Boosting Executive Skills in the Classroom

Joyce Cooper-Kahn, PhD, is a clinical psychologist specializing in children's learning, behavioral, and emotional challenges. Coauthor of Late, Lost, and Unprepared, she presents frequently at national and international conferences.
 
Margaret Foster, MAed, is an instructor and consultant specializing in teaching and learning. She trains leaders internationally through WIDE World, a professional development program for educators.

A guide for helping students with weak Executive Function skills to learn efficiently and effectively
 
Students with weak Executive Function skills need strong support and specific strategies to help them learn in an efficient manner, demonstrate what they know, and manage the daily demands of school. This book shows teachers how to do exactly that, while also managing the ebb and flow of their broader classroom needs. From the author of the bestselling parenting book Late, Lost, and Unprepared, comes a compilation of the most practical tools and strategies, designed to be equally useful for children with EF problems as well as all other students in the general education classroom.
 
Rooted in solid research and classroom-tested experience, the book is organized to help teachers negotiate the very fluid challenges they face every day; educators will find strategies that improve their classroom "flow" and reduce the stress of struggling to teach students with EF weaknesses.
* Includes proven strategies for teachers who must address the needs of students with Executive Function deficits
* Contains information from noted experts Joyce Cooper-Kahn, a child psychologist and Margaret Foster, an educator and learning specialist
* Offers ways to extend learning and support strategies beyond the classroom
* The book's reproducible forms and handouts are available for free download
 
This important book offers teachers specific strategies to help students with EF deficits learn in an efficient manner, demonstrate what they know, and manage the daily demands of school.

A guide for helping students with weak Executive Function skills to learn efficiently and effectively
Students with weak Executive Function skills need strong support and specific strategies to help them learn in an efficient manner, demonstrate what they know, and manage the daily demands of school.

About the Authors vii
 
Acknowledgments viii
 
Introduction 1
 
Part I Executive Functioning: The Basics 5
 
1 What Is Executive Functioning? 7
 
Definition 7
 
Core Executive Skills 9
 
How Do Executive Skills Develop? 13
 
To Sum Up 17
 
Time to Reflect 18
 
2 Putting a Face on Executive Functions:
 
Students Who Struggle 19
 
Executive Dysfunction: A Description,
 
Not a Diagnosis 19
 
The Normal Variability of Executive Functioning 20
 
The Vulnerability of Executive Functioning 21
 
Poorly Targeted Instruction 33
 
The Importance of Healthy Habits 34
 
Assessment 35
 
To Sum Up 38
 
Time to Refl ect 39
 
Part II Interventions That Boost Executive Functions 41
 
3 The EF-Smart Classroom 45
 
The Tune-up Tools: Planning, Time, Repetition, and Mind-Set 46
 
The Targets: Culture, Planning,
 
Routines, and Classroom Design 52
 
Planning for Change 72
 
To Sum Up 74
 
Time to Reflect 75
 
4 Supporting Students Who Need More Help 77
 
Planners 78
 
Materials 89
 
Reading 91
 
Writing 101
 
Math 105
 
To Sum Up 109
 
Time to Reflect 110
 
5 The EF-Smart School 111
 
"Old School" to New Schools 111
 
Faculty Meetings 115
 
Gathering References 116
 
The Magic Formula 118
 
To Sum Up 119
 
Time to Reflect 120
 
6 How the Specialist Can Help 121
 
Examining the Learning Task and Its EF Demands 122
 
Examining EF Skills for Levels of Automaticity and Independence: The Four-Quadrant Model 128
 
Consulting with Teachers 134
 
To Sum Up 136
 
Time to Reflect 137
 
7 Planning for Change 139
 
Defining a Problem of Practice 140
 
Planning and Reflection Guide 141
 
Using the Template and Guide: Case Examples 144
 
Plan to Monitor 157
 
To Sum Up 158
 
Time to Reflect 158
 
Conclusion: Helping All
 
Students Blossom 159
 
Appendix A: The Top Three Accommodations for Students with EF Problems 161
 
Appendix B: Accessing the Online Materials 165
 
Endnotes 167
 
Index 171