- By Isaac
- Van Wesep
The Science of Executive Function: What’s Happening in Your Child’s Brain
When a preschooler waits for a turn, remembers a two-step instruction, or tries a new way to fit a puzzle piece, a network of brain regions is doing the work. Scientists call these skills executive function (EF): working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. Here is what the research says about where EF comes from and why early childhood matters so much.
The prefrontal cortex: the brain's planner
EF depends most on the prefrontal cortex, the area just behind the forehead. It supports planning, decision-making, and the ability to override habits (Diamond, 2013).
The prefrontal cortex is one of the slowest parts of the brain to mature. Its connections are still being built and refined through adolescence, long after the area that processes sound has settled (Huttenlocher & Dabholkar, 1997). That long runway is why EF grows for so many years, and why early experiences shape it. For a stage-by-stage look at how the young brain builds and prunes connections, see Early Childhood Brain Development.
A team, not a single region
The prefrontal cortex does not work alone. The anterior cingulate cortex, a region deeper in the front of the brain, acts as a monitor. It notices when two responses compete, or when something has gone wrong, and signals that more control is needed (Botvinick, Cohen, & Carter, 2004). When your child pauses after a mistake and tries again, these regions are working together.
Hot and cool EF
EF looks different depending on the situation. Researchers distinguish “cool” EF, used for calm, abstract problems like sorting shapes, from “hot” EF, used when emotions and rewards are in play, like waiting for a treat (Zelazo & Carlson, 2012). A child can be strong in one and still be learning the other. That is why a child who shines at puzzles may struggle to wait in line when excited.
Reflection: the pause at the heart of EF
A central idea in EF research is reflection: the ability to pause, notice what is happening, and consider options before acting. Each step up in EF comes from being able to reflect a little more deeply on a situation (Zelazo, 2015). Reflection can be practiced, and practice strengthens the brain networks that support it. You can feel this pause yourself in Reacting v Reflecting.
How stress affects EF
Strong, ongoing stress can disrupt the developing circuits that support EF, making it harder for children to focus and manage their behavior. Supportive relationships and predictable routines buffer children against those effects (Center on the Developing Child, 2011).
What the science means for school
EF helps children follow classroom instructions, stay on task, and manage frustration. Children with stronger EF tend to learn math and reading more readily, and to get along better with classmates (Blair & Raver, 2015). The good news from brain science is that EF is not fixed. Activities that steadily challenge these skills help them grow (Diamond & Lee, 2011).
Measuring EF directly
Reflection Sciences’ co-founders, Drs. Philip David Zelazo and Stephanie Carlson, have studied EF development for decades at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development. Their research led to the Minnesota Executive Function Scale (MEFS®), developed with support from the National Institutes of Health. The MEFS® is a direct measure played as a game. It takes 5 minutes and is normed on 100,000+ people.
Are you a Bright Horizons family? Use the link in the invitation email from your center to measure your child’s EF with the MEFS®. It takes just 5 minutes.
Further reading
Dr. Zelazo explains EF science and brain development in this 2016 interview with Minnesota Health Care News.
References
Blair, C., & Raver, C. C. (2015). School readiness and self-regulation: A developmental psychobiological approach. Annual Review of Psychology, 66, 711–731.
Botvinick, M. M., Cohen, J. D., & Carter, C. S. (2004). Conflict monitoring and anterior cingulate cortex: An update. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 8(12), 539–546.
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2011). Building the brain’s “air traffic control” system: How early experiences shape the development of executive function (Working Paper No. 11).
Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168.
Diamond, A., & Lee, K. (2011). Interventions shown to aid executive function development in children 4 to 12 years old. Science, 333(6045), 959–964.
Huttenlocher, P. R., & Dabholkar, A. S. (1997). Regional differences in synaptogenesis in human cerebral cortex. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 387(2), 167–178.
Zelazo, P. D. (2015). Executive function: Reflection, iterative reprocessing, complexity, and the developing brain. Developmental Review, 38, 55–68.
Zelazo, P. D., & Carlson, S. M. (2012). Hot and cool executive function in childhood and adolescence: Development and plasticity. Child Development Perspectives, 6(4), 354–360.
