How Schools Teach Executive Functioning Skills

Executive functioning skills allow students to act on what they know.

But put them alone with an assignment, and they might struggle to get started, keep materials organized, manage their time, or complete work without frequent adult prompting.

Students who face these challenges are often labeled lazy, unmotivated, or careless. The truth is that many students need explicit instruction on the thought processes that accompany learning. Schools can teach students executive functioning skills the same way they teach reading, writing, and math: systematically, with repetition, and over time.

What are executive functioning skills?

Executive functioning skills refer to the thought processes people use to plan, organize, regulate, and complete tasks. When students use executive functioning skills throughout the school day, they:

• Plan and prioritize
• Organize materials and information
• Start tasks
• Maintain attention and effort
• Manage time
• Remember information in their working memory
• Shift between tasks or mental approaches
• Monitor their progress
• Regulate emotions and responses
• Check outcomes and modify strategies 

A student may struggle with just one of these skills. For example, one student may have wonderful ideas but struggle to organize them on paper. Another student may complete most of their classwork but feel overwhelmed when faced with long-term projects. A third student might know exactly what to do but can’t seem to get started on their own.

Executive functioning should be taught, not assumed

Schools often tell students to “get organized,” “use your time wisely,” or “check your work.” While those phrases describe the desired outcome, they don’t teach students how to do it.

Explicit instruction on executive functioning breaks the invisible steps into learning opportunities. Rather than telling a student to start a project, a teacher might walk them through the process of:

1. Identifying the end goal
2. Breaking the assignment into tasks
3. Estimating how long each task will take
4. Identifying needed materials
5. Deciding where to start
6. Tracking their progress
7. Reviewing their work 

With practice, students begin to internalize this process and initiate it independently.

What executive functioning instruction looks like at school

Teachers can weave executive functioning instruction into the school day. It’s not a lesson that occurs once a week or only when a student turns in a messy assignment.

Consistent routines

Established routines allow students to know what to expect and reduce the mental effort needed to figure out what happens next. Visual schedules, organized materials, and clear procedures for jobs like turning in work give students more cognitive space to focus on learning.

The goal isn’t to create students who rely on a rigid environment. Consistent routines help students learn strategies in a supportive environment before trying those strategies to solve more complex problems.

Tasks broken into manageable steps

Open-ended or multi-step assignments can be difficult for students who struggle with planning or task initiation. Teachers can provide support by demonstrating how to break down an assignment into clear, manageable steps.

As students gain mastery, teachers can reduce their support. The student may learn to identify the steps, estimate time, and prioritize work independently.

Tools with a clear purpose

Planners, checklists, assignment folders, timers, visual schedules, calendars, and digital tools can support executive functioning skills. But if students don’t know how to use a tool or when it can help them, it will fail to serve its purpose.

Schools should teach students why each tool is useful, allow time to practice it, and review its effectiveness with students. If a student resists using a planner, it doesn’t mean they will never be organized. Students should have opportunities to find strategies that work for them.

Support with task initiation

For some students, starting is the hardest part. They can understand directions and still sit staring at their desk or worksheet.

Teachers can support task initiation by clarifying the first step, limiting unnecessary choices, providing a verbal or visual prompt, and focusing on simply getting started. Students can gradually learn how to create their own prompt to begin a task.

Opportunities to plan and reflect

Students benefit from thinking about how to tackle a task before they begin. They should also reflect on whether the strategies they used were effective.

Teachers can use questions to develop students’ executive functioning skills:

• What is my goal?
• What should I do first?
• What could stand in my way?
• What can I do to help myself?
• Did my plan work?
• What will I do differently next time?

Students should understand that reflecting on their work is not a punishment.

Emotional regulation and communication

Executive functioning skills are closely linked to emotional regulation. Stress, anxiety, and frustration can impact students’ ability to think flexibly, start work, or persevere through challenges.

Students should learn to recognize when their emotions may be impacting their work. They can practice asking for help, using an appropriate regulation strategy, and returning to the task with support.

Support should build independence

Effective executive functioning support won’t remove all of a student’s challenges. Nor will it depend on an adult to remind a child of every step. Instead, teachers should aim to increase the responsibility a student can manage over time.

This process might start with an adult modeling a strategy. Next, a student might practice the strategy with support. After that, they might use the strategy with an oral reminder. When students demonstrate mastery, they can initiate that strategy on their own. Depending on the student, progress looks different, but the direction is the same.

Academic rigor and executive functioning can work together

Students who need executive functioning support are often capable of complex thinking and appropriately challenging academic work. Lowering academic standards can mask students’ needs and limit their growth.

Teachers should continue to hold students to rigorous academic expectations. At the same time, they can teach students how to work within the academic environment. Students should be able to learn challenging material without being defined by their organizational skills, attention, or executive functioning struggles.

Support and rigor are not mutually exclusive. When students learn strategies that work for them, they can better show what they know and interact with rigorous content.

Questions to ask when evaluating a school

If your child needs executive functioning support, families can consider these questions before touring a new school:

• How are students taught executive functioning skills explicitly?
• Do students have the opportunity to practice these skills throughout the day and across subject areas?
• How do teachers support students when beginning and completing work?
• What systems are in place to manage assignments, materials, and projects?
• How do teachers fade support as students become more independent?
• How are emotional regulation skills tied to students’ academic learning?
• How does the school evaluate progress beyond grades?
• How will your child’s strategies be communicated to you? 

General statements about how a school supports organization aren’t as helpful as specific examples.

Executive functioning at The Craig School

At The Craig School, rigorous academics, executive functioning, and Social Skills and Communications work together throughout the school day. Students learn through explicit instruction, individualized support, and repeated practice throughout their school day.

Our goal is to help students become confident in their academic abilities and increasingly independent as learners. We aim to help students understand how they learn, select strategies that will support them, communicate their needs, and take ownership of their learning.

The Craig School serves students in grades 3 through 8 in a small, structured learning environment in Orange County, California.

FAQs about Executive Functioning

Is executive functioning support only for students with ADHD?

No. Students with ADHD may struggle with executive functioning, but many students can benefit from direct instruction. Students with anxiety, learning differences, communication differences, and other learning profiles may need support with executive functioning skills.

Can executive functioning skills improve over time?

Yes. Students can learn strategies that allow them to work more independently. Executive functioning skills improve through explicit instruction, guided practice, feedback, and repetition. Keep in mind that learning new strategies is a gradual process that won’t always be apparent in a student’s ability to recount the strategy. Students show improvement through their day-to-day performance.

Will using a planner help my child with executive functioning?

Using a planner is one strategy that can help students with executive functioning. But students will also need to learn how to prioritize tasks, estimate how long something will take, begin assignments, track their progress, and adjust when things don’t go as planned.

Does executive functioning support mean my child won’t have rigorous academics?

Students should have access to appropriately challenging academics. Effective executive functioning support allows students to engage with challenging material and demonstrate what they know. Teaching students how to approach and manage their work does not lower the expectations. It gives them a clearer path for meeting those expectations.

How can I learn if The Craig School is a good fit for my child?

Start with a conversation about your child’s strengths, current challenges, and educational needs. The Craig School admissions team can answer your questions, explain the program, arrange a visit, and help determine whether the school may be an appropriate fit.