How to get your children to think smarter.

How to get your children to think smarter.


Executive functioning is a set of mental skills that are self-taught and a core component of academic success for a child’s future.

As we learn more about the brain's ability to change and improve throughout a person's lifetime, it is plausible that "exercising" our working memory just as we exercise certain muscles can improve performance.

If your child has trouble remembering, multi-step instructions or shifting between tasks then you may consider helping your child work back and forth between two tasks for extra practice.

For example, if your child needs to complete a task such as homework assignments, have your child switch focus between the subjects of each assignment until all are complete. While this exercise may push your child's limits at first, with practice your child's ability to switch between tasks should get easier as time goes on.

Utilising technology can also help improve working memory. Choose video games or apps for your child that combines navigating among different screens with searching for an object or brain training exercises. Shifting focus while continuing assignments can give your child's working memory a boost.

There are some critical functions that this will help them to develop such as:

-       Time management

-       Planning and organisation skills

-       Memory and attention span capabilities

-       Promoting flexible thinking

-       Self-directed learning and taking initiative

-       Following directions

To help with the development of these valuable skills we will be going through some of the ways children & teenagers can start teaching themselves day to day executive functioning exercises.

In the following weeks we will be going into more detail about the critical functions mentioned above.