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…
Science Spotlight: EF Practice Shown to Improve Math Skills
Close up of little girl and little boy practicing executive function and numeracy
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…
Fathers Matter: The Role of Father Autonomy Support and Control in Executive Function Development
This article is part of our weekly series Executive Function Tips for Families. Fathering Futures: The Impact of Dad’s Guidance on Child Executive Function About the Study: This article discusses a study that investigated an often-overlooked aspect of child development—the influence of fathers on their children’s executive function (EF) skills. While extensive research has…
Provision Choice and Executive Function Development
Provision of Choice is Key to Executive Function Development in Toddlers It is clear that early executive function (EF) skills are important for many outcomes including social competence, emotion regulation, academic achievement, and school readiness (Allan et al., 2014, McClelland et al., 2013; Willoughby et al., 2017). We have seen remarkable growth in the number…
Science Concepts for Preschoolers: Matching Instructional Approaches to Individual Learning Needs
This article is part of our weekly series Executive Function Tips for Families. Preschoolers are naturally curious and ready to explore simple science concepts. This week, we review a study that suggests tailoring instructional approaches to match your child’s learning needs, nurture their scientific curiosity, and support the development of their executive function skills. Before…
Little Gains, Big Gains: How Nurturing Executive Function Skills in Preschoolers Impacts Their Adulthood
This article is part of our weekly series Executive Function Tips for Families. Regular readers of this series know that childhood executive function (EF) predicts a range of important school-related outcomes. But did you know early EF also predicts other outcomes later in life? This week we look at the results of a study that…
How Executive Function and Stress Relate to Academic Performance In Middle Schoolers
This article is part of our weekly series Executive Function Tips for Families. Middle school is a difficult time for many adolescents. The research presented in this article shows how EF skills can help your child overcome both stress and challenging academics during this time in their development. Before We Begin: This article explains the…
Understanding How a Child’s Executive Function Skills Improve Their Math Skills
Did you know that your child’s executive function (EF) skills can help them in math? Read on to learn how you can help your child use their EF skills to help them with number skills! This article is part of our weekly series, Executive Function Tips for Families. Before We Begin This article explains the…
Understanding How a Child’s Executive Function Skills Connect With Their Reading Skills
Did you know that your child’s executive function (EF) skills can make them better readers? In this week’s article, learn how you can help your child use their EF skills to understand what they read!