Introduction to Executive Functioning Skills

Welcome Guest Blogger!

Hi Friends,

I've got another special post! I am thrilled to have a second guest blogger here on my site! I posted 
in one of the Facebook groups I belong to and asked for writers to share their knowledge and expertise and I'm so fortunate that Becky responded! She's a wealth of knowledge and her passion is Executive Functioning,  a subject that I personally am interested in learning more about.

​Keep reading to learn more and stay tuned for future posts!
​
- Rebecca

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Hi there! I am Becky, a twenty-seven year veteran teacher and reading specialist! I have experience K - 5, and have been teaching fifth for a while now.

​As a mom of three (mostly) grown children, I know how tricky the juggling act can be. I love spending my days learning along with my students!

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Where are my KEYS?” you scream-whisper as you search frantically through the piles in your kitchen. 

You are late, low on gas, and hiding a wrinkled shirt with a sloppy cardigan because you forgot the iron is broken. 

Sound familiar? If so, you already know a little about Executive Functioning Skills, and just how much they impact your life.
    

Executive Functioning Skills Are Literally Running Your Life

Most people are familiar with Executive Functioning Skills (EFS), they’re just not using that label. These skills, considered to be the command center of cognition, help people to be successful by planning, focusing attention, juggling multiple tasks, and more. Sometimes, it’s helpful to think of Executive Functioning Skills as the air-traffic controller for the brain.

Many parents, educators and child development experts are talking about Executive Functioning Skills these days. Why? When children have strong skills in this area as well as in the area of self-regulation, not only does the child benefit, but society as a whole improves.

How can simply planning ahead or focusing your attention have such a broad impact? Think about it. Today’s students are tomorrow’s teachers, doctors, mechanics, electricians, political leaders, law enforcement officers, etc.  When they have the skills and abilities to get along with others and collaborate to reach a common objective, it moves our society forward. ​

What Are the Executive Functioning Skills?

So how do we harness the power of these skills and make positive changes? The first step is knowing a little about each skill. There are eight Executive Functioning Skills. In this series of articles, we will discuss each skill in-depth and share tips and strategies for Executive Functioning improvement.

•  Planning - developing a well-thought-out strategy prior to beginning a task
• Time Management - using time well to complete tasks, including accurately estimating how long tasks will take
• Working Memory - keeping information in our heads while we use it - useful in solving math problems, for example
• Self-control - stopping and thinking in order to make a more positive choice in the moment
• Perseverance - working through challenges, roadblocks and obstacles that come up along the way 
• Organization - keeping neat and orderly systems in place
• Task Initiation - starting right away, even when you don’t want to
• Metacognition - thinking about our thinking - considering what we know and what we don’t know about a topic as we learn
• Attention - focusing on a person or task for a period of time, and refocusing when needed
•  Flexibility - effectively coping with change

When any single EFS is not working well, all aspects of life are impacted. But the good news is that we can change the brain! Until recently, scientists thought the brain ‘solidified’ after early childhood. Now we know this is not the case! In fact, the brain has the capacity for change even into old age!

Indeed, due to the brain’s neuroplasticity, each of these Executive Functioning Skills can be strengthened and improved. Our next step? We will break each skill down, one-by-one, and strategically target it for maximum performance!