Are You Working Hard or Hardly Working?

Work hard until the job is done! 

That is the message Isaac hears repeatedly from his teacher, his coach, and his mom. They have to keep reminding him to finish his tasks because Isaac always – always – puts fun first.

During math class, Isaac quits an assignment because a robot on a faraway computer monitor is too cool to ignore. At tennis practice, he stops doing drills because he wants to spice things up by whacking tennis balls so hard, they soar over the fence like out-of-the-park homers. When his mom promises a trip to the zoo if he cleans his room, Isaac crams, stuffs, and piles every dirty shirt, game, and candy wrapper into a closet and calls it clean. When the mess spills out, burying his mom, the zoo trip is delayed until he cleans his room the right way.

Isaac is so busy looking to have fun, he ignores his responsibilities and all the work he needs to finish. Will it make any difference when a caring teacher introduces him to four simple steps that can help him focus and finish tasks? Or will Isaac keep making more work for himself by putting fun first?

Are You Working Hard or Hardly Working? offers a timely message about the importance of having a strong work ethic and maintaining balance between work and play. A special tips page written specifically for parents and teachers offers helpful ideas on how to empower kids to stay focused and on task.

Author, counselor, coach and dad Bryan Smith adds another delightfully entertaining story to his Stepping Up Social Skills book series. The series is written for children in Grades K-6 and follows the adventures of Isaac, a young boy learning how to control his impulses, be more self-reliant, and take responsibility. 31 pgs.