Does your child have trouble remembering what they’ve learned or what was covered in class? Do they struggle to regulate their emotions? Seem unable to stay organized or plan ahead? Has a teacher or professional suggested that they might have challenges with executive functioning? If so, Fit Learning can help.

First, What Exactly Do We Mean by Executive Functioning?

In a nutshell, the term executive function (EF) describes a set of cognitive skills or processes needed for higher-order mental function.

The organization Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) defines it as: “Brain functions that activate, organize, integrate, and manage other functions. It enables individuals to account for short- and long-term consequences of their actions and to plan for those results. It also allows individuals to make real-time evaluations of their actions and make necessary adjustments if those actions are not achieving the desired result.”

Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child likens EF to a sort of air traffic control system for the frontal lobe of the brain: “Just as an air traffic control system at a busy airport safely manages the arrivals and departures of many aircraft on multiple runways, the brain needs this skill set to filter distractions, prioritize tasks, set and achieve goals, and control impulses.” 

The core executive functions (EFs) are generally broken into three main categories: working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. These foundational EFs inform and enable higher-order EFs that are more strategic in nature and include planning, reasoning, judgment, and problem-solving. 

Working memory, in short, refers to holding on to information long enough to use it or to complete a task. Flexible thinking, as you might imagine, has to do with changing course when needed, switching between tasks, understanding others’ perspectives, and thinking “outside the box.” Self-control embodies concepts like emotional regulation and self-awareness. It also includes the ability to maintain attention – controlling impulses, inhibition, and self-motivation.

EF Processes are Critical to Our Everyday Learning, Work, Play, and Relationships.

It’s also important to note what EF is not: 

• It’s not the same as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), though people with EF deficits oftentimes face some of the same challenges as those diagnosed with ADHD (such as focus and attention).

• It’s not synonymous with having a low IQ. In fact, many people with high IQs struggle with EF skills, particularly self-regulation of emotions and motivation.

• It’s most definitely not a reflection of how hard a person is trying or how much they want to stay organized and self-regulate. 

EF skills develop throughout childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. How early and how quickly they develop varies from person to person, based on factors like genetics and brain development differences.

Why is Executive Functioning so Important?

People with an EF deficit can struggle with a variety of foundational skills and everyday situations. Some of these include:

• Remembering and organizing information

• Planning and goal setting

• Having the motivation and focus needed to start and finish tasks

• Juggling tasks or transitioning between tasks

• Setting priorities and managing time

• Monitoring and controlling emotions, impulses, or attention

• Maintaining relationships, or noticing social cues

• Understanding others’ perspectives

• Responding as expected in social situations, or “thinking before acting”

• Adapting to change and troubleshooting

This could make academic and social situations difficult for anyone, but especially so for children in their formative learning years. Plus, the stress and disruption brought on by the COVID pandemic have made it more challenging than ever for learners with EF deficits.

As mentioned before, because someone has an EF deficit does not mean they have a low IQ. Some scientists view EF as actually a better predictor of future success than IQ. So, it’s critical to address EF deficits in young learners to give them the best chance of succeeding in the future. 

What Can Fit Learning do to Boost Executive Functioning? 

The good news? Research shows us that people can develop and improve their EF fitness, like any other skill or skill set. Here are some helpful strategies.

• Establishing and sticking with routines

• Writing down tasks and responsibilities

• Breaking large tasks into smaller chunks

• Using a daily schedule – along with to-do lists, sticky notes, or phone reminders

• Pairing up with a study partner or classmate to encourage accountability

• Minimizing clutter and distractions (for instance, keeping the phone in another room or blocking tempting websites)

• Using rewards to motivate (and practice) sustained effort

• Engaging in regular physical exercise, which research has shown to boost brain functioning

Besides using these strategies at home, parents should collaborate with teachers and administrators to put them into place at school. This article covers common accommodations for students with weak EF skills.  

