Executive functioning skills are those that are used every day to navigate life. They include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. Without strong executive functioning skills, students can struggle with focusing, handling emotions, and following directions in order to get their work done.
For those reasons, it is important that working on executive functioning skills is not limited to school, but is also part of a child’s home routine. But how can families help students practice their executive functioning skills? We have some ideas below to get them started.
Depending on a child’s age and capabilities, there may be some ideas listed below that would not work well. It is important to stress to families that they know their child best and that the tasks below are suggestions rather than mandated activities.
It is also good practice to focus on one executive functioning skill at a time. Determine which skill is most lacking and causing the student the most trouble and work on those related tasks first.
1 – Folding & Putting Away LaundryStart with simple chores like folding and putting away laundry. It gives the child practice with flexible thinking (how to fold their clothes and how to put them away) while also teaching them an important life skill that they will need when they transition out of school.
Don’t expect a child to know how to organize a room without practice. Take the time to organize a room with him so that he can work on figuring out where things go, grouping like items, problem-solving when there’s little space, and making decisions about what should stay and what can be disposed of. There are so many skills that are practiced while organizing a space that it’s a good idea to take a room each week and organize. You may even want to use charts or checklists to help the child recall what should be done in each room.
When a child has homework or projects to complete, it can be overwhelming for them to do it on their own. Studying or working together is a great opportunity to model what good study/work habits look like. The child gets to see how you complete your work or study and transfer those same skills to his behavior. It’s also an ideal time to introduce strategies like working against a timer or block working to older students.
Many adults struggle to be productive without a daily to-do list and students are no different. For those who need to practice executive functioning skills, daily checklists are a great way to help them stay on task, practice focusing, and seeing the reward of having everything completed. The checklist can be a simple list on a piece of notebook paper that you create with him at the beginning of the day or the night before. It doesn’t have to be fancy to be effective.
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Playing games is a great way to practice impulse control – not to mention a lot of fun! Choose games that interest the child and that require a modicum of patience. Card games and board games are both appropriate options.
Meal planning can be challenging for adults but it’s an important skill that should be mastered. Have children help plan the week’s meals and generate a grocery list based on their choices. This helps with executive functioning, as well as important life skills.
Goal setting gives students something to work towards and that is especially helpful for students with executive functioning needs. Work together to generate a list of goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based (SMART). This teaches students how to create goals that they can reach and why those goals are important.
Take time to support families who need ideas on how to help strengthen their child’s executive functioning skills. They are relying on your knowledge and experience to help their students succeed.
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