3 Effective Ways for Building Executive Function Skills During Early Childhood

Reviewed by: Ms. Shum Wing Yan, Social Work Supervisor of Hong Kong Children and Youth Services and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S) of (American) Association for Play Therapy 

Executive function skills are the main controls within our brains, including planning, self-control, staying focus, and so on. These skills can help children learn, manipulate information, control self behavior and achieve a task, which bring them academic success and wonderful life.

Executive function skills render essential supports for learning and development.¹ As indicated by research, these skills begin to develop shortly after birth and then significantly between ages 3 to 5.² Since as early as infancy, parents and caretakers can facilitate the development of a child’s executive function skills by adopting the right approaches and providing high-quality interactions / experiences. Gradually through practices, related mental skills of working memory, self-control and cognitive flexibility will emerge along with the child’s developmental milestones, which are the focuses of this article as well.^3,4

Tips on Working Memory

Working memory helps us remember and process information. ⁹ For example, when your children are counting, they need to recognize the number and the correct order to do so. There are many ways for improving memory, such as visual and vocal aids, memory association, etc. Generally speaking, adopting visual and vocal aids at the same time will be more effective. Some of the common effective suggestions are as follows, but parents should adjust in accordance to their children’s needs.

1. Leverage Visualization Tools⁵

Good use of visual tools, such as sticker charts and sequencing chain, can help children build the mental linkages between texts and images, and facilitate memory recalls later on.

2. Establish Routines⁶

Routines should be consistent. Find a pattern that works for your child and be patient to stick with it. Asking your child to put away the toys before starting dinner is a clear task-by-task routine to follow. Your child may get off track sometimes, but giving gentle reminders and appropriate praises are good enough. There is an additional note for routines. We may need to make necessary adjustments occasionally due to sudden changes of plan. You should inform your children in advance, in order to make them well-prepared for it.

3. Play Memory Games

Be it Peekaboo for younger infants, hiding game in different forms for toddlers, or   imitation game for preschoolers³, all are helping your little ones to train and strengthen their observation skill as well as working-memory capability.

Tips on Self-Control

Self-control skills can help children to ignore the external disturbance so as to stay focused and achieve their goal. ⁹ When your children are doing homework, they will need the skills to resist external temptations such as toys. Stay focused and finish the homework.

1. Give Simple and Clear Instructions

The instructions should be clear and loud. Parents may need to repeat several wordings to make the instructions easy to follow. A “when-then” statement is a good example.⁷ It clearly communicates a set of behaviors / expectations in sequence – “When we wash our hands, then we start dinner.”

2. Try Out Delayed Gratification Activities¹⁰

Coach your child through the delayed gratification activities. Make them try to resist temptation in order to get a greater rewards. For instance, parents can give their children a candy and tell them to consume it tomorrow. If the children can do so, another candy will be awarded. This is an effective way to improve self-control skills.

3. Practise Self-Control with Games

Any time we ask our children to play by the rules, we are encouraging them to develop self-control. Let your child enjoy the games like Red Light, Green Light, Musical Doodles, or the time doing aerobic exercises⁸ with friends!

Tips on Cognitive Flexibility

Cognitive flexibility is the capability of changing plans to tackle unexpected external issues, in order to complete a designated task. ⁹ For example, when you are about to go to the supermarket with your children, it is raining cats and dogs suddenly. We can prepare an umbrella / a raincoat, or even postpone the schedule to another sunny day. Normally, example is better than precept. Parents should be flexible in daily life too. For instance, parents would like to make their children join a designated interest class, but it has been full. Can parents just let it be or even make their children join another one?

1. Embrace Surprises¹¹

Routines are good for children. When there is unexpected change in something planned however, it is as good to take the chance to let your child learn about embracing the surprise that comes up. Talk about it calmly together – “Oops! The toy store is closed today. Let’s plan another activity!”, and so your child can have a chance to exercise the skill of cognitive flexibility. However, if your child is stubborn and reluctant to change from the original plan, parents should ask their children to take a deep breath first. After calming down, parents should explain patiently the importance to adopt changes. Meanwhile, parents themselves should become role models to their children too. For example, when your children cannot achieve the target within a competition, parents should accept the failure. Try to encourage them to do better next time, instead of doing immediate evaluation for the failure and blaming them.

2. Free Activity Time

Allow your children to have their free own activity time, which means letting your children play the games they prefer. You can suggest your child to name their favorite toys alternatively or even think of multiple ways to play with them. For example, some children may prefer to play with the package box instead of the blocks after opening. They will fold the package box and make it a school bus. Then, they will pretend themselves as the drivers. Parents should show confidence and respect to your children. Do not criticize during the free activity time. You will enjoy seeing the little mental twists your child makes every time.

3. Engage in Rule-Switching Games

Playing games that include rule-switching is a good way to teach children how to adjust. How about trying Silly Singers or Animal Buddies? Alternatively, selecting activities that involve creative thinking like Invent a Flower can also help train your child’s cognitive flexibility. 

Every child is unique. Parents should try to understand their children and also themselves. Be flexible and adjust the way of parenting accordingly, then your children should be consistently making improvement. Spend time with your children with good quality and build up good relationships with them. Always stand by your children and make positive feedbacks when necessary, so as to build up the above 3 executive function skills.

UTM-EM-062-MAY-21

Reference: 

1. Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. Executive Function & Self-Regulation. Accessed on 10 Feb 2022.
2. Marcovitch, S. et al. A Longitudinal Assessment of the Relation between Executive Function and Theory of Mind at 3, 4, and 5 Years. Accessed on 10 Feb 2022.
3. Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence. Accessed on 10 Feb 2022.
4. Suh, L. Building Executive Function Skills Can Be Fun. Edutopia. Accessed on 10 Feb 2022.
5. Morin, A. 8 working memory boosters. Understood. Accessed on 10 Feb 2022.
6. Rae, J. How to Help Kids With Working Memory Issues. Child Mind Institute. Accessed on 10 Feb 2022.
7. Morin, A. When-then sentences: An evidence-based behavior strategy. Understood. Accessed on 10 Feb 2022.
8. Zou, Z. et al. Aerobic Exercise As a Potential Way to Improve Self-Control after Ego-Depletion in Healthy Female College Students. Frontiers in psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00501. Accessed on 10 Feb 2022.
9. Executive Function and Toddler Self Management, Faculty of Education The University of Hong Kong. Accessed on 10 Feb 2022.
10. Conti, R. Delay of Gratification. Britannica. Accessed on 10 Feb 2022.
11. Veenendaal-de Kort, A. (2018, May). Surprisingly Open or Openly Surprised? That Is the Question; Using Surprise Experiences to Increase Openness to Experience and Tolerance of Ambiguity. Retrieved Mar 18, 2022.