Executive Functioning

According to research, the key to success in life is building executive functioning. It doesn't happen on its own and we need to help. Take a look at the information, as well as, the ideas by ages of how to help your children build their executive functioning skills. 

Executive Functions:
Understanding the In's and Out's

Executive functions (EF) are essentially the brain’s director. They help to decide what to pay attention to, to complete tasks, to problem solve, to make decisions, and to control our emotions.

The major EF's include:
EF develop as kids’ brains develop and don’t reach full maturity into adulthood. Insight and judgment (i.e., making good decisions) is one of the last things to develop.
Below are some of the things typically developing kids should be able to do based on their age (based on Dawson and Guare's book Smart but Scattered):
 
Age RangeEF Tasks

Preschool		Complete simple requests (e.g., get socks from bedroom)
Clean room with assistance
Simple chores and self-help tasks with reminders
Control behaviours such as looking both ways before crossing the street

K – grade 2		Complete 2- to 3-step directions
Clean room on their own
Do chores and self-help tasks (some reminders might still be needed)
Bring papers to and from school
Complete class work on their own up to 20 minutes
Decide how to spend money
Follow safety rules 

Grades 3-5		Run errands (may involve a time delay or greater distance)
Clean room including vacuuming, dusting
Perform chores that take 15-30 minutes
Bring books, papers, assignments home and take them back to school
Keep track of belongings
Complete homework assignments up to 1 hour
Plan simple school projects (e.g., book reports)
Track of daily schedules (e.g., different activities after school)
Save money for desired objects, plan how to earn money
Inhibit/self-regulate: behave when teacher is out of the classroom; refrain from rude comments, temper tantrums, bad manners

Grades 6-8		Help with chores around the home (up to 90 minutes), including daily responsibilities and occasional tasks
Babysit
Use system for organizing schoolwork, including assignment book, notebooks etc.
Follow complex school schedule involving changing teachers and changing schedules
Plan and carry out long-term projects; may require planning multiple large projects at the same time
Plan time, including after-school activities, homework, family responsibilities; estimate how long it takes to complete tasks and adjust schedule to fit
Inhibit rule breaking in the absence of visible authority

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