Executive Function and Learning Insights.

Explore research, strategies, and ideas that connect executive function to learning success.

Emotional Control Discussions: Encouraging Student Talk to Strengthen Executive Function Skills in Grades 5–8

An emotional control discussion is one of the most powerful tools middle school teachers can use to build student self-awareness and teach critical executive function skills. By creating space for open conversations about how emotions impact learning and behavior, we empower students to reflect, support one another, and build habits (...)

5 Practical Ways to Improve Self-Monitoring in High School Students

Helping students improve self-monitoring is one of the most impactful ways high school teachers can support academic success and overall student growth. Self-monitoring—an essential executive function skill—involves a student’s ability to track their own behavior and performance, evaluate it against goals or expectations, and adjust as needed. This skill is (...)

Reflective Journaling to Teach Flexibility: Boost Executive Functioning in Elementary Classrooms

Reflective journaling is one of the most powerful tools elementary school teachers can use to build executive function skills—especially the skill of flexibility. With just a few minutes a day, you can help students grow in self-awareness, adapt to challenges, and develop problem-solving skills—all through writing. Plus, reflective journaling improves (...)

Developing Planning Skills in Middle School: Supporting Students Who Struggle to Manage Work and Meet Goals

When middle school students begin to struggle with large workloads, miss deadlines, or lose momentum on long-term assignments, teachers often see this as a motivational or behavioral issue. But these are often signs of a deeper challenge: executive functioning deficits in planning skills. Understanding the connection between executive function challenges (...)