EXECUTIVE FUNCTION
WHAT IS EXECUTIVE FUNCTION EXACTLY?
Executive function refers to the brain-based, or cognitive, skills that each person uses to get through the day, to set and achieve tasks, and regulate behavior. According to Dawson and Guare, leading psychologists in the field of executive function, EF skills help us to “create a picture of a goal, a path to that goal and the resources we will need, [plus] the skills to guide our behavior.”
The prefrontal cortex has a significant role in executive skills, and, as the cortex grows and develops through adolescence, so do executive skills. Many students (and adults) have executive skill weaknesses and may struggle with tasks such as time management, organization, initiating or knowing how to start a complex project or essay. Research has shown that directly teaching executive strategies helps improve executive function skills.
How Executive Function Plays a Role in Our Lives
The ability to see or visualize a goal and the pathway to achieve it. This includes the ability to set realistic goals and follow through despite any challenges that arise. Many students with executive function difficulties struggle to see the goal.
GOAL-DIRECTED PERSISTENCE
The ability to be aware of time, to plan time effectively and meet deadlines. EF weakness include not having an awareness of the passing of time, unable to plan time effectively, rushing to get work done or not completing work on time.
TIME MANAGEMENT
PRIORITIZATION
The ability to select and focus on the most important task. A student with EF weakness may have a hard time focusing on the most important information in readings, lectures, and test preparation. Planning what to do first, second, etc. when working on a
long-term project or homework tasks can be difficult.
The ability to start a task in a timely manner. Students who routinely procrastinate and wait until the last moment to begin an assignment, essay or large project can struggle with this skill. They may have a hard time figuring out how to start, and what to do next, and this can paralyze them.
INITIATION
Working memory is the ability to gather short-term and long-term memory for a short amount of time and access this information. A student uses working memory to take a test, to listen and take notes during a lecture, to follow teacher directions, and to remember to bring materials to class. Students with working memory weakness may find it difficult to follow instructions, may lose track with multi-step tasks, and forget to bring books or homework to class.
WORKING MEMORY
ORGANIZATION
The ability to arrange materials and information in a systematic way in order to access what is needed quickly and efficiently. Students weak in organization often have messy backpacks, notebooks and desks, writing may not follow a logical sequence of ideas, notes may be disjointed.
The ability to shift between different perspectives, to adjust when plans change, to move from the main idea to small ideas. Students lacking flexibility may have difficulty adapting to new situations, moving from one task to another, or devising different strategies for solving a problem.
FLEXIBILITY
The ability to check on your own progress when completing a task and to evaluate a finished product. This skill includes asking yourself, “How am I doing? Is my project/essay covering all the criteria?”
A student weak in self-monitoring has a hard time evaluating and making changes if the work is not meeting criteria.
SELF-MONITORING
SELF-REGULATING
The ability to manage emotions, attention and impulse to achieve a goal. Strong self-regulating skills include thinking about possible outcomes before acting and recognizing when you feel frustrated or anxious. A student weak in self-regulation may have difficulty controlling impulses, get easily frustrated or anxious, and have a hard time paying attention when a task is boring.
