We are the
Executive Function Company
Scientifically backed Professional Development, Measurement, and Classroom Activities
Play along... Find your EF score today!
Valid Science
Our work is backed by leading research in the field of Executive Function (EF), all applied to classroom settings.
Foundational to SEL
EF is core to academic and social emotional skill development. We support your SEL efforts!
Smart Investment
Put your assessment and curriculum dollars to work where you will get the biggest return... EF growth!
What is Executive Function?
As illustrated in the EF Tree of Success, Executive Function directly correlates to academic success and social emotional learning. Often called the “Air Traffic Controller” of the mind, Executive Function is a key set of brain-based skills required for impulse control in children.
In fact, Executive Function can be a better predictor of academic and social emotional learning than traditional IQ tests. Executive Function, unlike IQ, can also be improved upon through reflection and practice.
In short, Executive Function is one of the most important set of skills that children can acquire in order to succeed in life.
Uncover The Three General Skills of Executive Function:
Cognitive Flexibility
Working Memory
Inhibitory Control
EF and Social Development, what's the connection?
Executive Function skills are consistently associated with social development.
Individuals with better Executive Function skills are better able to understand someone else’s perspective and beliefs, as well as predict the behavior of others in a social setting. One form of social cognition associated with Executive Function is called Theory of Mind. Having a developed ‘Theory of Mind’ means having an understanding that people have their own thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and opinions. Individuals also possess their own mental states that might or might not align with reality or with someone else’s mental state.
There is an implied connection between a preschooler’s ability to demonstrate their Theory of Mind and the development of executive functioning skills. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics states that much like early Executive Function skills, healthy early childhood social-emotional development is essential for educational readiness, social well-being, and preventive mental health.