5-4-3-2-1 Early Childhood Tips for Today: Executive Function

• Play games with your child such as Simon Says, Red Light-Green Light, and Freeze games.
• Promote creativity by providing open-ended materials for your child to create and build on their own.
• Ask your child open-ended questions about their play or creations such as “Tell me about..” “What do you think …”, “How do you know…”
• For your child to develop a growth mindset praise your child’s effort “You are working hard on that puzzle” and not intelligence by avoiding broad statements such as “Good job”, or “You must be smart”.
• Set clear age appropriate expectations and routines and be consistent.

• Mind in the Making 7 Essential Life Skills
• Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills With Children from Infancy to Adolescence
• Child Mind Institute:  Executive Function
• Mindset Works

• Inbrief:  Executive Function Skills for Life and Learning
• Building the Brain’s “Aire Traffic Control” System:  How Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function
• Praise for Intelligence Can Undermine Children’s Motivation and Performance

Children Read Alouds

Are You My Mother? - P.D.  Eastman

After a baby bird falls from his nest he begins to look for his mother.  He asks everyone he meets (dog, airplane, and more) if they are his mother until he finds her.  This book demonstrates problem solving and critical thinking skills.

The Little Engine That Could -Watty Piper

This book demonstrates taking on challenges as the little blue engine says to herself “I think I can” as she makes it over a big mountain despite being small and inexperienced.

Inbrief:  Executive Function:  Skills for Life and Learning