20 Jul How to Teach Executive Functioning Skills to Elementary Students
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Kanu Patel -
We had a very positive experience with Alissa as a tutor for our pod of 5th grade boys from January - June 2020. She cared a lot about the boys and worked hard to create meaningful activities for them. The pod experience was invaluable … More for all of our families during a difficult year and we were so grateful to have found this partnership! We also want to appreciate Craig for helping to match us with a tutor on very short notice after we had cycled through a few folks who were not able to see the commitment through. Thanks for sticking with us!
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Dusty was the exact person we needed to help our child finish out the school year. So grateful to him for the way he steadily encouraged her and helped her stay on track and organized. He is flexible, responsive to our needs/schedule as … More a family, and a delight to be with. We are also thankful that Craig at Themba Tutors really "gets it" and partnered us with such a wonderful tutor who was a great fit for our girl.
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My child worked with Gillian D virtually for math enrichment. She is an excellent teacher. She took time to understand my child's specific learning style and provided tools that would be engaging. She was kind and empathetic- really … More made it her goal to connect with my child and build trust and rapport. My child started the school year with confidence and without the typically "brain-drain" that occurs over the summer, thanks to Gillian.
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I am going into my second year as a Themba tutor. I have met so many great individuals while working for this company. Craig and the rest of the Themba team do such an excellent job picking and choosing Themba tutors that suit each client's … More individual needs! I look forward to meeting new tutors and clients in the 2021-2022 school year!
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Our son started in a new high school, 100% remote, and was really struggling with Latin and Physics. I found Themba Tudors online and had an initial call with Craig, who was very knowledgeable, responsive, and found 2 amazing tutors for … More us. Both the Latin and the physics tutors were fantastic, connected with my son really well and helped him go from 'failing' grade to 'honors'! I will for sure continue using (and recommending!) Themba Tutors. Thank you, C, K, and W!
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Brian is a fantastic executive functioning coach. Super helpful, flexible with hours, and tailored the experience to our needs.
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Giulia Mercuri is a great Italian tutor! She was very responsive and accessible. Giulia put a ton of effort into preparing for each session and really helped our son with test preparation and projects. We are grateful that she was able … More to help, especially since our son did not receive any live teaching during COVID. We are happy that she was referred to us!
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As an adult student diagnosed with a learning disability during grad school, I knew I needed help dealing with my Master's program's demanding workload. I was seriously considering dropping out when I was referred to Themba Tutors. … More I was paired up with a wonderful tutor, Julie, who was a total lifesaver. I learned many techniques that I can utilize in the future as I embark on the next phase of my career.
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We were introduced to a wonderful tutor: Mcedwyn. He and our son, a freshman in college, worked well together. As a result, our son’s grades significantly improved. The tutor taught our son subject content and various methods to effectively … More study for quizzes and exams. Our son was also taught time management and organization. My son’s experience with the tutor made the first year of college a less intimidating experience.
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We have been with our tutor, Cailin Schiller, for two years, from 5th - 7th grade. She started as an executive functioning tutor with my daughter. From the start, she demonstrated a depth of expertise and a selective use of techniques skillfully … More adapted to my daughter’s ADHD and Math disability. Cailin made Math accessible and understandable to her in a way that even her teachers had not been able to do. She differentiated reading, writing and math tasks and assignments to tailor them to my daughter’s unique learning differences. Not only did it have an effect on her grades and her work efficiency, but she finally could do her work with less anxiety. Even my daughter’s teachers used Cailin’s guidance to modify their work with her. But most importantly, she became my daughter’s favorite resource. I can’t say how invaluable Cailin has been to my daughter’s progress and well-being. I’d recommend her a million times over. She is a gem.
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Victoria is a superb tutor. She helped my high school age daughter with her writing. Victoria's skills as a tutor, as well as her sense of humor and her engaging personality went a long way with my daughter.
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Themba Tutors provided a leaning specialist that was a perfect fit for my daughter. I told them what we were looking for and they delivered. Our tutor is responsive and flexible and makes it easy for my daughter to reach out to her own … More her own, which gives her an added sense of responsibility over her learning. As a therapist myself, I now regularly recommend Themba to my patients. A much needed and well provided service to the community!!
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The tutors at Themba are fantastic! Caitlyn McNeill helped our son academically, but also with getting organized in every subject, which he so desperately needed. She offered great advice and useful strategies that helped our son become … More a more successful student. We are using Themba tutors again this year for our daughter. We're so happy to have been referred to them!
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I'm so glad we were referred to Themba Tutors. After a great initial conversation to learn our needs, we were connected with an excellent tutor, Felicia, who is helping our high school daughter learn better organizational and executive … More skills. Highly recommended.
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We had a wonderful experience with our tutor Micaela. She helped our son not only academically but at every level. We will be forever grateful to have her in our lives.
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The tutors at Themba are fantastic! Caitlyn McNeill helped our son academically, but also with getting organized in every subject, which he so desperately needed. She offered great advice and useful strategies that helped our son become … More a more successful student. We are using Themba tutors again this year for our daughter. We're so happy to have been referred to them!
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Paul Smith at Themba has been an exceptional tutor for my son, both in terms of teaching the subject matter and teaching how best to approach the process of learning math and executing assignments. We feel very fortunate to be working with … More Paul.
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We were very lucky to have found Edwouine Swift, my son's therapist through Themba Tutors. Thomas is 12 years old, and it is extremely difficult to get him to write. Edwouine just works her magic with him, he adores her and is so … More eager to follow her guidance. I have no doubt she will be a positive driving force in his academic future.
