Executive Edge: Empowering Your Child's Success

I hope you had a great start to the 2024-2025 school year! We are so happy to have your kiddos back in the building. With the start of school I wanted to talk about something you’ve probably heard before: executive skills. While the term can sound a little technical, it’s all about the brain-based abilities that help us manage tasks, stay organized, and get things done. These skills are like our brain’s “command center,” working behind the scenes to guide us through everything from everyday chores to long-term goals.

We usually associate executive skills with organization, but they cover much more than just keeping things tidy. Think of these skills like a GPS system—helping us plan the best route to reach our goals. Here’s the thing: kids aren’t born with these skills fully developed. Instead, their brains naturally start building them over time, with the prefrontal cortex playing a key role in this development as they grow.

Executive skills are super important for success, not just in school but in life. From preschool to college and beyond, these abilities shape how we handle challenges and meet our goals. And let’s be real—every parent has faced the struggle of trying to get their kids to stay organized, whether it’s cleaning their room, remembering to turn in their homework, or just keeping track of their shoes! It’s a common worry: “When will I stop having to remind them of everything? Will they ever just do it on their own?” We all want our kids to grow into independent, successful adults.

Research shows that these executive skills mature at different stages of development. The first to show up is inhibition (basically, self-control), which starts developing around 7 to 8 months old. After that comes working memory—like being able to remember and follow instructions. Then there’s attentional flexibility (or shifting), which helps kids switch focus from one thing to another. As kids grow, more complex skills like planning and goal-setting start to kick in, but these take longer to develop.

During the teen years, the brain goes through a "pruning" process, fine-tuning the connections that help with even more advanced executive skills. One of the big ones here is metacognition, which is just a fancy word for thinking about thinking. This gradual process of executive skill development continues throughout childhood and into adolescence.

It’s also important to recognize that developing these skills can be tougher for some kids, especially those with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or learning disabilities. These conditions can make it harder to develop and use executive skills effectively, which can affect day-to-day productivity, from completing daily tasks to handling academic challenges. Understanding your child’s unique needs can go a long way in helping them succeed.

As your child moves through school, the demands on their executive skills will keep increasing. That’s why, throughout the school year, I’ll be diving deeper into each of these skills. I’ll share more specific examples, resources, and tips to help you support your child’s growth.

To kick things off, I’ve attached a chart created by Dr. Peg Dawson and Richard Guare that outlines the 11 key executive skills. You’ll see definitions, examples, and the typical order in which these skills develop. I’ve also added some parent and child questionnaires that can help you understand your own executive strengths and weaknesses—because our own executive skills can impact how we guide and support our kids.

Understanding your own executive functioning skills is crucial. Research supports the idea that the manner in which parents interact with their children influences their development and school success (e.g., Englund, Luckner, Whaley, & Egeland, 2004; Trivette, Dunst, & Hamby, 2010). Our strengths and challenges in this area can shape how we model and guide our children, helping them to develop these vital skills.

Stay tuned for more, and as always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Let’s work together to help our kids build the skills they need to thrive!