10 Executive Functioning Skills: The Ultimate Guide

What are executive functioning skills? Executive functioning skills are the important processes in our brain that help us finish tasks and meet our goals. If it sounds like we use them for everything we do, that’d be right – we do! It’s important to mention, though, that executive functioning skills are a huge umbrella. There are actually several different skills that work together to make up our executive functioning. Each skill is valuable and important.

If you’re new to executive functioning skills, feel free to read more about what executive functioning skills are or some strategies educators can use to support learners.

This article specifically covers the 10 core executive functioning skills, what they are at a glance, and some simple strategies to work on them. Whether you are an educator or a parent, it truly is critical to have an understanding of these skills because they can absolutely be taught and integrated throughout every day.

Why teach executive functioning skills? There are a number of reasons to teach and practice executive functioning skills with learners. First off, from an education perspective, executive functioning skills support academic growth. Students use these skills to complete assignments, focus in class, study, and stay organized. And while it’s true that these abilities are important academic skills, but they are also everyday skills too. Being able to plan, organize, start tasks, manage time well, and persevere through challenges are all life skills we use every day.

How can I teach executive functioning skills explicitly? I developed a complete yearlong Executive Functioning Skills set to help learners build skills like planning, organization, time management, and perseverance. If you want to teach these skills but aren’t sure how to start, give it a try. Besides this incredible set of resources, I’ve also compiled a list of strategies and supports to try below.

When can executive functioning skills be taught? There are a number of opportunities in the school day to teach executive functioning skills. Advisory period, life skills class, and morning meeting are a couple of options to consider. If there isn’t time cut out in the school day for these skills, they can also be integrated into what you are already teaching. For example, before studying for a test, discuss study strategies; when reading a text, discuss the character’s perseverance. Since executive functioning skills are in fact life skills, there are multiple opportunities to highlight and discuss them every day. First, helps to know what each of the 10 skills are and what they look like in everyday life.

Learn more about the 10 executive functioning skills, what they are, and how you can teach them to your learners:

Planning

What It Is:

Planning is developing a well-thought-out strategy before starting a task. Think of it like making a game plan for attempting something. We use skills for planning when we decide which materials to bring before leaving or when we use a calendar to list out important upcoming dates. Planning pays off! When we plan well, we save ourselves valuable time and effort because we get it right the first time.

Strategies To Teach & Support:

• Create to-do lists for tasks. Model it and practice together.
• Teach students to use an agenda for writing down homework. Give time every day to write in it.
• Develop SMART goals together and revisit them often.
• Start the day writing out the daily schedule together.
• Use graphic organizers to plan writing before starting.
• Use games like chess to work on making a plan before moving forward.

More Information:

• Interventions for Planning Skills

Organization

What It Is:

Organization is developing and maintaining a system to keep track of materials and plans. Staying organized is a huge support because it helps us know where our materials are when we need them. This also reduces stress and helps us think clearly.

Strategies to Teach & Support:

• Teach an organization boot camp course.
• Use a calendar or planner to write down important dates
• Help learners set up a homework binder to keep track of materials.
• Spend a few minutes each day organizing materials, including binders and desks.
• Model and practice putting materials back right away after using them.
• Discuss what it means to have a place for everything.
• Give time at the end of the week to re-organize workspaces and materials.

More Information:

• Interventions for Organization Skills

Task Initiation

What It Is:

Task initiation is being able to independently start tasks. This is the skill that helps us get up and going, even at times when we might not want to. It’s a critical skill that involves self-regulation.

Strategies to Teach & Support:

• Practice a “rocket ship countdown” before going to start work (Count down from 5 and jump up at the end).
• Set a timer before starting work sessions.
• Exercise before starting work.
• Practice and model self-talk to get started.
• Create a daily schedule with responsibilities, chores, and expectations.
• Design an organized and tidy workspace.

More Information:

• Interventions for Task Initiation Skills

Time Management

What It Is:

Time management is being able to use time efficiently to complete tasks. It includes being able to estimate how long tasks will take, planning out a timeline to accomplish more challenging tasks, and checking in with self to stay on track along the way. With strong time management skills, it makes it easier to accomplish work well the first time around.

Strategies To Teach & Support:

• When assigning long-term projects, help map out mini-deadlines for smaller tasks along the way.
• Use a visual timer during work sessions.
• Give time checks during work sessions.
• Write out the daily schedule each day. Students can write out their own.
• Model and discuss what pacing yourself looks like.