HOW TO TEACH EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS TO ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
Teaching Executive Functioning Skills to Elementary Students
You’ve got a class full of energetic elementary students eager to learn but need help with planning, prioritizing, and problem-solving skills. As their teacher, you know the importance of developing these executive functioning abilities early. The good news is there are fun and engaging ways to teach executive functioning to kids.
In this article, we’ll explore hands-on strategies and activities you can use in your classroom to help your students strengthen skills like managing time, organizing materials, controlling impulses, and adapting to change. While these areas can be challenging for children and adults alike, with practice and patience, you can equip your students with lifelong tools for success. Get ready to transform your students into confident, independent thinkers!
Here are some examples of executive functioning skills for:
Kindergarten – Grade 2
- Follow simple rules, limit impulsive behaviors, and change behavior under changing conditions to demonstrate fundamental self-regulation skills.
- During activities, use working memory to recall and apply pertinent knowledge.
- Demonstrate cognitive flexibility by being able to tackle issues in numerous ways and switching between tasks or strategies.
- Begin to argue for own demands and understandings persuasively.
- Display inhibition skills by utilizing personal technological gadgets responsibly during authorized periods.
Grade 3 – Grade 5
- Create, express, and take action toward personal short- and long-term goals.
- Understand and utilize time management strategies such as planning and pacing work to finish assignments on time.
- Maintain an ordered workspace by properly organizing personal items and educational supplies.
- Complete and turn in assignments on time, demonstrating your ability to prioritize tasks.
- Politely advocate for oneself, stating personal needs and requesting support as needed.
- Use inhibitory skills to manage personal technology use and potential technology-based distractions during study time.
Self-Regulation Skills: Planning, Prioritizing, and Task Initiation
Teaching kids self-regulation skills is key. Skills like planning, prioritizing, and task initiation only come naturally to some elementary students, so you’ll need to help build them.
A great place to start is by making schedules and to-do lists together. Have your students break down bigger assignments into smaller steps to complete the work more manageable. Show them how to prioritize important or difficult tasks. And check in regularly to make sure they’re following the schedule. With practice, these skills will become second nature.
You should also teach the value of routines and habits. Help your students establish regular work periods or places where they can focus.
When it’s time to begin work, provide verbal cues to prompt your students into action. Say things like, “Now it’s time to start your assignment. What’s the first thing you need to do?” Give them reminders of their priorities and schedules. Offer encouragement and help them break down overwhelming tasks into small, concrete steps.
With your guidance, students will better manage their time, focus their efforts, and accomplish goals. Self-regulation is a skill that will serve them well beyond the classroom. Keep providing opportunities for your students to plan, prioritize and start tasks independently. Before you know it, they’ll be pros!
Emotional Regulation Skills: Managing Frustration and Impulsivity
Teaching kids emotional regulation is critical. After all, life is filled with frustrations, and children need to learn how to handle them appropriately.
To start, help your students identify their feelings. Have them make “emotion charts” to pinpoint what frustration and anger feel like in their body. Things like a tight jaw, clenched fists, and a racing heart. Recognizing these physical signs helps them become aware of their emotions.
Next, model positive ways to calm down. Take a few deep breaths, count 1 to 10 slowly, and go for a walk. Have students practice these techniques when they’re already calm so they can use them automatically when upset.
Also, set clear rules for acceptable and unacceptable expressions of anger. Explain that while anger is normal, violence and aggression are not okay. Give students good alternatives, like talking about their feelings or taking a timeout.
Praise your students when they handle anger or frustration well. Provide positive reinforcement to strengthen these skills. Say things like, “I noticed you took some deep breaths when you started to feel upset. That was great self-control.”
Finally, help students reframe situations that make them angry. Teach them to look at the other person’s perspective or find a more constructive way to view the problem. This can turn frustration into an opportunity to resolve conflicts healthily.
With practice, these skills will become second nature. Your students will thrive in school and life thanks to their ability to stay calm and think before reacting. Keep at it – the rewards of teaching emotional intelligence are well worth the effort.
Working Memory Skills: Holding Information in Mind and Manipulating It
Working memory is key for learning and development. Help your students strengthen this mental “scratchpad” with fun activities that challenge them to hold and manipulate information in their minds.
Memory Games
Simple memory games are an engaging way to build working memory. Have students play “I Went to the Store, and I Bought…” where each person adds an item to a list that everyone must remember. Start with 3-4 items and build up from there. You can also do visual memory games like “What’s Missing,” where students look at a group of objects, then close their eyes while you remove one. They open their eyes and guess what’s gone.
Following Instructions
Give students verbal instructions with multiple steps to follow, such as:
- Take out a pencil and paper.
- Draw a circle.
- Put an X in the top right corner of the circle.
- Draw a square under the circle.
- Color the square blue.
Start with 2-3 steps and increase the difficulty over time as their working memory improves. Provide reminders as needed until they can do longer sequences independently.
Make Mental Images
Have students create mental images to represent the information they need to remember, like a memory palace. Give them a list of words or objects and have them visualize those items in a familiar place, like their bedroom. Then ask them to recall the things from the visual. Creating vivid mental images gives information more “stickiness” in their memory.
Keep finding new ways to challenge your students’ working memory. Their mental scratchpad will strengthen over time, allowing them to become more attentive, organized, and active in their learning.
Conclusion
So there you have it. You can help your elementary students strengthen those all-important executive functioning skills with patience and the right techniques. Start with concrete strategies to build planning, organization, time management, and focus. Use interactive activities and consistent routines to make learning engaging and fun. Remember that every child develops at their own pace, so offer encouragement and help them learn strategies tailored to their needs.
With your support, their executive functioning skills will blossom, and they’ll be well on their way to success in school and beyond. The future is bright!
Craig Selinger
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