Planning is the ability to create a roadmap to reach a goal or achieve a task, while prioritizing involves the ability to make decisions about what is important for you to focus on next. It can be challenging for children to know where to get started on...

Too much stress STINKS! Students in grades K through 6 will identify the negative side effects of experiencing too much stress and develop healthy strategies for dealing with stressful situations. Reinforce the lesson from the storybook, Stress...

Self-monitoring is the ability to observe and evaluate one’s behavior. Give students the working knowledge of learning how to pay attention, stay on task and follow instructions with these five downloadable activities from Bryan Smith's How Did You...

Problem solving involves many other executive functioning behaviors, including reasoning, attention, planning, initiation, working memory, and self-monitoring. Teach your students problem solving skills with these activities that accompany the...

Discover other cultures, customs, and cuisines! Author and educator Bryan Smith has developed five activities to accompany the Diversity is Key picture book. The lessons are designed to teach children how diversity makes life more fun and to embrace...

Initiative is the ability to start an activity, plan, or task. Learning how to take initiative and get things done is an important executive function skill for children. Author and educator Bryan Smith has developed five activities to accompany the...

Activity #1 "SUPER E!" Saves the Day should be used with the storybook Empathy is My Superpower! After reading the story, use this activity to enforce the skill of showing empathy. The activity gives students scenarios that describe tough situations and...

Learning how to feel and show empathy is an important skill for children. Author and educator Bryan Smith has developed four activities to accompany the storybook Empathy is My Superpower! The lessons are designed to teach children how...

It's easy for kids to feel sad when bad things happen in their lives. This is especially true when boys and girls are bullied or picked on, or feel left out and isolated. Author and School Counselor Bryan Smith has developed four exercises to accompany...

Self-control is the ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behavior and to keep one's cool in the face of disappointment. These four activities developed by author Bryan Smith can help children with self-control. The lessons are designed to...

Read the storybook It Was Just Right Here! from the Executive FUNction series written by Bryan Smith to your students, then pass out the “What’s Out of Place?” worksheet when the story is finished. This exercise will help to...

Learning how to get and stay organized is an important executive function skill for children. Good organization skills allow children to order items or pictures into sequential order, maintain toys and personal items in a neat and orderly manner, and...