Executive Function

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...

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...

The goal of this activity is to show how zest and enthusiasm are decreased by our lack of organization and the ability to maintain a sense of order. Energy is wasted when we spend our valuable time searching for items that we need. Frustration mounts and...

Our society has become very child-centered, with many adult schedules revolving around children's schedules. Everything is done for the comfort of the child. Adults rescue them at every turn and try to make their lives perfect and wrinkle-free. Children...

The internet has become an integral part of our lives. It has improved communication speed and provides us a wealth of information right at our fingertips. However, it does have its drawbacks; making it easier for people to say negative things online...

Students will explore the value of tolerating differences in others by allowing students to visualize what our world would look like if we were all the same. This activity will emphasize the social skill of “Tolerating Differences in Others”...

Students will have the opportunity to put themselves in Braden’s shoes in this activity, teaching the importance of flexible thinking and responsibility. The exercise accompanies the storybook My Day is Ruined! from the Executive FUNction series...

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...

From Bryan Smith's Fix It with Focus storybook, remind students the steps on how to change their focus when distractions occur by displaying this colorful 8.5"x11" poster in classrooms, hallways, and other common areas in your school...

Self-monitoring can be challenging to understand, and even more challenging to master. It covers a broad array of skills, such as completing work accurately and completely, staying on task, following instructions the first time, waiting to be called on,...

Teaching students to plan, prioritize, and post can help break down assignments into more manageable tasks. Reinforce the message from Bryan Smith's I'll Never Get All of That Done! storybook, by displaying this colorful 8.5"x11" poster in...

Being organized is a skill that comes naturally to some people, but it can be challenging for others! For children, organizational skills can span a number of areas. It's important for adults to realize that what being organized looks like is different...

Overreacting is common for children, but as they get older, it becomes more important that they learn to manage their emotions and practice flexible thinking. Reinforce the message from Bryan Smith's My Day is Ruined! storybook, by displaying...