Is EF the New IQ? What Parents Need to Know About Executive Functioning (EF)

As each of us goes about our day engaging in various activities and accomplishing tasks, many mental processes help us plan for, respond to, and complete the work, challenges, and opportunities we come across.  Researchers and psychologists call these cognitive processes that allow one to plan, organize, make decisions, pay attention, and regulate behavior “executive functions,” and studies suggest that executive functioning skills are essential for students to succeed in school and adults to succeed in life.[1]  Some researchers even suggest that having strong EF (executive functioning) may lead to success in basic academics such as math and grammar even more so than possessing a high IQ. 

Executive functioning has been studied for the past 20 years, but interest in the concept and how it affects children is on the upswing among psychologists, educators, therapists, and parents.  Students with executive functioning difficulties may appear disorganized or struggle with prioritizing and planning ahead.  Missing or late assignments are also red flags for executive functioning challenges.  Other signs include difficulties with managing time, taking notes in class, maintaining attention, and creating an effective study routine.  All of this ultimately impacts a student’s grades, development, and confidence and emotions as well.  To help students surmount these challenges, strengthen their executive functions, and build new habits, Speech Plus -- a speech, language, and learning clinic in Frankfort -- now offers an academic coaching program in executive functioning for students called “Success Plus!”

Speech Plus Executive Director Renee Matlock explains how the program was conceptualized, “Through Speech Plus’ work with children, we’ve grown to realize that coaching in executive functioning skills is a much needed service for many students. The overall goal of our ‘Success Plus!’ executive functioning coaching is to help students with executive functioning challenges to develop more effective thinking, stronger organizational and planning skills, and more successful study habits.”

Unfortunately, weaknesses in a student’s executive functioning cause symptoms that may prompt others to view or label them as lazy, unmotivated, or not trying hard enough.  Often, these students actually are trying harder but may not be able to earn better grades without proper treatment and academic supports.  This can be compared to telling a child with vision problems that if they try harder, they will be able to read the board at the front of the classroom or see the text in the book in front of them, when in fact, appropriate accommodations such as eyeglasses are needed.

Children with strong executive functioning on the other hand, are better able to listen in class even when there are distractions, will take the time to look for the right answers beyond the first-glance answers, and will get their school work done when they’d rather be playing.  These children are more able to take their talents and strengths, build on them, apply them intentionally, and utilize them to work toward their goals.

The good news is that research shows that executive functions can be strengthened through regular practice and experience. 

“It is possible to ‘retrain the brain,’” explains School Psychologist Frank Kowalik who directs the “Success Plus!” academic coaching program.  “These students do not need to struggle.  Strategic activities and practices can ‘retrain a child’s brain’ and make it stronger, thus forming new habits of thinking. These habits are developed through daily repetition and practice, and the students eventually internalize the skills.”

Speech Plus Executive Director Renee Matlock adds, “Early attention to problems with executive functioning can help students outgrow and compensate for any weaknesses.  The more one successfully uses executive functioning skills, the greater the development of circuits or pathways in the brain which ultimately improves critical reasoning and decision-making.”

Speech Plus’s executive functioning academic coaching program is geared toward students in 5th through 12th grades.  One’s executive functioning emerges in late infancy, undergoes changes during the ages of 2 to 6, and does not peak until they are around age 25.[2]  The demands on executive functions increase in middle school when students are expected to work more independently, organize themselves, and remember multiple assignments.  Middle childhood (grades 5-8) and adolescence (grades 9-12) are also shown to be the most ideal times to strengthen executive functioning by “retraining the brain.” 

“Curriculums within school districts are becoming more and more rigorous,” explains Kowalik.  “Kids today are under a lot more pressure academically to grasp increasingly more and more difficult concepts and learn and excel at faster rates.  For example, years ago, students may not have been introduced to algebraic concepts in math until 8th grade or freshman year, whereas nowadays, these concepts might appear in a 6th grader’s curriculum or even earlier.  As the demands of curriculums increase, students need stronger study skills and more control over their planning and organization – in essence, they need stronger executive functioning.  Bolstering these skills will also serve them well in many ways, for the rest of their life.”

Renee H. Matlock's Speech Plus is a speech-language and learning clinic in Frankfort, Illinois, serving children with communication and learning challenges.  With a clinical staff comprised of Speech-Language Pathologists, Learning Specialists, and Wilson Reading Specialists.  Speech Plus is the only clinic in the south suburban Chicago area that specializes in serving children (from birth through high school) in speech, language, and learning.  Speech Plus’ mission is to build communication and learning skills using a multi-disciplinary approach combined with a variety of clinical and cutting-edge technological resources. Speech Plus is located 10071 W. Lincoln Highway in Frankfort in the President's Row Office Complex on the south side of Lincoln Highway. www.speechplus.org 815-464-6069

[1] Rush NeuroBehavioral Center. “Executive Function.” <www.rnbc.org/education/a-focus-on-executive-function>

[2] Margolies, L. (2011). “Executive Function Problem or Just a Lazy Kid: Part 1”. Psych Central.