Executive Function

What Is Executive Function?

When we talk about executive function, we mean the brain skills that help us be successful in our daily lives. We can help students build these important life skills. To show you how, first we'll break those skills down into categories:

Conscious Control
Engagement
Collaboration
Empowerment
Efficacy
Leadership

These key skills help students find success in school and in life . . . and family and community members can help students build these skills!

What Can I Do to Build Executive Function in Students?

The part of the brain that handles executive function is right behind the forehead. It starts growing at birth and doesn't stop until about the age of 25! The good news is that the brain is designed to learn and change. So, as you interact with students, you can help that part of their brain grow! This site will show you some specific ways you can support students.

MBK EF Intro.mp4

How Do I Get Started?

Check out the 8 Elements of Home-Based Student Support for Learning and think about what you can do to help the students in your life. You can use the resources and ideas in any order, so start anywhere! The executive function levels and skills all work together in the brain, so building one skill will also help build others. Have fun building students' executive function skills. You may even build some of your own along the way!

Levels of Executive Function

📎 At the bottom of this page, you'll find a document you can download and save or print that lists 40 executive function skills, organized into these categories. Any time you see a paperclip symbol like this 📎 , it means there is a resource you can download or save.

Conscious Control

Students need to know how to act in any situation: at home, at school, in church, on a sports team, or in a group. We call this "conscious control." It includes being able to focus on something, concentrate, shift attention from one person or activity to another, and think before acting!

Ways to develop conscious control at home:

Establish Routines
Goal-Setting and Planning
Mindfulness Practices
Encourage Self-Monitoring
Teach Decision-Making Strategies

Engagement

When you're doing something and giving it your attention, we call that "engagement." You might be engaged in lots of things, like eating a meal, reading a book, learning a skill, doing homework, talking with a friend, or playing a musical instrument. To be engaged, you need certain skills. You have to be able to initiate and persist in a task, follow multiple steps, catch and correct errors, and more.

Ways to develop engagement at home:

Choice and Personalization
Extracurricular Activities
Technology Integration
Project-Based Learning
Community Partnerships

Collaboration

When we share ideas and engage with other people, that’s collaboration! This give-and-take can improve our learning and experience. But before we can collaborate, we need a few skills. We have to be able to listen to others, be open to new ideas, be willing to share, and understand that when we work together, we can do more than what we can do alone.

Ways to develop collaboration at home:

Family Projects and Activities
Sibling Partnerships
Group Problem-Solving Challenges
Role-Playing Scenarios
Family Meetings and Discussions

Empowerment

Empowerment means giving other people the skills they need to find success in life. As parents and caregivers, we build students' skills when we believe that they can succeed and when we help them take charge and grow more independent.

Ways to develop empowerment at home:

Encourage Independence and Responsibility
Decision Making
Problem-Solving Skills
Goal-Setting and Planning
Promote Self-Advocacy

Efficacy

In life, learning is really all about building the skills we need to carry out our plans, achieve our goals, and make a difference. Efficacy comes from inside us: It's our ability to set goals and make them happen. We need efficacy to enjoy effective, successful lives.

Ways to develop efficacy at home:

Provide Opportunities for Independence
Promote Growth Mindset
Provide Opportunities for Mastery
Teach Problem-Solving Skills
Model Self-Efficacy Behaviors

Leadership

Leadership means guiding others toward a common goal. To become leaders, children need all of the skills they've built to tackle problems and work well with others. They need to know how to make things happen. When we talk about building executive function, leadership is our ultimate goal!

Ways to develop leadership at home:

Community Service
Involve Children in Family Decision Making
Assign Leadership Responsibilities
Support Extracurricular Involvement
Encourage Role-Playing and Pretend Play

📎 TIP: Download and save or print this list of the 40 key executive function skills, organized into categories by Dr. Nancy Sulla. Keep it in a place you will see every day.

Use it to identify how many executive function skills your child(ren) use(s) in daily activities, such as getting ready for the day, helping to prepare a meal, engaging in a conversation, or playing a game or sport.
See how many skills your child(ren) can experience throughout the week!

Sulla_ExecFunction_AppendixA.pdf

Next step: Explore the 8 Elements of Home-Based Student Support for Learning

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