Executive Functioning Skills
Ages 6-8 (Kindergarten - Grade 2)
General overview of this age range with EFS
There are layers to the behaviors a child might show if having these difficulties. However there are some that are more prevalent; can’t work or play without disrupting others, trying to attend to a task for 15 minutes is too hard, and struggles with control of daily emotions.
Normal Development of Executive Functioning and Self Regulation Skills
Signs of EFS issues:
Starts one task and gets distracted, then doesn’t ever finish the original task.
Can solve a math problem one way but gets stuck when asked to solve it using another method.
Focuses on the least important thing you said.
Often mixes up assignments and doesn’t bring home the books and handouts needed to complete the work.
Has a desk full of loose papers and pencil stubs. But her schoolwork folder and pencil box are empty.
Panics when rules or routines are challenged, like going out to dinner instead of ordering in because it’s Friday and that’s pizza night.
Struggles to find the right information in a word problem to come up with an equation.
Sticks with a plan even when it’s clear that the plan isn’t working.
What would a lesson with KBS look like?
We’d pick, you and I together, the first skill to work on. We decide that it’s attending to a task for at least 15 minutes. The student and I would do some talking about what that feels like to them, some strategies to use to get through that time, and then we’d spend some time on a preferred activity for 15 minutes to see what it feels like and work towards doing the same with a less preferred activity/task.