Do you have an absent-minded professor for a child?  Do they lack organizational skills that prevent them from being successful academically?  Many students struggle with these executive functioning skills. Executive functioning is a set of cognitive skills that are important for success in daily life, including goal-directed behavior, problem-solving, working memory, attention, and self-regulation. While it can be frustrating at times, there are strategies that can help your child to build these skills.  At Covington Latin School, we develop these skills in our Prep and Form I grades through our history classes. CLS also offers classes after school that delve further into executive functioning skills for our students. 

If your child struggles with executive functioning, here are some strategies for your child:

Modeling: Demonstrate and explicitly explain the steps involved in goal-directed behavior, problem-solving, and self-regulation. This helps students understand what they should be doing and why.

Break tasks into smaller steps: For complex tasks, break them down into smaller, more manageable steps and provide support and guidance along the way.

Use visual aids: Visual aids, such as flowcharts or checklists, can help students stay on track and organize their thoughts.

Practice and repetition: Repetition and practice are key to developing executive functioning skills. Encourage students to practice what they have learned through games, activities, and real-life scenarios.

Self-reflection: Encourage students to reflect on their own behavior and thinking patterns. This helps them understand how they use their executive functioning skills and identify areas for improvement.

Provide feedback: Provide clear, specific, and constructive feedback on their use of executive functioning skills. This helps students understand how they are doing and what they need to work on.

Collaboration: Collaborative activities, such as group projects and discussions, can help students develop their executive functioning skills as they work together to achieve a common goal.

Incorporate technology: Technology can be a useful tool for developing executive functioning skills, such as apps that help with task management and organization.

Remember, the goal is to provide a supportive environment that encourages students to develop their executive functioning skills and to understand that it takes time and effort to see improvement.