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From remembering to turn in assignments to showing up for soccer practice on time, the development of strong executive function skills is vital to student success! In kindergarten through high school classrooms, we help our students build the mental processes that allow them to plan, focus their attention, remember and follow instructions, and juggle multiple tasks simultaneously. These executive function skills depend on working memory, mental flexibility, and self-control, which individuals can develop over time. Our built-in methods explicitly teach students how to stay organized, follow directions, and meet their deadlines.


What Is Executive Function?

Executive function is an umbrella term for the neurologically-based skills involving mental control and self-regulation. Executive functioning skills are critical to helping children grow up to become independent and successful adults. These skills improve their academic performance, build strong relationships, reduce anxiety, and develop many other important life skills. People with deficits in executive function skills may find it difficult to:

  • Manage time
  • Listen or pay attention
  • Remember information
  • Solve problems
  • Start, organize, plan, or complete tasks
  • Multitask or balance tasks
  • Organize thoughts and materials
  • Learn or process new information
  • Reflect on past behaviors and outcomes

Executive function does not come easily to some, but it is essential to building confidence and juggling the many tasks and events that students face as they grow and prepare for life outside of a structured setting. Because of the human brain’s plasticity and enormous capacity for learning, it is possible to significantly improve executive functioning through evidence-based classroom strategies and support.

Building Executive Function

In every Lawrence classroom at every grade level, our teachers weave executive function coaching into their instructional approach. The entire school day is organized to help students build these skills—from visual cues to consistent routines to metacognitive language. This is a school-wide directive and every faculty member is trained to provide direct instruction, frequent reassurance, and consistent feedback.

Here are some classroom strategies we use to help students fine-tune executive functions so that they can succeed both in and out of the classroom.  

Grades K-6

Explicit instruction, consistent daily routines, organizational strategies, and small class sizes help Lower School students minimize distractions and focus on learning material to mastery.

To manage homework assignments, students use a color-coded assignment notebook and folder system. With the help of teachers and parents, students learn how to manage homework in a positive manner. Color-coded binders and Google Classroom give students the opportunity to practice organization during the school day.

Grades 7-8

Through explicit coaching, consistent routines, clear expectations, and gradual increases in responsibility, middle schoolers learn to manage time, remember instructions, juggle tasks, self-advocate, and stay organized. Assigning homework daily is an important part of the process. 

Students use Google Tasks to keep track of assignments and even schedule time for completion (either at home or in our after-school homework room). As students transition to independently navigating homework and study time, their self-confidence soars.

Grades 9-12

High school students are provided a weekly planner to keep track of their assignments and given a free period each day to work on homework. Students spend 45 minutes every day in the Learning Resource Center, where, under the guidance of full-time faculty members, they establish personal goals and learn to self-evaluate their progress. The period begins with students listing and prioritizing their homework tasks. Assignments are ranked daily by estimated completion time and level of importance (due tomorrow, due next week, etc.). 

Once the work that needs to be completed is identified, students set a timer to track the actual minutes they spend on each task. Upon completion, they log the time spent next to their estimate so they can compare how long they thought it would take versus actual completion time. This daily exercise greatly improves their ability to prioritize and accurately track time. Throughout the year, students become noticeably more independent in their ability to manage their assignments and complete them on time.

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