#647

Handy
Handouts ®

Free informational handouts for educators, parents, and students

Executive Function at Home (Part 1 of 4)

by Ashley Eaton, M.A.T.

As children get older the mental demands

on them increase exponentially. Executive 1. Planning
function skills are essentially “the Does your child jump right into projects or
management system of the brain” (Belsky). tasks, struggle to make a plan to accomplish
Skills such as planning, organization, task a task, or when working towards a goal
initiation, time management and regulating they’re all over the place? They may have
emotions are all part of executive function. poor planning skills. Planning, informally or
It is important for children to not only learn formally, is important for all kinds of tasks and
these skills, but be able to generalize them, goals, from making a meal to completing a
or use them across settings, such as at school project for science class. Here are some tips to
and home. Parents and caregivers can support help support your child with planning:
executive function skills at home in easy and
natural ways, that will likely lead to a more MILK • Talk through your own planning
harmonious home and success at school. processes with your child while
doing things such as while running
errands (i.e. explain why you’re
going to stores in that order) or
while making a meal (i.e. explain
that you start with the food that
takes the longest to cook, so
everything is finished around the
same time).
• Model, using a calendar or planner,
planning events for the family.
Show how the calendar allows you
to look ahead and figure out when
to do things and when it might be
best to reschedule or skip activities.
• Model creating to-do lists before
beginning to work on things or to
plan out the day. Let your child see
your lists and help them make their
own lists. Don’t forget to go back
to your lists to check things off!

www.handyhandouts.com • © Super Duper® Publications • www.superduperinc.com • Photos © Getty Images®

 #647

Handy
Handouts
Free informational handouts for educators, parents, and students
®

(cont.)

2. Task Initiation the dishes by 5, then you can watch

When it’s time to work, does your TV,” or “If you finish reading your
child struggle to just get started? They book, then you can watch TV until
procrastinate or dawdle, have a million 6:30.”
off topic questions, urgently need things • Talk to your child about the
unrelated to what they should be doing? importance of starting a task, and
Sometimes merely starting a task is the sympathize with them if they’re
hardest part for people. Help your child not excited to stop a preferred task
develop stronger task initiation tips with the or activity for a non-preferred task
following tips: or activity. A little understanding
• Invest in a timer – digital or goes a long way.
hourglass, and let your child know
when the timer goes off it’s time
to start, or that when the timer
goes off they can take a break
if necessary. Making time more
concrete for kids can work wonders
for starting a task, especially a non-
preferred task.
• Provide your child with a reward
or preferred task option at the
end of a non-preferred task to
encourage them to get started on
a task. Consider using “if… then…”
statements. As kids get older it
Related Handy Handouts®:
may be appropriate to provide 268 – Planning a Trip Helps Children Practice Many Skills!
even more structure by adding 334 – Teaching Time Management at Home
parameters, such as “If you finish 492 – Visual Schedules for Daily Routines
553 – Reinforcing Your Child’s Education at Home

Resources:
https://www.hillcenter.org/7-executive-functioning-skills-your-child-should-have/#:~:text=Executive%20functioning%20skills%20facilitate%20the,%2C%20time%20
management%2C%20and%20organization.
https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/executive-function/
https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-is-executive-function
https://www.thepathway2success.com/10-executive-functioning-skills-the-ultimate-guide/

For more FREE Handy Handouts®, go to www.handyhandouts.com

www.handyhandouts.com • © Super Duper® Publications • www.superduperinc.com • Photos © Getty Images®