What are Executive Function Skills & Why are they Important for Students?

Executive function skills refer to a group of skills that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, recall important facts, collate information to be used to study and learn as well as attend to multiple tasks. These skills are the building blocks of learning!  

We know from research that many students with learning challenges often have underdeveloped executive function skills. What do underdeveloped executive function skills look like? It may look like scattered workspaces; poor time management; not understanding how to study; messy backpacks; binders in disarray; not understanding where to find/access information; poor note-taking skills; low recall; inability to start and complete multi-step instructions/assignments.  

Does this sound like your child? 

If so, here’s the takeaway and the good news: Improving executive function skills is possible! However, it requires daily practice that is clear, intentional, purposeful with explicit instruction, modeling and routine.  

I LOVE what I do and I LOVE learning from others. Currently I am working toward applying Mitch Weathers’ Organized Binder principles with students at My Learning Farm to build executive function skills with student-centered, explicit, and purposeful routines to give students a sense of agency and accomplishment to be powerhouse learners!  

Check Organized Binder out for yourself here: www.organizedbinder.com. You may also be interested in reading this new book, Executive Functions for Every Classroom, you can pick up a copy by clicking here.