Parent Resource on Executive Function Skills

Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence

Strengthening Executive Function in Children

The term executive function has become increasingly popular in child development
research and is growing in use by parents and practitioners.
Understanding executive function can help parents, teachers, and other professionals
see these capacities in their children. Although executive function may sound like a
highly technical term, the good news is, adults can easily do many things to promote
the growth of these skills in children.

TIPS ON HOW TO INCREASE CHILDREN’S VERBAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Some quick tips on how to help your child communicate his or her wants and needs.

How to Help Your Child Understand and Label Emotions

You can help your child expand her emotional vocabulary
by teaching her words for different feelings. Once she
knows and understands these words you can help
her to label her own feelings and the feelings of others.

Teaching Your Child to: Cooperate With Requests

Young children can learn to follow adult expectations, including performing simple chores, if the expectations are developmentally appropriate (meaning they match what can be expected for children at that age) and are taught to the child.
Below is information on what you might expect from your preschooler and some tips for helping your child learn and follow your requests.

How To Give Clear Directions

“Why do I have to repeat myself time and again?” “Why won’t she listen to me?” Listening and following directions are important skills young children must learn. There are many reasons why children do not follow directions.

How to Understand the Meaning of Your Child’s Challenging Behavior

As a parent or caregiver, you may see your child behave in a way that doesn’t make sense and ask yourself, “Why does she keep doing that?” It can be very frustrating, especially when it seems like it should be easy for your child to figure out on her own a more appropriate way to behave. In moments like this, it is important to remember that children continue to use a behavior because it works! Your child’s behavior is a powerful communication tool that she uses to tell you what she needs or wants. Sometimes, when a child does not know the appropriate way (such as words, sign language or pointing to pictures) to express her needs or wants she may use challenging behavior (such as hitting, screaming or spitting) to communicate. Challenging behavior gives children the ability to send a message in a fast and powerful way. Children will use challenging behavior to communicate until they learn new, more appropriate ways to express their wants and needs. To change the behavior, it is important for you to first discover what is causing the behavior. If you know why your child is choosing a behavior, you can then teach her to communicate her wants and needs in a new way that everyone feels good about.