In educational settings executive functioning (EF) refers to the idea of having a command and control- center in our brain. These top level brain functions activate, organize, integrate and manage other functions in our brain. Neuropsychologists have been studying executive function for more than a decade, and I got my first course about it back in 2003, in Niilo Maki Institute, Finland.
In your classroom the good EF skill is visible in students' ability to create an action plan and stick to it. That actually sounds like a very simple skill, but in reality it is quite wide set of skills that all contribute to success. Here is a short list of things your students with good EF are able to do:
- Regulate behaviour & emotions (here: in order to stick in the task)
- Have sufficient amount of working memory focused on task
- Create a plan
- Initiate the plan, i.e. begin the task
- Follow through the plan and finish the task
- Keep track on time
- Follow instructions
- Be able to modify, if necessary
Helping your students excel these functions doesn't mean adding a new subject to curriculum. Just being intentional in your teaching and providing your students with plenty of chances to practice EF helps them to keep on growing with their skills. Too much structured instruction makes it hard for students to get experience in planning their actions and work, so be sure to have them practice all the steps above with projects. Graphic organizers are invaluable help here! Also point out their strengths in the area of EF, because the very same skill set is necessary in successfully understanding cause and effect.
One quite common problem among students is the inability to start working on their own. It can reflect to ineffective working memory, or even to the fact that there has always been someone around to remind what should be done, but teaching the planning and executing process helps also these students to be successful in their learning. Please call/email me for more information about EF.
More about Executive Functions, cognition and other 3Cs in the book: Choosing How to Teach and Teaching How to Choose
In educational settings executive functioning (EF) refers to the idea of having a command and control- center in our brain. These top level brain functions activate, organize, integrate and manage other functions in our brain. Neuropsychologists have been studying executive function for more than a decade, and I got my first course about it back in 2003, in Niilo Maki Institute, Finland.
In your classroom the good EF skill is visible in students' ability to create an action plan and stick to it. That actually sounds like a very simple skill, but in reality it is quite wide set of skills that all contribute to success. Here is a short list of things your students with good EF are able to do:
- Regulate behaviour & emotions (here: in order to stick in the task)
- Have sufficient amount of working memory focused on task
- Create a plan
- Initiate the plan, i.e. begin the task
- Follow through the plan and finish the task
- Keep track on time
- Follow instructions
- Be able to modify, if necessary
Helping your students excel these functions doesn't mean adding a new subject to curriculum. Just being intentional in your teaching and providing your students with plenty of chances to practice EF helps them to keep on growing with their skills. Too much structured instruction makes it hard for students to get experience in planning their actions and work, so be sure to have them practice all the steps above with projects. Graphic organizers are invaluable help here! Also point out their strengths in the area of EF, because the very same skill set is necessary in successfully understanding cause and effect.
One quite common problem among students is the inability to start working on their own. It can reflect to ineffective working memory, or even to the fact that there has always been someone around to remind what should be done, but teaching the planning and executing process helps also these students to be successful in their learning. Please call/email me for more information about EF.
More about Executive Functions, cognition and other 3Cs in the book: Choosing How to Teach and Teaching How to Choose