Summary
Students with strong executive function skills hold the keys to school and social success—from attention and impulse control to time management and organization. Now K–12 teachers have a practical, highly readable guide to enhancing these critical skills for all students, with and without learning disabilities.
Through the author's memorable metaphors, classroom examples, and crystal-clear explanations of brain functioning, teachers will immediately grasp what executive function is and how it affects their students' learning and behavior. Then they'll get the explicit, research-based guidance they need to
- improve executive function skills in specific academic subjects: reading, math, and writing
- choose effective assessment methods to pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses in students' executive function
- adapt their instruction and classroom structure to enhance students' executive skills and improve "trouble spots"
- implement an executive function coaching process that helps students plan, organize, and complete their assignments
- develop individual behavior support plans that address underlying executive function challenges
An unparalleled practical resource on one of today's most critical education topics, this sourcebook equips teachers with everything they need to detect and solve their students' executive function challenges. They'll get a wide range of ready-to-use strategies based on best practices, visual aids that make new concepts instantly understandable, and photocopiable forms to help students improve in specific executive function areas (see box).
A perfect resource for effective, affordable professional development, this teacher-friendly guide lays a clear and simple path to stronger executive skills for all students —and lasting academic and social success.
Help students improve in key executive function areas:
- organization
- homework completion
- time management
- note-taking
- study skills
- impulse control
- working memory
- planning skills
- self-regulation
- adaptability
- and more!
Reviews
"Practical and timely ... provides systematic coverage of the varied facets of executive functioning and how educators can help their students enhance these abilities to improve social adjustment and academic performance."
—Nancy Mather, Ph.D., University of Arizona
"Wonderful! Just what the field needed to ground conceptual understanding of executive function and executive dysfunction ... truly a research-to-practice book that all teachers can use."
—Dr. Joan Mele-McCarthy, CCC-SLP, Head of School, The Summit School, Edgewater, Maryland
Contents
About the Author
Acknowledgments
- Executive Function in a Nutshell: The Core Concepts
- The Development of Executive Skills: Learning to Stop and Think
- The Neurology of Self-Regulation: Executive Function and the Brain
- Beyond Neuropsychological Testing: What Teachers Should Know About the Assessment of Executive Function
- Moving the Frontal Lobe to the Front of the Class: Seven Core Strategies for Helping Students with Executive Function Challenges
- Keeping Words and Meaning in Mind: The Impact of Executive Skill on Reading
- From Brain to Paper: The Executive Foundations of Writing
- Bringing Numbers into Focus: Executive Function and Mathematics
- Surviving the Paper Chase: Organization, Study Skills, and Time Management
- Unfiltered Comments, Unchecked Actions: Executive Dysfunction and Social Learning Difficulties
Study Guide
References
Index
