Executive functioning skills are inherently linked with academic skills. From planning to start writing an essay to managing time on a high stakes assessment, students use executive functioning skills every day in every class. This helps make the clear case that it is important to teach, practice, and foster these skills in the classroom.
Making the Executive Functioning Connection
No matter what academic content area you teach or are building with your learners, there are always opportunities to connect these skills into the day. Before getting started, it’s helpful to introduce the idea of executive functioning skills; these are the foundational abilities in our brains that help us plan tasks, get started, stay focused, and work through challenges. By understanding the power of executive functions in our brains, we can be better prepared to learn strategies and supports that allow us to succeed.
One of the most important points students should learn about executive functioning skills is that they are in everything we do. We use planning skills when we sequence problem-solving steps in a math problem. We use organization when we create an organizer to help us study for a science test. We use time management when we decide how to spend our time during study hall.
Talking about executive functioning skills openly is the first step to creating meaningful change. Once students know what they are, they can work on trying different strategies and supports to help themselves. If you need support getting started, use this free list of executive-functioning brain-booster questions to set the stage.
In short, executive functioning skills are not an “extra.” They are integrated and connected into all the other tasks and activities we do every day. This is what makes learning them so important when it comes to academics.
Teaching Executive Functioning Skills
Executive functioning skills can be discussed, practiced, and taught explicitly. From planning to perseverance, use these engaging lessons and activities to teach executive functioning skills to your learners. Students will learn about each skill, build a strong foundation of knowledge, and then put their skills into practice.
9 Important Executive Functioning Skills
Here are 9 important executive functioning skills that boost academics, along with strategies and supports to teach them:
Self-Regulation
Self-regulation is the ability to manage your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. You may feel upset or bored with a task, but with self-regulation, you’re able to calm yourself, think it through, and get started on your responsibility. In many ways, this is a foundational executive functioning ability.
How does self-regulation relate to academics?
Kids and teens use self-regulation to help them learn, study, and complete tasks most effectively. If a learner is feeling agitated or upset, self-regulation can help them feel calm so they can think straight. If a student feels bored and doesn’t really want to complete their math assignment, self-regulation can help that student refocus themselves to get back on track and do what is needed for success.
What strategies can help boost self-regulation skills?
- Teach and practice coping strategies. A huge part of strong self-regulation is being able to calm our bodies and minds. Coping strategies like deep breathing, positive self-talk, exercise, and journaling are a few examples that kids and teens can regularly employ to help them feel calm and in control, even in tough times.
- Provide meaningful breaks. Self-regulation is a finite resource. This means that we only have so much to use in a given period. The good news is that breaks between tasks can help replenish that critical self-regulation skill.
- Discuss real-life self-regulation scenarios. Strengthen self-regulation skills by talking through real-life stop and think scenarios and discussing what you might do in each situation. For example: You have your hand up to answer a question in class but the teacher says it’s time to move on. What do you do? These scenarios provide the chance to “stop and think” while learning from others at the same time.
Learn more about classroom practices that can help boost self-regulation skills for students.
Planning
Planning is developing a set of steps to achieve a desired goal. Another foundational skill, we use planning for almost everything in our lives, from deciding what we need at the grocery store before going to creating lifelong goals to achieve.
How does planning impact academics?
In order to complete multi-step tasks and activities, students need to learn how to plan. This specifically relates to academics when it comes to completing daily assignments, long-term projects, and working through challenges. Again, almost everything we do requires a plan, whether it is actually written or just in our brains. When students struggle with planning, they are more likely to start an activity without a clear focus. On the other hand, when students plan well, they reduce the chances for errors and setbacks along the way.
What are strategies that can help strengthen planning skills?
- Use calendars and planners. Tools like calendars, planners, and other online apps can provide a helpful boost with making planning concrete. Encourage students to use planners and homework logs by making note of important academic due dates, tests, and quizzes. This can also become a healthy place to add in personal or social obligations such as sports practices and meetups with friends.
- Integrate planning into academic content areas. In the classroom, there are many ways educators can sprinkle planning into the day. For example, before students begin a group project, have them list out what they need, what they expect to accomplish, and at least three steps to help them get there.
Read more about planning strategies and supports for kids and young adults.
Organization
Staying organized means having a system to keep materials neat, orderly, and where they need to be. From keeping a tidy room to managing events on a calendar, organization is a life skill we use in school and in our day-to-day lives.
How are organization and academics related?
Students use organization skills when they keep neat binders, backpacks, and lockers. Ultimately, this makes it easier for students to find what they need when they need it, such as a homework assignment or history book. Learners also use organization skills when completing assignments, such as writing an essay with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
What are some organization-boosting strategies?
- Teach how to organize. In every classroom and setting, staying organized might look a little bit different. Explicitly teach how to stay organized by discussing and practicing together. For example, if you want students to keep a notebook for your class, keep a model notebook with them.
- Schedule organization time. Once learners know how to organize, it’s extremely important to give quality time to actually do it. That means a daily and/or weekly organization time where students are encouraged to tidy up binders, desks, backpacks, and lockers. Make this a routine, as this helps teach the idea that organization is an ongoing process.
- Use graphic organizers. For assignments such as essays and other writing activities, graphic organizers are an evidence-based strategy that help students keep their ideas organized before they start.
Read more organization-boosting strategies and supports for kids and teens.
Goal-Setting
Goal-setting is the process of identifying something you want to achieve and then making an action plan to help you get there. From academic settings to our personal lives, goal-setting is a skill learners can use to positively impact all areas of their lives.
Why is goal-setting important for academic success?
