Executive Functioning: The Missing Piece in Your Child’s Development
- Therapy Talks
- Mar 12
- 5 min read
Does your child find it difficult to stay on task? Are they a little unorganized? Or they might be quick to move on when something gets a bit boring or tricky?
As mums we all have a lot on our plate, and as our little ones get closer to starting school, it’s natural to wonder how ready they are for this big step. One of the key skills kids need for school success is something called executive functioning. Don’t worry—it’s not as complicated as it sounds, let's break it down.
Think of executive functioning as the “control center” of your child’s brain. It’s what helps them focus, plan, and problem-solve—kind of like you juggling work, dinner, and bedtime routines! Let’s dive into the 6 key parts of executive functioning and explore how you can give your child a boost at home.
Heading #3: Engagement
Attention: "Mum look! Can I show you something? I will be right back"
Think of your child's attention as their "laser focus" superpower.
Attention is your child’s ability to focus on one thing while ignoring distractions. It’s what helps them listen to their teacher during story time or complete a puzzle without getting sidetracked.
Why is this important?
In school, kids are surrounded by noises, classmates, and lots of activities. Good attention skills help them stay focused by filtering out unnecessary noise and visuals so that they can stay on task. It is important to remember that children can be distracted by movement just as much as they can be distracted by sound. In a busy kinder or classroom, you will often find teachers and children walking around, playing, and moving between activities. For a child trying to concentrate on a puzzle this can be just as difficult to block out as loud noises.
Picture this: You’re trying to make dinner while your child asks for snacks and your phone buzzes. Staying on task takes effort, right? For kids, focusing in a busy environment is just as hard!
Try This:
Play a Listening Game: Give simple instructions like, “Touch your nose, then clap your hands,” and see if they can follow along.
Try a Puzzle Together: Sit down and complete a simple jigsaw puzzle together. Praise them for sticking with it.
Efficiency: "Mum I can't find my shoes!"
Efficiency is how well your child can organize their time and materials to get things done. It’s like being able to find the right crayon in their box instead of dumping everything out first!
Why It’s Important:
Being organized makes tasks quicker and less stressful. In school, this might mean packing their bag at the end of the day or keeping their school jacket in a safe place so that they don't lose it (my daughter lost 4 school jackets in her first term of prep).
Imagine packing lunches while rushing out the door. If you can’t find the kids drink bottles, then everything takes longer. For kids, being organized helps them move smoothly through their day while playing and when doing schoolwork.
If you know where all your things are then it is much easier to get the task done!
Try This:
Toy Tidy-Up: Turn cleaning up into a game. Ask them to sort toys by color or type (e.g., cars in one bin, blocks in another).
Prep for the Next Day: Let them help pack their school bag or lay out clothes for tomorrow.
Engagement: "This is boring. Can we do something else now?"
Engagement is about staying interested in a task long enough to finish it, even if it’s hard or a little boring. It’s that skill that keeps your child coloring their picture until it’s complete.
Why It’s Important:
At school, engagement helps kids complete their school tasks, participate in group activities, and stick with learning something new.
Ever started folding laundry only to get sidetracked by the kids or the TV? Staying engaged is tricky! For kids, it’s about sticking with an activity even when it gets a bit boring.
Try This:
Storytime Challenge: Read a story together and pause to ask, “What do you think will happen next?” This keeps them curious and engaged.
Creative Play: Give them a box of random items (e.g., paper, tape, string) and ask them to make something fun, like a hat or a house for a toy.
Inquiry: "Why is the sky blue?"
Inquiry is your child’s natural curiosity and their ability to ask questions, explore, and figure out how things work. Think of it as their little scientist brain in action.
Why It’s Important:
Inquiry drives learning. Kids who ask questions and explore are more engaged and develop critical thinking skills that they’ll use in school and beyond.
You know those moments when your child starts to ask 500 why questions a day, “Why is the sky blue?” That’s their inquiry skill kicking in!
Try This:
Nature Walk: Go outside and explore. Ask open-ended questions like, “What do you think lives under that rock?”
Experiment Together: Mix water with food coloring or make playdoh and talk about all the things you make.
Optimization: "Don't worry mum, I can fix it!"
Optimization is your child’s ability to tweak and improve how they do things. For example, if their block tower keeps falling, they try building it differently to make it stronger.
Why It’s Important: This skill is all about learning from experience. In school, it helps kids become more independent and confident problem-solvers.
Have you ever changed up a recipe to make it taste better? Kids do this too when they figure out easier ways to complete tasks.
Try This:
Lego Challenge: Ask your child to build a tower and then brainstorm how they can make it taller or sturdier.
Cooking Together: While baking, ask, “What could we do to make this cake even yummier?”
Solution: "I have an idea!"
Solution skills help your child figure out what to do when something doesn’t go as planned—like finding a way to fix a toy that breaks or deciding how to share one toy with two friends.
This is your child’s problem-solving skill—their ability to figure things out when something goes wrong.
Why It’s Important:
Problem-solving is essential for handling challenges in school, whether it’s fixing a mistake on a worksheet or resolving a disagreement with a classmate.
You run out of milk for breakfast. What do you do? You find a solution—toast instead! Kids need this skill when they lose a crayon or face a tricky puzzle at school.
Try This:
Verbalise and share your mini problems throughout the day: This involves talking out aloud throughout the day for your children to hear you solving mini problems, (e.g., "I can't find my other sock", "Oh no we ran out of toilet paper."). Then let your children offer possible solution.
Pretend Play: Use dolls or action figures to act out a problem (e.g., “The doll lost her shoe!”) and ask, “What should we do to help her?”
The best part? You don’t need fancy toys or a lot of time to help your child develop executive functioning skills.
It’s all about weaving small, fun activities into your everyday routines. And remember, every child develops these skills at their own pace.
If you’d like more ideas or have questions about getting your child ready for school, feel free to reach out. We’re always here to support you and your little one.
Happy playing, exploring, and growing!
x Speech Path Nev
Comments