How Can Fit Learning Help?

Fit’s precision teaching approach greatly improves learners’ executive functioning, through strengthening working memory, flexible thinking, and problem-solving. So, how does it do this?

• To start with, Fit’s logic curriculum specifically targets EF concepts such as planning, cognitive flexibility, perspective-taking, attention, working memory, and reasoning.

• On an even larger scale, though, Fit’s overall method for instruction in all curriculum areas incorporates key elements that exercise brain connections and make the brain more cognitively fit. A few examples include:

• Using a multimodal technique

• Providing clear, explicit instruction

• Working toward fluency

• Through working 1:1 with their learning coaches, Fit students learn “building block” skills in areas such as reading, math, and logic. They come to know the foundational material so well that they don’t need to stop and decode the material before comprehending it. It frees up learners to spend their time and energy on strengthening their higher-level thinking and problem-solving skills, which are core to EF.

• Fit gradually and systematically trains learners to increase their endurance and attention span. For example, we might begin training a learner to complete a skill for 15 seconds and gradually reinforce performances until they can do the skill for 30 or even 60 seconds.

• We teach Fit learners to perform in busy, distraction-rich environments that mirror real-life settings. We work toward skill generalization and maintenance. This means we don't consider a skill learned unless the child can do the skill across multiple exemplars and with various coaches. Then we systematically measure how the learner has retained those skills over time without practice.

• Fit learning sessions bolster the child’s capacity for future gains in EF, including improved critical thinking, organization, focus, and self-regulation. So, a learner’s time spent at Fit is doubly beneficial. Besides mastering the specific concepts covered during the sessions, they’ve also paved the way for future learning.

• Even after coaching sessions, the learner’s brain can generalize the gains and apply the heightened EF to other areas in life and learning. So, the benefits of Fit’s holistic approach extend beyond academics and into other areas affected by EF.

Simply put, Fit’s unique blend of learning science, precision teaching, and direct instruction makes it ideal for improving learners’ EF. Plus, the success that children experience at Fit improves their overall self-confidence and self-esteem, which also breed success in future endeavors. So, exposing your learner to Fit’s method is of the most impactful things you can do, to help now and in years to come.

What are the Next Steps? 

At Fit Learning St. Louis’s lab (virtually or in person), our coaches can build up your child’s executive functioning skills and take their learning to the next level. Here are the steps to take:

1. Contact Fit Learning St. Louis and chat with our Lab Director, Janice Smith.

2. Make an appointment for an intake assessment.

3. Begin tutoring at Fit Learning and watch your child succeed!

Additional Resources on Executive Functioning

• “The Neural and Genetic Basis of Executive Function: Attention, Cognitive Flexibility, and Response Inhibition” journal article (Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior)

• ”Want to Optimize Executive Functions and Academic Outcomes?” journal article (Minnesota Symposia on Child Psychology)

• “Working Memory Underpins Cognitive Development, Learning, and Education” journal article (Educational Psychology Review)

• Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)

• Harvard University Center on the Developing Child

• Rainbow Rehabilitation Centers

• Understood for All Inc.

About the Author

Written by Kristin Geen and Janice Smith. Janice is the lab director and owner of Fit Learning St. Louis. She has more than fifteen years of experience in the field of behavior science and education. She previously worked as an administrator for the Special School District of St. Louis County, leading a team of behavior analysts and attending dozens of IEP meetings in her capacity as an area coordinator. During a ten-year residency in mid-Missouri, she diversified her experience by providing behavioral support services in a university-based clinic setting, family homes, private schools, residential treatment placements, and daycare centers (and nurtured her love for documentary film at the True/False film festival held annually in Columbia, MO).

Janice is passionate about Fit Learning because of its noble cause to change educational practices around the world and its mission to transform the learning abilities of every student who walks through the doors. For more information about Fit Learning, reach out to Janice at Janice@fitlearningstl.com or (314) 246-0540.