One of the most effective determinants of student success is building the invisible skills called Executive Functions — the foundations to effective learning. In fact, studies show a stronger correlation between executive functions and student success, than with IQ and student success.

When I visit schools, I’m reminded that student success is actually based on what we can’t see — things like:

• keeping the teacher’s instruction in their mind;
• staying focused while resisting distractions; or
• shifting problem-solving strategies when their first attempt doesn’t work.

These are our brain’s executive functions — our ‘air traffic control’ system for successful learning.

Executive functions: a set of higher-order cognitive processes necessary for managing oneself, focusing attention, planning, and achieving goals. The three core pillars are:

• working memory (holding and using information);
• cognitive flexibility (trying a new approach); and
• inhibitory control (pausing before acting).

The great news is that these abilities can get better over time — sometimes substantially — from early childhood through adolescence. And, as with most things in education, consistent practice can lead to significant gains.

When students’ executive functions get stronger, the results are noticeable in several ways. Things like:

• clearer writing;
• better problem‑solving; and
• smoother collaboration with others.

Not surprisingly, when stress or poor sleep become factors, we see the opposite happen — less focused writing, weaker problem-solving skills and less cooperation with others. Behavioural outbursts out in school, MAY be the result of a child’s Executive Functioning either not being developed or being temporary depressed because of stress or lack of sleep.

This is another great reminder that personal well-being and learning are so intimately connected. Well-being supports like our district’s Mental Wellness Snapshots help families with practical strategies for routines, sleep, and stress management — the foundations for strong executive functions.

Here are a few more ways that families can help promote these critical skills:

• Invite your child to lead the planning for a family activity: “What is our 3-step plan for today’s adventure?”
• Do an activity that requires cooperation, planning and problem solving — like cooking or baking.
• Praise the process behind the problem solving: “Congratulations, you tried Plan B when Plan A didn’t work!”
• Play strategy-based games that build impulse control, thinking ahead and adapting strategies: Uno, Jenga, Chess, or Memory are good ones.
• Protect sleep time like their success depends on it — because it does!

So, as parents or caregivers when we are looking to build our children’s success at school, we don’t always need to know how to help them with their Calculus homework to assist them in becoming more successful.

What we all can do is find ways of practicing those critical brain skills that open the doors to successful learning.

And I thought Uno was just a game that I never won!