frequency Words

accomplished	activities	allowance	announced	anticrastination
assumed	blase	bonus	buh	bummed
chasing	college	commercial	commercials	complicated
controller	counselor	dawdle	dawdler	decent
decision	dialing	diapers	discouraged	domino
dominos	dread	dreaded	eeny	effect
encourage	failures	fitting	fizzle	freaked
goofs	grossed	healthy	impress	ingredient
inventor	investigation	junior	knowing	knuckles
laughter	levels	lightens	likely	major
majorly	meeny	mentioning	miney	mini
miserable	mission	model	motivator	motivators
muscle	nabbing	nag	nation	neighborhood
neighbors	opposite	optional	organization	organized
panic	pardon	perfection	pitiful	pleasure
positive	president	presidents	pressure	prime
priorities	prioritize	procrasti	procrastinate	procrastinating
procrastinator	progress	project	projects	putter
reasons	relative	responsibilities	responsibility	reward
salami	sayonara	schedule	seventh	sitcom
sizzle	slowpoke	sprouts	stall	stressed
sundae	sweatshirt	technique	terrific	thwack
uneasily	volunteer	wealthy	weighed	weird
whine	worthy