# data[].attributes.body
Presentation on note taking skills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Prioritizing: A Critical Executive Function

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Lessons that teach students how to prioritize and persevere help develop executive function skills related to achieving long-term goals.

# data[].attributes.headline
Executive Functioning Skills for Reading

# data[].attributes.subject
Executive Functioning Skills for Reading

# data[].attributes.headline
List of Resources for Executive Functioning

# data[].attributes.subject
List of Resources for Executive Functioning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Time Management & Planning Tools
Check Them Out!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Now imagine: You wake up and realize the power went out overnight. You're running late, the coffee maker's not turning on, and you realize that you need to go find the circuit breaker to restore power to the outlet. This new set of circumstances is out of the ordinary. Nothing about the power being out is rehearsed. This morning, you cannot brew your cup of coffee while half-asleep. In order to complete the task of making your morning coffee, you will need to use a set of cognitive skills called

How Does Student Executive Function Interact With the Learning Environment?

In studies of students using personal devices (tablets, laptops, phones, etc.) for learning activities, teachers and students reported increases in student behaviors that aligned with the behavioral indicators of executive dysfunction (Islam & Gronlund, 2016; Kay, Benzimra & Li, 2017; Lei & Zhao, 2008; Sarıtepeci & Durak, 2017; Tallvid, 2016; Tallvid et al., 2015). Students using personal digital devices were more likely to become easily distracted, had trouble initiating and completing tasks, were engaged with off-task media or were attempting (unsuccessfully) to multitask, and had difficulty problem-solving when technology didn't work as expected.

Tips for Supporting Executive Function During Online Learning

Is my instructional design/tool/learning management system (LMS) overly demanding on my students' inhibitory control? (i.e., do they have to focus on stopping/pausing impulses to engage in the task?)

Is my instructional design/tool/LMS overly demanding on my students' working memory? (i.e., do they have to keep multiple pieces of information in mind as they manipulate the information to complete the task?)

Is my instructional design/tool/LMS overly demanding on my students' flexible thinking? (i.e., do they have to focus on coming up with multiple ways to approach a task or problem, and do they need to independently troubleshoot their technology?)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Now imagine: You wake up and realize the power went out overnight. You're running late, the coffee maker's not turning on, and you realize that you need to go find the circuit breaker to restore power to the outlet. This new set of circumstances is out of the ordinary.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Best Apps and Sites for Improving Executive Function | Common Sense Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Help students to plan, organize, and be attentive. Explore this Best Apps and Sites for Improving Executive Function Top Picks list of 18 tools curated by Common Sense Education editors to find relevant and engaging edtech solutions for your classroom.

# data[].attributes.headline
Executive Functioning Tools and Activities

# data[].attributes.subject
Executive Functioning Tools and Activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Planning, organization, time management, attention, and self-control: These are just a few executive functioning skills that all kids and teens should learn. With such a focus on remote learning, I've put together a list with some digital tools and supports to help learners strengthen their executive functioning skills.

It's worth mentioning that these resources can be used during in-person or remote learning. From interactive workbooks to apps to games, it's important to try different strategies to find what works best for your learners.

Just a note: This list started off smaller, but I found myself continually adding to it (and I hope to continue to!). Some of the more robust resources below are paid. I've also included many free links to websites, apps, and even several of my own resources (including task cards, posters, and activities). I hope you find these supports helpful.
Interactive Workbooks
Executive Functioning Digital Workbook from A-Z. An interactive workbook with moveable pieces for 40 different executive functioning skills.

Self-Control Activity Book. An engaging interactive workbook that helps students learn how to be a self-control STAR.
Digital Posters
Executive Functioning Skills Poster. A visual and teaching tool to represent each of the 10 core executive functioning skills from planning to perseverance.

Executive Functioning Academic Posters. A set of three digital and printable posters to highlight how EF skills are used in math, reading, and writing.

Daily Emotions Check-In. A free 5-step daily check-in to provide support with self-control and managing emotions.

Executive Functioning Skills for Home Poster. A printable and digital poster to send home with families who might want some extra support with executive functioning practice at home.
Apps
Remind. A communication app that helps send reminders to students and families about important dates.

MyHomework. A student planner that helps keep track of homework and other assignments.

Time Planner. An app that helps make to-do lists and track time on assignments.

2Do. Planning app for project and task management.

Train Your Brain. A fun game that helps work on attention skills.

Mind Map. An app that connects ideas to create graphic organizers.

To Do Reminder. Create simple to-do lists and reminders.
Games

2-D Shapes Sorting (TopMarks). This game encourages using organization, planning, and flexible thinking skills as kids sort items into a grid of different categories.

Concentration Games (MentalUp). This site has a large selection of games that focus on visual attention, focusing, and memory skills. Very engaging and fun!

