What is Executive Functioning and How to Support Children to Develop These Skills

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Executive functioning is an umbrella term for a set of cognitive processes that are responsible for our ability to process and organize information, plan and prioritize tasks, manage our emotions, and make decisions. It is an important skill set that helps promote success in school, work, and life. For young children, executive functioning skills are essential for academic, social, and emotional development. They help kids regulate their behaviors, stay organized, and manage their emotions. Unfortunately, these skills don’t develop overnight. To help children develop and maintain these skills, parents and teachers must provide consistent support and guidance. Here are some tips for helping children develop their executive functioning skills: 1. Provide structure. Children thrive when they have a predictable routine and a consistent environment. Having a set schedule for activities, meals, and bedtime can provide children with structure and help them stay on task. 2. Help Them Develop Self-Awareness. Self-awareness is an important part of executive functioning. Encourage children to reflect on their feelings and behaviors and provide them with strategies to help manage their emotions. 3. Teach Time Management. Time management is a vital executive functioning skill. Help children learn to break down tasks into smaller chunks, prioritize their tasks, and develop a schedule for completing them. 4. Model Good Habits. Children learn by example, so it’s important to model the executive functioning skills you want them to develop. Show them how to stay organized, how to manage their time, and how to regulate their emotions. 5. Provide Visual Cues. Visual cues can be helpful for young children who are trying to learn and practice executive functioning skills. Post a daily schedule or a list of tasks to be completed to help them stay on track. 6. Offer Rewards. Reinforcing desired behaviors can be an effective way to help children develop executive functioning skills. Offer rewards for completing tasks, staying organized, and managing their time. 7. Encourage Practice. Executive functioning skills take time and practice to master. Encourage children to practice the skills they are learning and provide feedback to help them improve. 8. Help Them Stay Motivated. Motivation is essential for mastering executive functioning skills. Help children find activities they enjoy and provide them with positive reinforcement to keep them motivated. By providing consistent structure, teaching self-awareness, modeling good habits, and offering rewards, you can help children develop the executive functioning skills they need for success. With patience and practice, children can learn to manage their time, emotions, and behaviors and reach their full potential.