Guest Blogger Spotlight: Hello, I’m Nicole Rouleau, an Executive Function and Learning Specialist, and owner of Igniting Your Mind. My mission is to empower individuals to overcome challenges, increase their quality of life, and unlock their full potential. Having spent more than 23 years as both a mother and an educator, I’ve come to appreciate…
Can You Hear the Sound? Shake, Rattle, and Roll with Listening Game Fun!
Hear ye, hear ye! Parents, practicing focused attention can be simple and fun with an activity that will have your child all ears! This article is part of our weekly series Executive Function Tips for Families. Relax and practice mindful thinking by concentrating on a specific sound. It helps children understand what paying attention to…
Finding the Right Level of Challenge to Build your Child’s EF skills
What is This Article About? Children develop at different rates, and this includes their executive function (EF) development. One of the best ways you can help your child grow their EF skills is through at-home play. This blog is chock-full of fun games and activities you can use to improve your child’s EF skills while…
The Dance of Development: Motor Skills and the Brain
The Connection Between Physical Play and Mental Development: As parents, we often marvel at the physical milestones our children achieve, from their first steps to the moment they master riding a bike. But did you know that these physical milestones are closely linked to significant brain development, especially in areas related to cognitive executive function…
Master Working Memory with “Blink!”
Don’t look away too soon! “Blink” is full of important developmental practice and endless possibilities for memory fun! How to Play “Blink” With Your Child Executive Function Activity Objective: The key to this activity is mindful concentration. Playing will help your child learn how to hold rules in their memory and exercise flexible thinking.…
Practice Executive Function with a Mindful Scavenger Hunt
This article is part of our weekly series Executive Function Tips for Families. Are you on the hunt for a fun way to practice working memory? Search no further! Objective: This game enhances mindful concentration, which helps your child learn to hold rules in their memory and exercise flexible thinking. Executive Function Skills Practiced: Planning:…
How are Executive Function and Learning Connected?
This week: New Executive Function Science This week we are taking a look at a 2021 study from the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology that explores the relationship between differences in executive function (EF) skills, and how those differences affect learning different kinds of material. The study is called “Individual differences in executive function and…
Beyond the Book: Four Mini Executive Function Games For Story Time
Why This Activity? Families: Reading can put the “fun” in executive function! Build immediate memory capabilities through an activity where you and your child focus on specific elements of new and favorite stories. Before You Start, Get Set Up! Objective: Exercise your child’s flexible thinking and short-term memory skills while reading fun books together…
Exploring the Impact of Parenting Styles on Child Executive Function Skills
What is This Study About? Parenting plays a crucial role in shaping a child’s cognitive and behavioral development, and recent research examines the intricate connections between parenting styles and a child’s executive function skills. In this article, we explore key findings from “The Role of Parenting Factors in Accelerating or Hindering the Development of HEF…
What are the Effects of Initial Skill Level and Socioeconomic Status on Executive Function?
What is This Study About? In this article, we discuss the study “Examining Moderators of Response to Executive Function Reflection Training: Initial Skill & Socioeconomic Status” Schubert, Erin. (2016). In the study, the researcher sought to determine why executive function (EF) training did not improve skill levels for all children who participated in it. The…