Executive function skills are essential to a child's growth and learning ability. These skills begin to develop during early childhood and continue to progress until adulthood. When our students struggle with executive functions, we must help them to build these skills. Lack of these skills can be a sign of something more significant.
Executive Function Skills
Adaptable Thinking - Adaptable thinking gives the child the ability to problem solve or adjust to situations when necessary ad overcome instantaneous obstacles. This skill also applies to a child's ability to see things from someone else's perspective. A child who exhibits this type of cognitive thinking isn't stumped by every day hurdles or a difference of opinion.
An example of adaptable thinking: a child who encounters a roadblock on their way to school and devises an alternate route.
Planning - A child's ability to think about the future, create a plan of action, and prioritize the different working parts is a strong sign of cognitive development. Planning skills allow a child to make a list of operations designed to effectively accomplish a task and to adequately determine which aspects are the most important.
Some examples of planning: making a packing list, giving directions, or writing a recipe.
Self-Monitoring - Self-monitoring involves a child's ability to self-evaluate or comprehend how well he or she is performing a specific task. Self-monitoring helps children track and reflect on their progress regarding a specific assignment and understand that adjustments may need to be made to accomplish the task at hand.
An example of positive self-monitoring: a child identifies that a mathematics formula isn't producing the desired results and checks their work to discover the answer.
Self-Control - Self-control addresses a child's ability to restrain from physical or emotional outbursts. Impulse control keeps a child from reacting or acting without thinking, while emotional control helps a child remain calm and resist the urge to overreact or shutdown due to criticism or obstacles.
An example of effective self-control: A child receives a disappointing score on a test, but maintains focus and absorbs the constructive criticism while staying level-headed and learning from the mistakes.
Working Memory - Working memory involves a child's ability to retain and store learned information and then later put it to use. This skill is crucial to a child's success in the classroom, as it is responsible for short-term memory and execution.
A strong working memory is exhibited by a child who successfully remembers and executes the instructions for a step-by-step drill in gym class.
Time Management - Time management concerns a child's ability to properly organize a schedule, complete tasks on time, and maintain patience throughout assignments. Time management is imperative for a child in an array of scenarios as it facilitates the ability to jump from task to task and enhances productivity.
An example of good time management: completion of a multi-step project before the deadline without rushing or compromising on quality.
Organization - Organization skills address a child's ability to efficiently arrange materials or thoughts in an orderly fashion. Organization is vital to a child's growth and development as it allows them to tell a succinct story or keep track of possessions.
Efficient organization is displayed when a child designates a distinct folder or notebook to each student to each school subject or consistently maintains any sort of systematic method.
We work hard at JPE to help students begin developing these skills. As adults, we are still growing in these areas, as well. We will share with parents and community members what strategies we use to assist students with skills at our next Community Connection for Families on January 26th at 5:30pm in the JPE Cafeteria. We will also offer strategies that you can use at home to assist with these skills. We hope you will come and "connect" with us.
