Thank you to all who attended our webinar last week with Ms Cheryl Chia.

Here are the key takeaways as we explored strategies to strengthen Executive Function Skills through the different ages: 
 

Strategies to Develop Executive Function Skills:

• Attention & Focus
  • Attentive, stretched play vs fast-paced play
  • Physical exercise - Improves blood flow, alertness and cognitive processes 
  • Mindfulness exercise – One of the best strategies to counter “mind wandering”
• Working Memory
  
  • There are many types of memory - Training needs to be specific. Some examples:
  • Verbal Working Memory – Use auditory/ verbal tasks
  • Visual Working Memory – Use visual tasks
  • Sequential Working Memory – Involve sequences 
• Cognitive Flexibility
  
  • Develop bilingualism – Bilingualism promotes “shifting” in the brain
  • Brain training exercise – Strengthen the ability for fast “shifting” 
  • Practise many question types – To build fluency within a specific topic
• Self-Monitoring/ Planning/ Impulse Inhibition
  • Role-play – Many skills built as children take different perspectives
  • Observation, Recording – Make required steps explicit
  • Goal planning, Tracking – Help to set goals and create accountability