Executive Function

Animated story version of the 6th Noodle book: What's in It for Me? Noodle is always being told what to do. But he wonders, why? What's in It for him? Luckily, the adults in Noodle's life are there to teach him the importance of moving 'need tos' into 'I...

Reinforce the lessons students learn in the story Molly and the Runaway Trolley with these engaging downloadable activities. These activities are designed to help young people in grades K-6 deal with their stress and worry. The five activities...

This adorable "My Little Squishy" is kid-designed and kid-tested! It has a unique feel with the ability to stretch, squish, and crunch. Studies have shown that squeezing and releasing a fidget can help with emotional regulation. When your child feels...

Focusing is easier said than done for some children. Being able to focus is a life skill and can help set children up for success. School counselor Bryan Smith has developed five downloadable activities for educators to use in the classroom to help teach...

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...

Working memory is an important executive function because it helps children (and adults!) recall information required to complete tasks or functions, such as notetaking, spelling, or the order of operations in math. Some children seem to excel in this...

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...

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...

Flexible thinking allows people to think about things in new ways or to incorporate new information into a specific plan or idea. Flexible thinkers are often able to come up with more than one solution to a problem or challenge. The ability to think...

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...

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...

Impulse control is an executive functioning skill that allows you think before you act and to prioritize long-term success over short-term gains. When you have good self-control, you are able to resist doing things that may be harmful to yourself or to...