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.

Learn some strategies for teaching executive functioning to elementary school students.

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:

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!

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