More Information:

• Interventions for Time Management Skills

Working Memory

What It Is:

Working memory is the skill that helps us remember information in our brains while we are working with that information at the same time. Examples of this include doing mental math or thinking of directions in our head before starting a task. Strong working memory skills can help accomplish tasks quicker and more efficiently.

Strategies to Teach & Support:

• Practice mental math.
• Use brain games like sodoku and decipher the code.
• Teach how to visualization information to remember it.
• Teach and practice making mnemonics to remember information.
• Chunk information into smaller pieces of information.
• Allow students to write information down instead of trying to memorize multi-step directions.

Metacognition

What It Is:

Metacognition is having self-awareness about our own thinking. It is knowing what we know and what we don’t know. This is an important skill because if we want to learn, we need to know what we need to learn in the first place.

Strategies to Teach & Support:

• Do “think alouds” while reading text.
• Allow work re-dos. Have students explain what they did wrong and why they changed their response.
• Before learning about a new topic, make a list of what you know.
• Come up with study lists together before an assessment.

Self-Control

What It Is:

Self-control is regulating our thoughts, emotions, and actions. Quite often, this involves stopping and thinking about choices before making them. With strong self-control skills, we can make better choices for now and in the future.

Strategies to Teach & Support:

• Teach and practice coping strategies for managing stress.
• Practice mindfulness and mindful breathing techniques.
• Use a feelings check-in each morning to teach emotional awareness.
• Use “what should you do?” scenarios to problem-solve together.
• Give wait time when answering questions.
• Play games for self-control such as Blurt, Freeze, and Simon Says.
• Teach a self-control boot camp.

More Information:

• Games to Practice Self-Control
• 15 Strategies to Build Self-Regulation Skills

Attention

What It Is:

Attention is being able to focus on a task or person for a period of time. Besides just focusing, attention skills also include how to refocus when attention is waning, ignore distractions, and fine-tune the level of focus necessary for a task.

Strategies to Teach & Support:

• Give brain breaks and discuss how breaks can improve attention.
• Practice focusing on a task for a period of time.
• Use mindful practices to start the day.
• Use a chime before giving important information.
• Exercise before work sessions.
• Provide flexible seating options during work sessions.
• Play attention-boosting games like Simon Says and Keep the Story Going.

More Information:

• Interventions for Attention Skills

Flexibility

What It Is:

Flexibility is being able to adapt to change. That includes going with the flow when something doesn’t go our way and problem-solving to figure out a different strategy when plan A doesn’t work out. Mental flexibility is important because it helps us manage stress and tough situations.

Strategies to Teach & Support:

• Teach about perspective-taking with literature.
• Discuss real-life situations to problem-solve together.
• Practice perspective-taking with optical illusions.
• Preview changes to the schedule when possible.
• Practice and discuss coping strategies to manage stress in tough times.

Perseverance

What It Is:

Perseverance is the ability to keep working until the completion of a goal. This means not giving up when something is challenging. Instead, those with strong perseverance skills are able to solve problems, push through, and get to the finish line.

Strategies to Teach & Support:

• Develop SMART goals and check-in on them regularly.
• Teach positive self-talk.
• Use confidence-building strategies to encourage independence.
• Come up with a list of strategies to keep going when an assignment is challenging.
• Practice taking breaks when needed.
• Encourage learners to problem-solve on their own when possible.

Materials to Teach All Executive Functioning Skills:

• Executive Functioning for Middle & High School Students
• Executive Functioning for Elementary Students

Free Executive Functioning Resources:

• Executive Functioning Skills A-Z Poster
• Executive Functioning Workbook
• Executive Functioning Escape Room Activity
• Executive Functioning Skills We Use Posters
• Study Skills Checklist
• Executive Functioning Home Activities Poster

More Executive Functioning Information:

• All about Executive Functioning Skills
• Games to Build Executive Functioning Skills
• 25+ Strategies to Integrate Executive Functioning Skills in the Classroom
• Helping Learners who Struggle with Executive Functioning Skills
• 25 Everyday Ways to Build Executive Functioning Skills
• 5 Day Struggles for Kids with Executive Functioning Challenges
• Parent Support for Executive Functioning Skills