Let’s Get to the Bottom of This: Measuring Your Child’s Executive Function
- By Isaac
- Van Wesep
Let’s Get to the Bottom of This: Measuring Your Child’s Executive Function
This article is part of our weekly series, Executive Function Tips for Families.
What is Executive Function?
Executive function (EF) refers to a set of mental skills that includes working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. These skills are essential for planning, focusing, and managing multiple tasks. By building EF skills early, we set children up for long-term learning success.
Measuring Executive Function to Understand Child Behavior
Research has shown that a child’s early executive function (EF) and self-regulation (SR) skills build the foundation for greater academic performance and good mental health. This week, we’re breaking down a study about the best assessment methods used to measure executive function skills in children. Read on to learn about the different ways you can measure your child’s executive function!
Before We Continue: Understanding the Study
This article explores findings from the study Measuring Young Children’s Executive Function and Self-Regulation in Classrooms and Other Real-World Settings by Dana Charles McCoy (2019), published in Springer Science & Business Media.
This study dissects the varying ways executive function skills and self- regulation capabilities are measured in young children. The most effective means of measurement discussed are direct assessments, adult reports, and observational tools. Continue reading to learn about which assessments you may or may not want to consider for your child.
Key Terms to Keep in Mind as You Read:
Adult Reports: Parents, teachers, or other caregivers share how a child behaves in their everyday life.
Direct Assessments: 2 to 6 minute games that children complete to see how well they do certain tasks related to thinking and controlling behavior.
Observational Tool: A certified observer watches how a child engages in activities and documents the child’s behavior on a verified form.
Key Takeaways
1. Advantages of Adult Reports
- Adult reports can take less than 15 minutes each.
- Adult reports tend to be low cost.
- Adult reports focus on a multitude of thinking and behavior skills.
- Adult reports are efficient in spotting children who need extra support, especially in relation to attention and behavior.
2. Disadvantages of Adult Reports
- Adult reports rarely identify children who are excelling at executive function skills and self-regulation.
- The relationship between the reporting adult and the child can interfere with the objectivity of results.
3. Advantages of Direct Assessments
- Direct assessments are heavily science backed.
- Direct assessments are always performed the same thus making them fair and exact.
- Direct assessments effectively identify specific thinking and behaviors of children whilst showing the relationship between your child’s thinking and behavior.
4. Disadvantages of Direct Assessments
- Direct Assessments usually measure more than what they are intended to measure.
- For example, a simple test to see if your child can remember number order needs your child to use other skills like paying attention and following instructions.
- A child’s results can be impacted by factors unrelated to their EF skills.
- For example, a child who is shy may have challenges that are not related to the tasks in the direct assessment. This can impact the assessment results of their thinking and behavior skills.
5. Advantages of Observational Tools
- Observers have no relationship to the child being assessed which allows for objective results.
- Observers are trained to notice behaviors that may go unnoticed.
6. Disadvantages of Observational Tools
- Observational tools require more time than other effective methods of measurement.
- Observers are limited to the behaviors of the child in specific situations.
- Children might behave differently when they know they are being observed, which can impact the validity of results.
Actionable Steps for Parents
Here’s how you can support your child’s EF development at home:
Knowing Which Assessment Works Best for You and Your Child
- Read Comparing and Selecting and an Executive Function Assessment to know which method of measurement might be best suited for your child.
Understand and Observe Your Child’s Executive Function Skills
- Read Have You Measured Your Child’s EF Skills? to learn about how you can observe and measure your child’s EF skills at any time.
Improving Your Child’s Executive Function Skills
- Once you have developed a solid understanding of your child’s executive functions skills, play games and do fun activities to improve the skills they may be lacking or strengthen the skills they already have.
