What is one of the most crucial factors influencing a student’s success academically and beyond? Executive functions–the mental processes that enable an awareness of what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. These essential skills form the foundation for managing tasks, solving problems, and overcoming challenges. By understanding and nurturing these skills, educators can empower students to reach their fullest potential.
What are Executive Functions?
Executive functions encompass a set of cognitive abilities that are responsible for cueing and coordinating behavior, such as focusing, planning, organizing, and managing memory. As Dr. George McCloskey, Professor and Director of School Psychology Research at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine explained in a recent webinar, “We can consider them (executive functions) the supervisory system of the brain.” These critical processes act as the brain’s command center, enabling people to navigate and complete everyday activities.
Executive functions rely on areas of the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for higher-level cognitive functions, like decision-making, self-regulation, and goal-directed behavior. Although these functions are often delayed in children with ADHD, autism, and other neurodevelopmental differences, any child can have difficulty with one or more executive functions when attempting academic tasks or managing their behavior.
There are many executive functions that influence a student’s success throughout their academic journey, including:
- Focusing and sustaining attention
- Monitoring and correcting
- Initiating, stopping, and shifting
- Being flexible
- Inhibiting impulsive responding
- Anticipating consequences
- Planning, prioritizing, and goal setting
- Organizing
- Managing time
- Managing memory
These executive functions also help students to manage their behavior, regulate their emotions, and persist in efforts to achieve goals.
When Do Executive Functions Develop?
Executive function neural networks begin forming in a newborn baby’s brain during the first year of life. These networks are strengthened over time based on the child’s experiences and environmental conditions. If these functions aren’t being utilized frequently, delays can arise. For example, as Dr. McCloskey explained, “If you’re not really cued or prompted to pay attention or to inhibit impulsive responding very much before beginning to attend school, you’re probably not going to be very good at it.” Thankfully, there are ways to teach students how to use and improve executive functions to reduce delays resulting from the underutilization of these neural networks.
Why are Executive Functions Important?
Executive functions are fundamental for success in school, work, and everyday life. These processes allow children to focus their attention, regulate their behavior, and adapt to shifting circumstances–abilities that are critical for academic, vocational, and personal growth. Without strong executive functions, even the brightest of students struggle to meet their fullest potential due to challenges like difficulty with self-regulation or impulsive behavior.
Strong executive functions promote success by empowering students to:
What are the Challenges in Assessing Executive Functions?
Performance-based measures, such as computer-based response inhibition tasks, are sometimes used but come with limitations. One reason for this is there is quite a bit of overlap between executive function domains. For example, a task that is intended to measure set-shifting may also be impacted by working memory. Additionally, the way executive functions manifest can vary widely depending on the environment and context. A student might demonstrate strong executive functions in a structured classroom but struggle in unstructured or unpredictable settings, further complicating assessment efforts.
Careful observation of a student’s use of executive functions within their day-to-day routines is often more insightful. Ratings from teachers, parents, and others close to the student–known as informant-based measures, also can be very helpful.
The Silas/McCloskey EF Curriculum offers an executive function screening tool to evaluate students’ executive function strengths and challenges. Pre-assessment of the learner’s skills can guide educators in identifying specific areas where additional support may be needed.
How Can Educators Support EF Development?
There are evidence-based practices that educators can use to support students in developing their executive functions. An ideal approach combines activities and tools, such as:
- Animated or live-action videos to increase students’ understanding of EFs and how they are used in school
- Games, drawing, and writing activities that provide opportunities to practice different EFs
- Guided discussions and collaborative problem-solving using real-life scenarios
- Student-created animated videos that apply knowledge of EFs
- Self-assessments and self-reflections
The Silas/McCloskey EF Curriculum integrates all of these strategies and more into a comprehensive framework for fostering executive function growth. A standout feature is the Silas Create tool, which allows students to create their own animated videos. This interactive and engaging activity captures students’ attention while enhancing their understanding of EFs through real-life scenarios.
Posted in Education, Special Education
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