Children are not born with executive function skills, but they are born with the potential to develop them. There is strong scientific evidence that these skills can be improved through practice. At Kinderberry Hill, teachers mindfully promote these skills in our children starting in infancy and throughout their early childhood years in our care. Kinderberry Hill and Reflection Sciences have partnered together to assess executive function skills and guide children to develop these skills, promoting school-readiness and success.
Kinderberry Hill Child Development Centers are leading the way in how to incorporate the science of executive function development in early childhood education. By blending regular assessment using the Minnesota Executive Function Scale with proven intervention strategies, such as EF games and mindfulness, they are setting children on a solid path for school readiness and beyond.
Kinderberry Hill Teachers Promote Executive Function Skills Through:
- Continuing to model and acknowledge executive function skills, as well as support these skills in children throughout daily schedules and routines.
- Encouraging children to pursue what interests them.
- Playing games that require children to focus, remember the rules, and follow directions. (i.e.,: Simon Says, Red Light, Green Light)
- Helping children feel understood and helping them to express what they are feeling.
- Praising children’s efforts in practicing executive function. (i.e.,“You are working so hard.”, “You are waiting patiently.”, “You didn’t give up!”, “You remembered all of the directions!”)
- Continuing to support high level imaginary play. This play requires children to work together, assign roles, and stick to the appropriate behavior of those roles.
Executive function has been shown to predict important developmental outcomes; school readiness, academic achievement, social functioning, mental and physical health.