Jigsaw Puzzles (Jigsaw Planet). Many different digital puzzles kids and teens can work on. Puzzles build skills for planning, attention, and perseverance.

Chess (Chess.com). Use this online Chess game to have students play against the computer at different difficulties. Chess is a strategy game that works on planning, flexibility, and perseverance.

Spot the Difference (Cool Math Games). Practice attention skills with this spot the difference game.

Simon Says (Memozor). A classic game, Simon Says helps kids and teens remember sequential patterns that work on attention and working memory skills.

Self-Control Game. This is a game I originally designed as a printable board game, but added a digital version to support more learners. Just hit the play button on the video to read and practice a variety of situation cards for the game.

Word Ladders (Turtle Diary). Word ladders are a vocabulary game that allow kids to build words on each other. These help kids and teens work on metacognition, working memory, and flexibility.

Scrabble (Hasbro). One of my favorite EF games, Scrabble builds on skills for planning, attention, and flexibility. This can also be a great relationship-building game to play with students.
Digital Lessons & Activities
Executive Functioning Lessons. An introductory set of digital and printable activities to teach about 10 core executive functioning skills.

Self-Control Boot Camp. Lessons and activities specifically targeted to teach and improve self-control skills.

Coping Strategies Practice. A coping strategies list to help identify, discuss, and practice coping skills for self-control.

Organization Boot Camp. A set of lessons and activities to teach organization skills.

Executive Functioning Choice Boards. Printable and digital choice boards filled with meaningful practice for all 10 executive functioning skills.

Executive Functioning Advanced Workbook. One of my most comprehensive executive functioning workbooks, filled with meaningful tools to help kids and teens.

Mindful Morning Check-In. A digital activity to promote a calm, focused, and successful start to the day.

Executive Functioning Flip Book. A printable and digital flip book used to teach about the 10 executive functioning skills.
Videos
Mindful Focus Compilation. A set of videos to help kids practice mindful breathing and other activities to improve focus and promote a feeling of calm.

Spot the Differences. A set of five "spot the difference pictures" that can build skills for attention and problem-solving.
Digital Task Cards
Executive Functioning Task Cards. Hundreds of printable and digital task cards to start conversations about planning, organization, time management, and more.

Executive Functioning Task Cards (for younger learners). Another set of EF task cards designed specifically for elementary learners.

Problem-Solving Task Cards. A free set of problem-solving task cards to help kids and young adults think of solutions to problems.
Websites
Countdown timer. Use this website as a stopwatch. This can serve as a visual timer during work sessions, or a tool to help kids work independently. This site has many other timers to check out too!

Graphic organizers. Use this site to create your own interactive graphic organizers with Google Draw.

Virtual manipulatives. Large selection of virtual manipulatives for math, such as number lines, unifix cubes, and base ten blocks.

Virtual manipulatives library. Another large vault of virtual manipulatives and tools to help kids and teens.

Learning to code. Tools and sites that help teach kids and teens learn how to program. These activities can be highly motivating for learners while working on skills for planning, working memory, and perseverance.

Simplenote Note-taking. Website and app that helps sync all notes to one location.
Boom Cards
Organization Boom Cards. Use these executive functioning Boom Cards to practice EF skills in an interactive way. Boom Cards are great to provide immediate feedback to learners as they work on each card.
Hybrid Learning
Guide to Hybrid Learning. If you are embarking on a hybrid learning journey, a good friend of mine put together this incredible website filled with classroom setup suggestions, tools, expectations, and more to help get started. While this isn't specific to executive functioning, I felt it was worthy to add in, as switching from classroom to online learning can be extremely difficult for any learners (especially those with executive functioning needs).
Suggestions?
I would love to add to this list! If you have free websites or apps you'd like me to add, feel free to comment below or reach out to let me know.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
30+ Digital Executive Functioning Tools & Activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Planning, organization, time management, attention, and self-control: These are just a few executive functioning skills that all kids and teens should learn. With such a focus on remote learning, I've put together a list with some digital tools and supports to help learners strengthen their executiv

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Could improvements in these critical skills be one of the silver linings for children attending school remotely? Here are strategies and tools that can help to offset weaknesses related to ADHD and foster independence.

With the continued pandemic, many children have to be responsible for logging into Zoom classes, finding classwork and homework in multiple platforms, such as Canvas and Google Classroom, checking email and portal messages, and using other methods as well to successfully navigate schoolwork. Additionally, in some instances, they have to teach themselves skills and material to a greater degree than if school were in person.

Obviously, all these tasks can make learning more difficult. On the other hand, while many people focus on the negatives of distance learning, I think it is highly possible that children could potentially come out of the pandemic with stronger executive function skills.

