by Deborah Holmen, M.Ed., NBCT
Going back to school can be an exciting albeit stressful transition for both kids and parents. With a bit of education and preparation, parents can teach their children executive functioning skills to help them successfully manage their day-to-day lives.
According to Dr. Wendy Rice, a Licensed Psychologist who owns and operates Rice Psychology Group, “The front part of your brain handles executive functioning. You can think of it as your personal administrative assistant. It helps you solve problems, prioritize tasks, organize your day, keep track of time and generally tries to ensure life runs smoothly. Your prefrontal cortex acts as the conductor of the orchestra that is your brain, keeping things in-check and on track with some level of harmony.”
“Parents and teachers can teach children the importance of goal setting and how to consistently and persistently work toward their goal until it is achieved,” said Dr. Rice. “To do that, children need to develop some level of mental organization, and the ability to organize physical materials. Prioritizing and visually breaking things down into smaller steps helps our children understand the path they can take to successfully complete the task at hand.”
“Since I said the word everything three times here, would it be possible to edit it ever so slightly?
“The front part of your brain handles executive functioning. You can think of it as your personal administrative assistant. It helps you solve problems, prioritize tasks, organize your day, keep track of time and generally tries to ensure life runs smoothly. Your prefrontal cortex acts as the conductor of the orchestra that is your brain, keeping things in-check and on track with some level of harmony.”
Skill Sets to Master
Three critical skill sets must be taught and practiced for children to master:
Working memory is defined as remembering details and recalling them when needed. For example, when reading a book, the reader has to remember what happened in previous chapters.
Emotional self-control means staying calm and managing emotions, like not crying during challenging tasks.
Flexible thinking is the ability to move from one activity to another without causing anxiety or confusion. This might look like a middle schooler switching classes easily and effectively.
Numerous Benefits
Teaching kids executive functioning skills has numerous benefits:
Academic Success: Cognitive functioning skills are closely linked to academic achievement. Children with strong thinking skills tend to perform better in school, have higher grades and are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college.
Social-emotional Development: Executive functioning skills also play a critical role in social-emotional development. Children with strong aptitudes for cognitive control can better regulate their emotions, communicate effectively with others and form positive relationships.
Life Success: Teaching kids how to manage time and focus, how to get and stay organized and how to follow multi-step directions are all skills that will serve them well throughout their adult lives. These tools are essential for succeeding in the workplace, managing finances and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Tools of the trade
Students often need help staying focused and organized. Fortunately, a few simple tools can help them stay on track and succeed in their studies.
Planners: Planners and agendas are a great way for students to keep track of their assignments, projects and other important deadlines. Students can write down due dates, set reminders and check off completed tasks, helping them prioritize their work and stay on top of their responsibilities.
Folders and Binders: Folders and binders are essential for organizing papers and assignments. Students can use different folders or sections to separate subjects or projects, making it easier to find what they need when they need it. This also makes it more likely that assignments get turned in and important papers make it home to parents.
Color-Coding: Color coding is an easy but effective organizational tool that can help students visually organize their materials. For example, they can use different colored highlighters for each subject or to differentiate types of assignments like homework, projects and tests. This helps to trigger memory with important information.
Stay on Track
Alarms and digital reminders can also help kids tackle their tasks and assignments. An excellent tool for focus management, alarms can be used for time blocking, which is dedicating specific allocations of time to exclusively one subject or task. Reminders are useful for helping students develop a sense of responsibility and deadline management.
Clean Backpack, Clean Mind!
In addition to an organized agenda, having a well-prepared, uncluttered backpack can help make things run smoother. Backpacks should be packed and organized nightly, making sure to check for necessary supplies and class materials. Doing so minimizes stress throughout the school day, allowing kids to stay focused and on-task.
Success by Design
Designing an area of the home to organize all education supplies helps create a dedicated learning space. This area can be set up in a separate room or a designated space with a table or desk.
Brain Food
Preparing daily snacks and meals the night before can help make mornings more efficient and stress-free. Organize the fridge with ready-to-grab food. On grocery days, kids can help by cutting vegetables, divvying snacks in baggies or containers, filling water bottles or making simple sandwiches for the next day’s lunchbox.
Age-appropriate tools can help students master organizational skills and learn which areas need extra assistance. Using various forms of organizers and devices can alleviate last-minute panic and helps the day run predictably.
Tools For All Ages
Elementary School Children’s Tools
- Create a daily routine
- Post and share directions –– written and spoken instructions
- Homework chart on the fridge
- To-do lists with positive reinforcements –– break lists down into smaller parts
- Egg timer or digital timer
- Noise-canceling headphones
- Clock in the bedroom
Middle and High Schooler’s Tools
- Digital agendas and schedules
- Organization, goal setting apps (listed below)
- Checklists
- Timers
- Sticky notes
- Calendars
Digital Education Apps
- Student Planner Apps –– StudySmarter
- To-Do List Apps –– Forest: Stay Focused
- Note-Taking Apps –– Evernote
- Writing Apps
- Project Management Apps
- Flashcard Apps
- Distraction-Blocking Apps
- Habit-Tracking Apps
Several local organizations can help parents and families learn more about, and seek help addressing, executive functioning skills.
Rice Psychology Group – Specializes in all areas of family/child services, including educational assessments and parenting workshops
Tampa Bay Counseling – Provides multiple services for family and individual counseling
Tampa Kids Therapy – Teaches developmental skills for all ages
Tampa Bay Therapists and Associates – Family counseling and coaching
An executive functioning toolkit is essential to creating a more efficient and stress-free back-to-school plan. With a bit of legwork and some purposeful teaching, any parent can help their student hone these skills that will set them up for a successful year ahead.
