1 of 26

Executive Function and Classroom Success

Clinton City Schools

February 14, 2025

2 of 26

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - XO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5he1sCixSLM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pywo0C4v6o

3 of 26

What is Executive Function?

Inhibitory Control

Inhibitory Control at the Level of Behavior

Inhibitory Control at the Level of Attention

Working Memory

Cognitive Flexibility

4 of 26

Where Does Executive Function Live?

Lives in the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) – Part of the brain that is responsible for orchestrating thoughts and actions to align with internal goals.

5 of 26

Power of Executive Function: Why is it so Important?

Research indicates that the Executive Function is more predictive of academic and career success than both socioeconomic status or IQ.

It is possible to improve Executive Function. Practice is critical. EF’s need to be continually challenged – not just used- to see improvements.

Conditions can be adapted to improve EF

Stress and sadness impair

Joy and sense of belonging enhance and support

6 of 26

Executive Function Helps Students:

Control impulses

Shift from one task to another

Emotional control

Initiating a task

Implement working memory

Planning and organization

Self-monitoring

7 of 26

Problems when Executive Function is not Developed

Poor impulse control

Poor attention

Rigid thinking patterns

Big reactions

Trouble identifying emotions

Trouble starting activities

Trouble completing a task

Trouble following instructions

8 of 26

Problems Cont.

Trouble organizing

Untidy personal areas

Trouble keeping track

Trouble planning ahead

Trouble with timeliness

Trouble identifying performance

9 of 26

Executive Function

We cannot improve executive function by punishment.
Research suggests that experiencing frequent or harsh punishment can negatively impact a person's executive function, potentially leading to deficits in areas like planning, decision-making, and self-control, particularly in children who are exposed to such disciplinary practices; this is because punishment can disrupt the development of the brain regions responsible for these cognitive abilities, especially in the prefrontal cortex.
Executive function can be taught. Executive function can be improved.
The best way to teach is to pepper it during the school day, little pieces at a time, during the students’ already established routine.

10 of 26

General Things We Already Do to Build/Support Executive Function

Routines
Visual schedules/visual aids
Classroom organization (where do papers go, backpacks, equipment)
Checklists
Keep directions simple
Break tasks into small steps (read to the paper clip)
Scaffold

11 of 26

What Does Hattie Say?

Goals vs. No Goals - .68

Apppropriately Challenging Goals - .59

Working Memory - .57

Scaffolds - .82

Self Verbalization and Self Questioning - .55

Time on Task - .49

Concentration, Persistence, Engagement - .56

Strong Class Organization - .44

12 of 26

Smart Self-Talk

Metacognition is the executive function that helps us reflect on and manage our thoughts, attention, effort, organization skills, and emotions. It is the internal dialogue that says, “You’ve done work like this before; you can do it again.”
Modeling self-talk for students helps build their capacity.
Guiding questions to help students process, reflect, and create self- talk:

Feeling frustrated, stressed overwhelmed
Avoiding assignments, procrastinating
Feeling unsure of next steps in a multi-step problem or forgetting homework
Falling off task
Failing to calm down

13 of 26

Self-Advocacy

Self awareness exists only when students have a good understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.

Even young students need to know their areas of strength and areas to strengthen and be able to communicate it.

Develop a success file – work done well and work not done well. Reflect with student on factors that contributed to lower output.

Work with student to set goals.

14 of 26

Inhibitory Control at the Behavior Level

Self control or response inhibition- resisting temptations, thinking before acting and curbing impulsivity.

Discipline and perseverance – staying on task despite setbacks or boredom and delaying gratification – require inhibitory control.

Many label this as “bad behavior” when in fact, it indicates immature inhibitory control.

15 of 26

Activities to Improve Inhibitory Control of Behavior

Games like Simon Says (for all ages)

Playing music with others (to practice waiting until it’s your turn to play)

Perform a comedic routine (to practice not laughing at your own jokes)

Dramatic play (to practice inhibiting acting out of character).

Buddy reading – where children pair up and take turns being the reader and listener.

Metronome activities – both visual and auditory

16 of 26

Inhibitory Control at the Level of Attention

INHIBITORY CONTROL OF ATTENTION IS FOCUSED OR SELECTIVE ATTENTION.

IT IS THE ABILITY TO RESIST DISTRACTIONS SO YOU CAN FOCUS, CONCENTRATE, AND PAY ATTENTION, AND TO SUSTAIN THAT FOCUS EVEN WHEN MATERIAL IS BORING.

17 of 26

Activities to Improve Inhibitory Control of Attention

Singing in a round (selective attention)
Listening to stories – improves sustained attention as it requires listeners to work to keep their attention focused without visual aids. Storytelling improves sustained auditory attention more than listening to a story where pictures are shown after each page is read.
Activities that challenge fine and gross motor skills as well as focused attention and concentration (motor development and cognitive development are fundamentally intertwined)

Carrying a full tray without spilling
Needle threading
Beading
Juggling

18 of 26

Inhibitory Control of Attention Cont …

Metronome activities (both visual and auditory)
Activities that challenge balance as well as focused attention and concentration

Walking on a log or balance beam
Walking in a straight line while balancing something on the head or racing with an egg on a spoon
Walking with a bell – walk or run without making it ring

19 of 26

Working Memory

Ability to hold information in the mind and to work or play with it.

Just holding information in the mind without manipulating it is short term memory, not working memory.

Working memory enables us to:

Mentally play with ideas and relate one idea to another

Reflect on the past or consider the future

Remember multi-step directions and execute them in the proper order

Remember a question you want to ask as you listen to ongoing conversations

Make sense of anything that unfolds over time, as this requires holding in mind what happened earlier and relating it to what is happening now

20 of 26

Activities that Improve Working Memory

Perform mental math

Storytelling memory game in a group – one person starts a story, the next person repeats what was said and adds to the story, and so on.

Hearing stories – it requires the listener’s working memory to remember all the story’s details and relate that to new information as the story unfolds without the help of visual aids. Storytelling has been proven to improve vocabulary and recall in children more than story reading.

Performing spoken-word or slam poetry – helps working memory and attention.

21 of 26

Poetry

Spoken word poetry is a performance art that involves reciting poetry aloud in front of an audience. It's a theatrical art form that's based on oral traditions and can include elements of music, dance, and theater.
A poetry slam is a competitive art form where poets – aspiring or experienced – perform their poetry against fellow poets and in front of an audience. Poetry slams give poets the opportunity to practice performing their poems in engaging ways and gather the reactions of the live audience in front of them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ90OPnFNRY
Metronome hand and body activities

�

22 of 26

Metronome and Executive Function

A metronome is a tool that can significantly improve executive function by training the brain to better regulate timing and synchronization, leading to enhanced focus, attention, planning, and overall cognitive control, often used for individuals with conditions like ADHD where executive function challenges are common.

23 of 26

How Does the Metronome Affect the Brain?

In particular, research and theory suggests that the metronome increases the efficacy of the pre-frontal cortex, the brain network most associated with general intellectual functioning, working memory, controlled attention and executive functions.

24 of 26

Metronome Exercises

Hand Exercises - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIuwO03eVjc

Body Movements - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwpAGwKTWfI

Cross Midline movements

Jumping jacks
Bird dog
Cross crawls
Infinity loop tracing (sideways eights)

25 of 26

BPM Chart

60-70 BPM for relaxed focus and creative work.

70-90 BPM for steady, productive work.

90-120 BPM for high-energy tasks or physical activities.

26 of 26

Resources

YouTube – OT Closet, HARKLA, Neuro Logic (brain breaks that support EF)
Metronome App – Lots for free