Executive functioning refers to mental processes involved in planning, organizing, task initiation, working memory, and other related skills vital to daily life. Therefore, executive function skills are highly influential in learning and retaining information as well as in completing assignments. Furthermore, weaknesses in executive functioning underlie many of the core deficits associated with ADHD.

Whether my theory ends up being accurate or not, as the parent, you can help to further facilitate development of your child's executive function skills during distance learning. The main concept is pretty simple: give your child tools that they can use by themselves to simplify organization, keep track of assignments, and follow through on completing them (with oversight as a backup when needed). This will enhance your child's independence (and lighten your own to-do list).

Here are some very general strategies to use for fostering different related aspects of executive function skills.
Keeping track of assignments

Whiteboard

List on paper

School portal task list (and manually adding any tasks that teachers do not put in)

Exporting assignments from school portal to an external calendar or homework app program

Making a daily and weekly plan in written form

Following through on completing assignments

Set time of day to work on assignments

Viewing list and checking off items (not relying on memory to complete assignments)

System to double check to make sure assignments have been completed and submitted

Automating notifications and reminders

Automated reminders tend to be more reliable than having a parent remind a child sporadically or repeatedly to do something. Kids can use these tools as they grow up.

Using reminders or alarms from a personal assistant such as Alexa, Google Home, Google Calendar, Tasklist or other items on a computer, phone, or tablet, or other electronic reminders can be very helpful.

For many parents, the thought of trying to help their children be more organized and independent can be daunting, especially when the parents are struggling so much to balance their own jobs, household chores, and other obligations all while helping their kids. When the parent has their own executive function limitations, the parent's challenges can further complicate things.

However, helping your children to be more independent-even if you must take a few minutes a day to help them implement things-can end up taking things off your plate as they begin doing these things on their own. Plus, your investment now will ensure greater long-term success and life satisfaction in the future for them, with less worry for you.
Carey A. Heller, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist based in Maryland. He specializes in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and executive function issues. Learn more at hellerpsychologygroup.com. The coordinator for the Montgomery County chapter of CHADD, Dr. Heller also serves on the editorial advisory board for Attention magazine.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Strengthen Executive Function Skills During Distance Learning - CHADD

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Could improvements in these critical skills be one of the silver linings for children attending school remotely? Here are strategies and tools that can help to offset weaknesses related to ADHD and foster independence. by Carey A. Heller, PsyD With the continued pandemic, many children have to be responsible for logging into Zoom...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Organization & Planning - Weekly Update! by Jennifer Egas | This newsletter was created with Smore, an online tool for creating beautiful newsletters for individual educators, schools and districts

# data[].attributes.headline
7 Strategies To Develop Student Executive Functioning Skills for Remote Learning

# data[].attributes.subject
7 Strategies To Develop Student Executive Functioning Skills for Remote Learning

# data[].attributes.body
There are several resources available here, some are Teachers Pay Teachers and not free, some are free.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The first time I tried to cook a meal in my own place was a disaster. Within 10 minutes, my kitchen was a disaster. Within an hour, my house smelled charred, and I had abandoned all efforts to cook myself dinner. I called my mom frustrated: what went wrong?

Until that moment, I failed to realize the level of strategic thinking my mother uses every time she cooks. Her successful dishes require intentional preparation, planning, and organizing to achieve the outcome of a satisfying dish. The art of mise en place to smoothly roll out a meal was utterly lost on me. It wasn't until I had this experience, firsthand, that I realized that neglecting to read the whole recipe and then adequately preparing before I cooked results in disaster. Once that pan gets hot there isn't time to dice more onions or cut up the chicken breast. You need to know the next step and be ready ahead of time to add the ingredients quickly. It sounds silly, but no one had explicitly said this out loud to me, and I didn't make the connection on my own.

With the shift to remote learning, many of our students may have had a similar experience with learning that I did with cooking. Teachers do a tremendous amount of work to create the conditions for learning in their classrooms. Just like my mom did, they prepare, plan, and organize learning. From preparing the physical classroom space to support focus to artfully planning directions and visual cues they use to get students from point A to point B, to organizing information in a clear and digestible manner, teachers can use all aspects of their practice to support students through the learning process. However, without a teacher to direct learning and do that instructional mise en place of preparing, planning, and organizing, many of our students struggled. Learning, like my kitchen, got messy, frustrating, and overwhelming.

Executive functioning skills play a significant role in this. Students suddenly had much more autonomy over when, how, and what they learned. This means that success was more dependent on successful self-management and preparation that students haven't necessarily been taught to do on their own to this extent. According to Harvard, "Executive function and self-regulation skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully. Just as an air traffic control system at a busy airport safely manages the arrivals and departures of many aircraft on multiple runways, the brain needs this skill set to filter distractions, prioritize tasks, set and achieve goals, and control impulses."

