Parents and Schools Should Prioritize Executive Function Skills

Parents and teachers play an important role in developing executive function in children

As a teacher and administrator in schools for over 25 years, I’ve worked with thousands of public and private school students. Through my colleagues, relatives and friends, I’ve also known many students who have been part of the homeschool and un-school movement. One of the lasting impressions that I have of successful students in un-/homeschool settings and in more traditional environments is their ability to self-start, self-govern and be self-directed.

Rethinking our assumptions about school

The pandemic has upended many of our assumptions about how students should be educated, as well as the value of online school. There are some significant benefits to an online learning environment that are likely to be fine-tuned in the future. Generally, it has been a difficult time for parents, particularly those who are working, to balance the needs of their at-home learners. Let’s face it, many of our children require our constant attention. Their attention spans are short and they can have difficulty attending to a task. Twelve months into the pandemic, parents and educators have personal experience that leads us to believe that remote learning has not been as effective as in-person learning for many students. The research is emerging that supports our experiences.

Yet we have also become aware of students who have thrived during this challenging education year. One group of students that have done well are students with high executive function skills. Their success has not been linked to content area knowledge, but to their ability to manage their own learning. Some of this ability is developmental; generally speaking, older students are better able to manage their learning than younger students. However, even at a young age, some schools and parents have created environments in which children are empowered and engaged in their learning and where problem-solving and choice have been emphasized. In these environments, executive function skills have been cultivated and nurtured.

Supporting executive function in children

I can’t help but wonder how educators and parents can better support strong executive function skills in their children, both in school and at home. This crisis presents us with an opportunity to think about our goals for children. At times, as both an educator and a parent, I have supported the short-term success of a child, rather than engage in the more difficult and time-consuming work of developing skills that will help them navigate future challenges.

In an effort to support students and to ensure that they don’t fail, many educators, including myself, have often gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure that students pass their classes and move on to the next grade. In well-meaning efforts to support our children, I grow increasingly concerned about removing too many challenges and struggles out of the classroom. What are the long-term consequences of depriving them of the necessary challenges, struggles, and failures that will lead to reflection, resilience, and the development of higher levels of executive functioning? Executive function skills can be learned by all. Managing time, prioritizing tasks, sustaining focus, short and long-term planning, delaying gratification, setting goals, and reflecting on the learning process, can and should be built into our everyday work with our children and students.

Our experience with remote and hybrid learning has shown us that it is time to re-examine our priorities as educators and parents. As educators, it is critical that as we engage students with content that we also empower them with the skills to support their current and future success. As parents, we need to let our children and those who teach them know that to struggle and sometimes fail is all part of the life-long learning process.

As an educator, I see an opportunity in bringing these ideas to parents who have found themselves in the dual role of educator through the COVID-19 pandemic. K20educators has also recognized this need and gathered a group of world-class experts in health, education, and child psychology in an unforgettable weekend for parents all over the globe.

On Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11, 2021, parents will come together to hear live discussions and expert panels, participate in learning labs full of best practices, leading research, techniques and more at The Parenting Summit. To learn more about this unprecedented parent-centered event, visit k20parents.com or sign up to attend and join the movement to support our children through these challenging times.