Developing and attaining goals is incredibly empowering for academic success. These can be the driving force behind students improving their math grade or creating a study routine each night.
What strategies can we use to strengthen goal-setting?
- Develop SMART goals together. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely. This is the difference between “I want to improve my math grade” to “By the end of December, I will earn a B or higher in math.” SMART goals also include detailed plans that serve as a roadmap to help learners achieve their goal.
- Review goals on a regular basis. Once SMART goals are set and kept in a safe spot (such as a goal binder), it is important to review them once every week or every other week. A quick check helps keeps students on track and holds them accountable for the tasks that they have set out in their SMART goal plan. It also builds on skills such as self-awareness and self-management.
Time Management
Time management is understanding time and using it wisely to complete tasks. Ultimately, strong time management helps us work smarter (instead of just working harder).
How does time management impact academics?
Strong time management skills aid student activities like daily academic assignments, long-term projects, and even studying. Students use time management skills when they decide how they are going to divide their time on nightly homework or a test in class. Learners also use these skills when they create
What strategies can help boost time management skills?
- Discuss estimating time for tasks. Some learners struggle with time management because they lack a concrete idea of how much time a task will take. You can even incorporate this as a fun brain break by asking how long it might take to clean your room or walk from home to school. It’s okay that there are no perfect answers here; it’s about discussing and learning time management together.
- Practice making mini-deadlines for projects. Long-term projects are notoriously a challenge for kids and teens with time management challenges. When assigning a project, spend a few minutes helping students figure out a timeline for when parts of the assignment should be finished by. For example, if students are writing a research essay in history, they may need their core sources recorded by March 4th, their outline written by March 8th, and a first draft created by March 13th.
- Teach students how to check in with themselves as they work. During assignments, help students pause to ask themselves: How am I doing? Am I on track for completing this activity? Should I adjust my pace? What do I need? This is a practice in time management as well as self-awareness and metacognition.
Learn more about time management interventions and supports to help learners.
Prioritizing
Prioritizing is understanding a set of tasks and determining the order to complete them in. Strong prioritizing skills also rely on the ability to plan, organize, and manage time.
How is prioritizing related to academics?
Kids and young adults often have many academic assignments to work on at the same time. From book reports and essays to science labs and studying for tests, students are busy! This means that prioritizing which assignments to work on first can play an important role in their academic success.
What techniques can help learners improve their ability to prioritize?
- Give opportunities for choice during work sessions. During study halls and other periods where students are allowed time to work, it’s important for them to have the chances to choose what to work on first. For example, during a study hall, a teacher might remind students a few assignments they could work on, but ultimately give them the opportunity to prioritize which is most important to start in class.
- Play 1-2-3. For this activity, have students get in small groups. Provide a list with 3 activities to students. Then, have them list out the order in which they would complete those tasks. For example, you might say: You have to study for a spelling test next Friday, a science paragraph due tomorrow, and laundry to put away before dinner. Students will work together to create their lists, identifying which tasks they will start and finish with. Once students understand the concept, they can come up with their own lists to ask the class as well.
Perseverance
Perseverance is working through until the completion of a goal. In other words, it means doing your best even when there are challenges along the way.
Why is perseverance an important academic skill?
There will always be challenges when it comes to academics; all learners are still growing and learning! That means perseverance plays a huge role in helping students push through to complete tough tasks and learn new concepts.
What strategies can help students boost perseverance skills?
- Discuss “get stuck strategies.” Kids and teens need to know what to do when they get stuck on an assignment or activity. Keep a list of strategies posted, such as asking the person next to you, looking up an answer in a book, and moving on and then coming back to a problem.
- Give brainteasers. Engage kids’ minds using the power of brainteasers like word games and puzzles. These executive functioning brain games and activities are fun, but also require extra thinking power. The key here is to give time for students to solve without giving the answers right away.
Problem-Solving
Problem-solving is the process of understanding a challenge, identifying possible solutions, and choosing the best strategy to move forward. Without a doubt, problem-solving is a life skill each of us use every day for both small and big situations.
How are problem-solving and academics related?
Problem-solving is both an academic and social skill, and it is ingrained in every subject and classroom every single day. Students problem-solve when they have to pause and think about how to approach a challenge, such as not having a pencil or not knowing how to start an assigned activity. Learners also problem-solve through complex math questions, writing essays, and assessments.
What are some strategies for teaching problem-solving to learners?
- Use escape room activities. Escape room challenges are fun activities that encourage students to think outside of the box in order to solve a problem and “escape” the room. These can be integrated into any content area to build skills for problem-solving and teamwork.
- Use scenarios to practice problem-solving together. To strengthen problem-solving skills, it’s important to teach learners how to stop and think before they act. Use real-life problem-solving situations to discuss and learn together. For example: You get to class and you realize you have the wrong binder, what do you do? Come up with your own scenarios or use this free set of problem-solving task cards to get started.
Self-Monitoring
Self-monitoring is the process of checking in with yourself as you learn or complete a task. By monitoring your own behavior, you can help yourself stay focused and in control of what you are doing.
Why is self-monitoring important for academic success?
When students self-monitor, they take control of their own academic success. It encourages learners to tune in to their own learning. This helps kids stay focused, strengthens knowledge of concepts, and provides a chance to identify what they might need to re-learn.
What strategies can help students strengthen self-monitoring skills?
- Teach and practice metacognitive strategies. An evidence-based strategy, metacognition is thinking about our own thinking. Encourage students to pause as they learn and ask themselves questions: What am I learning right now? Why is this important? How is this connected to what I recently learned? What else will I need to know? Am I on track to meet my learning goal? What could I do even better to learn more?
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