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What Is 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 are the “control center” skills that help children manage their thoughts, actions, and emotions every day, at home, at school, and in the community.
Growing Executive Function Skills at Home
Growing Executive Function Skills at Home
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. That means every interaction, routine, and learning experience can help strengthen your child’s “thinking muscles.”
MBK EF Intro.mp4Conscious Control
What it means:
Knowing how to act, focus, and think before responding — whether at home, at school, or while playing with friends. Conscious control helps children pause, pay attention, and make good choices in any situation.
Why it matters:
These skills help your child stay calm, follow directions, and shift between activities smoothly. They support success in learning, friendships, and daily routines.
Try It at Home
☑️ Establish routines — Keep consistent times for meals, play, and bedtime.
☑️ Use “stop and think” cues — Create a fun signal (like touching your nose or saying “pause”) to remind your child to think before acting.
☑️ Practice mindfulness — Take three deep breaths together when starting something new.
☑️ Talk through choices — When a problem happens, pause and ask, “What are our options?”
Engagement
What it means:
Engagement means giving your full attention to what you’re doing — whether it’s reading, building, playing, or helping at home. It’s about starting a task, sticking with it, and staying focused until it’s done.
Why it matters:
Engagement helps children build persistence, follow directions, and finish what they start — skills they’ll use every day in school and life.
Try It at Home
☑️ Give choices — Let your child pick between two activities so they feel ownership.
☑️ Break big jobs into small steps — “First we clean up the blocks, then the books.”
☑️ Celebrate effort — Praise sticking with something, not just finishing it.
☑️ Limit distractions — Turn off devices during family or homework time.
Collaboration
What it means:
Collaboration means working and playing well with others. It includes listening, sharing, taking turns, and combining ideas to reach a goal together.
Why it matters:
Collaboration helps children make friends, solve problems, and understand that everyone’s ideas matter.
Try It at Home
☑️ Do family projects — Cook, clean, or build something as a team.
☑️ Play turn-taking games — Play board games, puzzles, or building blocks.
☑️ Practice listening — Repeat what someone says before sharing your own idea.
☑️ Solve problems together — Ask, “What could we both do to make this work?”
Empowerment
What it means:
Empowerment means believing in yourself and taking responsibility for your own learning and actions. It’s about knowing, “I can do this!” and having the courage to try.
Why it matters:
Empowered children develop confidence and independence. They learn that mistakes are part of learning and that their choices matter.
Try It at Home
☑️ Let your child help make decisions like picking a snack or choosing clothes.
☑️ Encourage problem solving — Ask, “What could you try next?” instead of giving the answer.
☑️ Give real responsibilities — Feed a pet, set the table, or water plants.
☑️ Talk about effort — “You worked hard on that — how does it feel?”
Efficacy
What it means:
Efficacy is the belief that your actions make a difference — that you can set a goal, make a plan, and reach it. It’s about turning effort into results.
Why it matters:
Children who believe they can make things happen become motivated learners who take initiative, problem-solve, and keep going when things get hard.
Try It at Home
☑️ Set small goals — “Let’s finish this puzzle before bedtime.”
☑️ Reflect on progress — “How did you make that happen?”
☑️ Model persistence — Share a time you kept trying until you succeeded.
☑️ Celebrate growth — Notice improvement, not perfection.
Leadership
What it means:
Leadership means guiding and inspiring others toward a shared goal. Leaders use kindness, respect, and creativity to help their group work together.
Why it matters:
Leadership builds responsibility, confidence, and empathy. It teaches children that everyone has something valuable to contribute.
Try It at Home
☑️ Give leadership roles — Let your child pass out napkins or lead a family game.
☑️ Practice helping others — Encourage them to include or assist a friend or sibling.
☑️ Ask for their ideas — “How do you think we should solve this?”
☑️ Highlight positive examples — Talk about leaders in books or stories who help others.
📎 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.
📎 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.pdfDesigned by IDE Corp. for East Ramapo Central School District - Aug 2025
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