What's Executive Functioning Skills

Range of skills that whenn used together helps kids organize their thoughts and actions, prioritize what’s important, manage time wisely, and make smart decisions.

Interactive Challenges and Activities for Kids

• Sustained Focus

• Keeping attention steady

• Engage in silent reading for 15–20 minutes

• Listen to a story without interruptions

• Complete a worksheet on your own

• Watch a documentary or educational show

• Selective Focus

Ignoring distractions to concentrate on what matters

• Tackle math problems in a lively classroom

• Follow instructions while others chat

• Spot sight words on a cluttered page

• Extract key facts from a science text

• Multitasking

Handling multiple activities simultaneously

• Jot down notes from the board while listening to the teacher

• Enjoy a board game, tracking rules and turns

• Work on an art project following step-by-step guidance

• Type an essay while organizing thoughts

• Task Switching

Shifting between tasks or processing types

• Move between reading instructions and completing tasks

• Transition from math to writing seamlessly

• Switch from group work to solo assignments

• Go from physical activity to quiet reading

• Memory Skills

Temporarily holding and working with information

• Follow multi-step directions like “Get your notebook, write your name, and draw a star”

• Perform mental math like adding numbers in your head

• Retell a story or summarize a paragraph

• Recall rules during games or activities

• Impulse Control

Holding back impulses and staying focused

• Wait for your turn in class discussions

• Resist blurting out answers

• Avoid touching items during a science experiment until it’s time

• Tune out distractions like tapping or humming

• Flexibility

Adjusting to new rules or perspectives

• Play games with changing rules, like “Simon Says”

• Revise a drawing or story based on feedback

• Adapt to schedule changes or shift between activities

• Consider how a book character might feel

• Planning and Organizing

Thinking ahead and structuring tasks

• Pack a backpack with school essentials

• Break projects into steps and set deadlines

• Write a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end

• Plan how to organize a Lego build or puzzle

For additional information on this topic:

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). Executive Function Deficits (Practice Portal). March, 1, 2026 from https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/executive-function-deficits/.

Nessy Learning. (n.d.) Executive Function . March 1, 2026 from https://www.nessy.com/en-us/dyslexia-explained/related-difficulties/executive-function