Organizing our Selves, Belongings, Time and Attention

The Children's School hosted a parent education session on Executive Functioning, presented by Dr. Spencer Wetter and La Jolla Learning Works, on Wednesday, October 23.

The event focused on the various executive functions that help us organize our selves, our belongings, our time and our attention. These functions include, but are not limited to: working memory, self-regulation, persistence, flexibility, time-management and metacognition.  

The brain continues to mature and develop connections well into adulthood. Our executive function abilities are shaped by both physical changes in the brain and by life experiences. Early attention to developing efficient skills in this area can be very helpful. Direct instruction, frequent reassurance and opportunities to reflect on our practices and strategies are ways to reinforce these skills. Due to the wonderful gift of neuroplasticity (our brain’s ability to learn, grow and adapt), by introducing and practicing new techniques, we help integrate these skills into our repertoires, fostering greater management of our lives and selves.

Executive functioning allows us to:

• Make plans
• Keep track of time
• Complete tasks 
• Meet deadlines 
• Keep track of more than one thing at once
• Include past knowledge in discussions in a meaningful way
• Evaluate ideas and reflect on our work
• Change our minds and make mid-course corrections while thinking, computing, reading and writing
  
• Ask for help or seek more information 
• Engage in group dynamics

The Children's School utilizes specific strategies and building blocks that are incorporated throughout the schooldays to reinforce and allow students to practice skills that will enhance their learning behaviors:

• Classroom schedules (a visual reference of the day’s activities)
• Job/activity choices (sequencing through routines, assuming responsibility and selecting jobs off the job board)
• Have-To jobs/activities (prioritizing their time and finding what routines work best for them)
• Job walks (physical or verbal—front-loading the children about tasks, materials needed and directions; employing their working memory, and fostering independence and responsibility for their materials and follow through)
• Graphic organizers (note cards, post-its, rubrics, and task-breakdowns; access to tools to organize their thoughts, notes and outlines for assignments)
• Project discussions and mapping (brainstorming, outlining, organizing and planning)
• Notetaking (integration and information compilation for future retrieval and reference)
• Planners/calendars (tangible and electronic; visual tracking of events and responsibilities)
• Binders and laptop files (tangible, compartmentalized storage areas for belongings and assignments; electronic resources for information and organization of work products) 
• Open Studio (self direction, review of job status/responsibilities, prioritization and time management)
• Reflections (written and oral, personal, peer or student-teacher; the metacognitive piece to assess outcomes/results and plans for moving forward; useful both academically and socially)

These tools are adapted to be developmentally appropriate and differentiated depending on each child’s needs and preferences.  It is so important to gain an understanding of what kind of learner one is, and we encourage the use of introspection and self-analysis (metacognition) to foster this understanding, and subsequent decision-making, that enhances one’s learning experiences and growth.  

Tips for home:

• Family calendars and schedules that provide visual reminders and tracking of events, activities and appointments 
• Personal dry erase boards/calendars for each child to begin tracking their own reminders and schedules (“remember soccer cleats” or “bring artifact for social studies”)
• Chain some tasks that allows them functional, natural practice with working memory and organization (i.e. set the table—remembering all that’s needed to prepare for the meal; play a listening game and ask them to do 2 or 3 silly actions in succession)
• Enlist the child’s support in list-making (grocery shopping, packing for vacation, gift ideas)
• Play memory games
• Practice telling time with an analog clock 
• Play “Beat the Clock” for clean up, tasks, or getting ready (set a digital timer or see who can get their jobs done first)
• Practice mnemonics to remember list items (i.e. “grapes, apples, bread and milk=Gorillas adore baby monkeys”)

We hope these insights help connect some of the dots and we encourage you to talk to your child’s teacher should you have any questions about how executive functioning skills are integrated into the classroom.

For more information and insight into how executive function develops, and why it’s important for our day-to-day experiences and success, and other parent education opportunities, please see our website: www.tcslj.org/parent_education.