Put the Fun Into Executive-Function Skills Practice This Summer

Executive functioning—as related to schools—includes all self-management skills students need to succeed in a classroom. More specifically, it involves the ability to make goals, plan steps required to achieve those goals, and then execute the plans. For example, attention, focus, planning, organization, working memory, recall, self-regulating emotions, and self-monitoring all fall under the umbrella of executive functions. For many types of learners, these skills are not intuitive or innate. They need to be learned—sometimes explicitly—and frequently practiced. Here are some ways to practice these crucial skills, so kids are ready for a strong start to the school year! Ages 3 to 8 Games Red Light/Green Light: Players start on the far end of a play area. One person—the designated traffic cop—stands on the opposite end with their back toward the players. When the traffic cop starts yelling, “Red light, green light, 1, 2, 3,” players begin to run. When the traffic cop gets to the number 3 and turns around, runners must freeze or else they’re out. Freeze Dance: Play music and dance, but be sure to freeze when the music stops! Simon Says: A classic game where one person is Simon and calls out directions. Don’t move unless you hear Simon actually say, “Simon Says.” Skills supported: Focus and attention are the main goals for these activities. Additionally, self-regulation and managing emotions are also supported if a child doesn’t win. Yoga Skills supp...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Speech-Language Pathology Executive Functions Language Disorders Schools social skils Source Type: blogs