Executive Functions
Why do they matter so much?
Imagine if there was a magic vitamin that could enhance your child's success in school now and even their likelihood of having a successful career and positive relationships later in life. You would buy those vitamins, right? While there may not be a magic vitamin or Limitless pill (see Urban Dictionary), we can give our children something that is strongly associated with these future successes: a set of skills known as Executive Functions (EFs).
At their core, EFs are powerhouse skills that help children regulate and direct their energy and behavior toward overarching goals. These skills begin to take shape in early childhood, evolving as the brain's frontal region matures up to age 25. While we may not be able to instill all these skills before our little ones graduate from 5th grade, we can do a great deal at school and home to lay a robust foundation for their future success.
What exactly are these magical skills?
They include the ability to manage time effectively, stay focused, switch attention, plan and organize tasks, remember important details, and regulate behavior appropriately.
Selective Attention & Processing
While there is no single test that can measure the whole range of EF, the Stroop Test is one tool that can gauge selective attention capacity, processing speed, and related skills—all integral to executive functioning. Intrigued? Give it a try.
WHPS Professional Development Focus
Here at school, we have been working with Lindsay Astor Grant, one of the top experts helping schools "bake" EF skills into the learning experience. November's all-preschool PD day was spent investigating how classroom design impacts behavior and can be leveraged to set children up for even greater school success. In December, Lindsay has been working with the elementary division on a variety of ways classroom design and systems can simultaneously reduce minutia and foster EF skill development in students. While many of these skills are already a focus of our program, Lindsay introduced some unique ways to codify these practices throughout the program.
WHPS Parent MasterClass - February 13 @ 6:30 PM (on Zoom)
Recognizing the pivotal role EFs play in shaping our children's success, we're excited to connect the incredible professional development happening at school with your homes.
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After the workshop, Lindsay shared this handout summarizing many of her key points.
Take it to the Next Level!
If you are interested in exploring this topic further, one of our favorite experts on EF—especially for children who are neurodiverse and/or 2e, who often need some extra TLC in this area—is Seth Perler. Check out his resources, videos for kids, YouTube, and join the Facebook Group. He has a trove of helpful information!
