Executive functioning begins in infancy

Phone? Check! Wallet? Check! Keys? Hmm ...you can’t find your keys! Instead of crying and stomping your feet, you (usually) take a deep breath, bite your lip, retrace your steps and hopefully locate the last item on your checklist. Congratulations! You have just successfully used your executive functioning skills!  

Executive functioning is something we use every day to complete simple tasks, control impulses and adjust to changes around us, and learning these skills begins in infancy. 

What does executive function mean and why is it important to my child now? 

There are three basic dimensions when talking about executive functioning skills. These are: 

Impulse control 
Working memory 
Cognitive flexibility (the ability to shift attention between different sorts of information or tasks, or to think about something in more than one way*).  

Executive functioning skills develop over our lifetime, with a significant leap between the ages of 3 and 5 years and then again during adolescence*. These skills help us in many facets of our life including learning new things. It is the primary predictor for school readiness and research shows us that if you have good executive functioning then you are more likely to be successful at school. 

Examples of executive functioning skills in action 

When we learn to read a new word, we are using working memory. We have to hold the sound of each letter in our mind, while simultaneously recalling the next sound, then finally putting all of the sounds together. We use impulse control when we socialise and make friends, for example when children learn to take turns in a game. And we draw on our cognitive flexibility when we empathise with others. Even following simple instructions such as, ‘put your hat on your head and grab your water bottle’ requires a level of executive functioning (working memory) that takes time to develop. 

How do children learn executive functioning skills? 

The fact that young children have a difficult time with self-control, planning, ignoring distractions and adjusting to new demands is hardly news to the adults who care for them. But contrary to popular belief these skills do not develop over time. The good news is, nearly everyone can learn them and it’s fun too! 

With your baby it begins with a game of peek a boo, as they anticipate what is about to happen next (working memory). Playing puzzles with toddlers and older children helps with cognitive flexibility as they shift focus between the picture and the pieces while flipping and turning puzzle pieces (cognitive flexibility). Playing games of musical statues with children helps them work on their impulse control when they freeze, resisting the impulse to move. 

Where to next? 

You are probably already playing some of these games at home. Not only are they fun but these simple games are building the very important lifelong skill of executive functioning. So, find opportunities to fit them into your day - waiting at the bus, long car trips or rainy days. You will be exercising your own executive functioning too! Taking your child to a First 5 Forever session at your local library is another way to exercise these skills while having fun at the same time. 

For more age-appropriate activities to develop executive functioning for your child see this article https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/activities-guide-enhancing-and-practicing-executive-function-skills-with-children-from-infancy-to-adolescence/