This article is part of our weekly series Executive Function Tips for Families. Have ten minutes? Turn magical moments, favorite stories, or household items into meaningful working memory practice! Objective: This activity challenges children’s working memory and inhibitory control by having them remember a visual array of people, characters, or objects while resisting the…
Music Patterns
This article is part of our weekly series Executive Function Tips for Families. Parents, do you have time on your hands? If you do, put those hands together for quick pattern playtime! Objective: This game develops and strengthens the executive function skills of selective attention, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility through clapping and tapping patterns.…
Walk the Line
This article is part of our weekly series Executive Function Tips for Families. Step to the beat! Practicing inhibitory control can be a cakewalk with this play-anywhere game! About the Activity: This activity introduces mindful concentration to help your child learn how to inhibit motor responses and control their body. Executive Function Skills Practiced:…
How is Executive Function Related to Language and Reading?
This article is part of our weekly series Executive Function Tips for Families. Words That Work: How Verbal Short-Term Memory Opens Doors to Gains in Speech and Literacy About the Study: This article describes the findings of the study ”Verbal Short-Term Memory Underlies Typical Development of “Thought Organization” Measured as Speech Connectedness’ Mota et. al,…
Guest Blog: Strengthening EF Skills at Home
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…
Preschool Executive Function and Adult Outcomes: A Developmental Cascade Model
Little Gains, Big Gains: How Can Nurturing Executive Function Skills in Preschoolers Impact Their Adult Years? This article is part of our weekly series Executive Function Tips for Families. Before We Begin: This article explains the findings of the study “Preschool Executive Function and Adult Outcomes: A Developmental Cascade Model” Ahmed et. al, Developmental Psychology,…
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…
Play Bear & Dragon at Home
Flex those cognitive flexibility skills in a game with real characters! Bear and Dragon stop by to engage your child in a new take on “Follow the Leader”. They must choose to follow or not follow Bear and Dragon’s requests based on the rules presented. Activity: Flex those cognitive flexibility skills in a game with real…
Science Spotlight: EF Practice Shown to Improve Math Skills
Close up of little girl and little boy practicing executive function and numeracy
Let Me Choose
Giving children the opportunity to choose for themselves helps them develop thinking skills critical to social and academic success.