The good news? Executive functioning skills are learned skills. Just like I can learn to prepare and plan by reading the whole recipe from the start and organize by chopping my vegetables before I turn on the stove, students can be taught to self-manage their learning at home.

Executive functioning skills lay the foundation for students to manage their own learning both in the classroom and at home. They are important life skills irrespective of the modality of learning. Below are some strategies you can use to explicitly teach students how to manage their learning when we return to schools so that they can be more successful if/when we go remote again.

1. Practice makes perfect

If you're starting in-person this fall (and even if you're not), go ahead and set up your routine for using the learning management system. Clarity and consistency matter to students both face to face and online. You know how you always write out the plan for the day on the top left of the whiteboard? You can apply that same idea online putting homework and assignments in the same place in your online learning management system every day and by posting clear directions and expectations online. That way, students aren't having to organize the information from many different places and figure out new content. Bonus: coordinate with your school, grade level team, or department to use the same process and streamline this further for students.

2. Chunk it, say it, post it

Working memory is the part of your brain that holds onto and uses information. When you give directions verbally, you ask students to remember, use, and then access lots of information. To help students with this, when you say a set of directions make sure to break it up into chunks (no more than 2-3 steps at a time is a good rule of thumb) and post directions in an easy to access spot in your online course. If you're only saying it once in person or on a video chat, you're going to have many students spending energy trying to remember the directions so that they may not have the mental space to complete the task. This is a strategy that will support your students' working memory regardless of where they're learning! Use the online environment to extend your capacity to support students' learning (why waste time repeating directions when you can post them online ahead of time?).

3. Use assessment formatting to your advantage

If you're a student who has difficulty with working memory or visual processing, then reading a passage, scrolling to a question, and taking in all of the options before completing the mental task to get the answer right takes up much mental capacity. Rather than forcing scrolling, try formatting your online assessment items to be side by side so that students don't have to scroll and over-rely on their memory. Show students how to do this face-to-face so that they are comfortable with this when they're on their own.

4. Solicit feedback and encourage reflection

Ask students to share their thoughts on the experience of online learning. I've been blown away by how insightful students are around online learning and research shows such reflection can support emotional control, self-regulation, and self-monitoring skills. Consider setting up a routine where every Friday, you ask students to reflect on what worked well and what was hard about the assignments you provided. Ask them what's been challenging and inspiring in their lives. Help them by creating a safe space to reflect and listen to their feedback. Share with students what you've done in response to their feedback so that it feels productive for students. Start this practice in person and have them turn it in online from week one.

5. Use rituals to your advantage

Learning something new is hard. Learning something new on your own while staring at a computer is even harder. Explicitly teach students what to do when things go off the rails - have a sound, a movement, or a ritual that students can use when they feel overwhelmed at home without a teacher to run to for support. Rituals or routines can help otherwise emotional experiences take up less space in our brains so we can focus on the task ahead. Build something like this with your students when you are face-to-face with them and continue to model it during your remote lessons to support students' emotional control and inhibition.

6. Create a calendar

While your school may only require 3 hours of synchronous learning during remote learning (or whatever the case may be), offer your students a schedule they can use to self-manage during the day. To teach this to your students explicitly, reference the schedule when you're in the classroom or online. Post the schedule in the same place every day and make sure you use some predictable schedules to support your students' learning. Eventually, you could give students a template they can use to build their own schedules and manage their own learning.

7. Use the checkboxes

Many learning management systems will allow you to create a to-do list for students. Help them plan and prioritize by using this feature to your advantage and, again, use it even when you're in person. Model for your students how to check off activities and think aloud as you do it. For example: "OK, looking at our to-do list for today in the online classroom ... We just did the "Learn" portion of the lesson, so I'm going to check that box off. Now it's time for "Practice." Let's click on that to see what's next..." Then, follow up with your students when they're asynchronous. When you notice they didn't check the boxes ask: why didn't they do it? Did they run out of time? Was there a connectivity issue? Did they get frustrated? Did they just forget to check the box? This data can aid you and can support your students' executive functioning skills.

These are just a few examples of strategies that you can introduce on day one back to school to support executive functions that will carry over to remote learning but serve students well beyond the current crisis. It's imperative to remember that executive functioning skills are learned and are critical to all of our long-term success. If a student is struggling, don't make assumptions about their motivation and, instead, take the time to explicitly model and teach this skill. With planning, preparation, and organization, all students can be successful. If I can learn to successfully prepare a meal from start to finish, your students can learn executive functioning skills to serve them during remote learning and across a lifetime.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
7 Strategies to Develop Student Executive Functioning Skills for Remote Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Students have much more autonomy over when, how, and what they learn; but it also means that success is more dependent on successful self-management. Students must increasingly use their executive functioning skills - the skills we use to set a goal, build a plan, execute and adjust the plan, and see it through.