Summertime Executive FUN-ction
- Laura Livingston
- Jul 9
- 1 min read
Radcliffe Creek School explicitly teaches executive function skills (EFS) because they’re important to academic achievement. Working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control are the three main components of executive functioning. According to the Cleveland Clinic, these areas – managed in the frontal lobe of the brain – develop at different times of life and decline with age. Research also suggests that executive function can be impacted by stress, loneliness, and lack of sleep or exercise.
Free time during the summer presents opportunities to promote EFS. Many specialists recommend working with children to plan a project like a lemonade stand. Chunking steps in a project, making checklists, and using timelines are helpful. While adults may need to step in, a gradual shift of responsibility to the child will help the skill become internalized. Other common recommendations include cooking projects and board games. Summer can also be a good time to reflect with children about daily routines and how they feel they might be able to increase their independence within them. Offering choices and options can give children confidence.
