| ID | 1797 |
|---|---|
| Title | Can you give some examples of executive functions in children? |
| Published | True |
| Body | |
| PWA Dimensions | self_control;working_memory;cognitive_flexibility |
| PWA Question | Can you give some examples of executive functions in children? |
| PWA Answer |
Executive functions begin to develop from birth. One of the first developmental milestones is related to motor skills, when a baby is able to get their thumb into their mouth. Self-control, cognitive flexibility and working memory develop later, in the pre-school years. Of course, children all develop in different ways; there are some broad parameters we might expect to see, but in general the differences are the common occurrence and not the exception. In little children, the first thing you see is goal -directed behavior, where the child would need to hold their attention on something in order to reach a goal. If you think about it, that’s fairly complicated because they not only need to hold that goal in mind, in working memory, but they also have to organize their responses in order to reach that goal, and then they have to execute those responses. For pre-school children, executive functions come into a whole host of activities; you may see it when your child starts to take turns when playing, or if they explain the instructions for how to play a game. You can also see it when they get into conflicts; if they have a toy and somebody takes it, how is that handled? Some children will negotiate, some will cry and some children will try to strategize in order to get what they want. These responses all show different levels of executive functioning. Your child might also use working memory to keep something in mind; if you have asked them to get their shoes and socks and come over to you so they can get ready to go out, keeping those things in mind would involve them using their working memory. UTM-EM-053-APR-21 |
| PWA weight | 110 |
| PWA Slug | /examples-of-executive-functions-in-children |
| PWA Waiting for Review | True |