1. Grade 5 Executive Function Program Parent Partnership
Lauren DiGennaro
Learning Specialist

2. Definition of Executive Function Skills
I always show the definition, but I explain that whenever you purposely manage your thinking or behavior to a desired outcome, you are engaging those skills. Very important to learning and the social emotional domain. I usually give a few examples of ways the parents have engaged their skills that day, making coffee, deciding what to wear….

3. Why are they important?
These skills allow easier access to reading, writing, math, and technology.
Focus on how they support access to the hard skills of school

4. they also lend themselves to greater success with everyday activities.
But…
they also lend themselves to greater success with everyday activities.
Tie the skills to hobbies, athletic activities, music, getting to school on time….
I usually cite some studies that show that in the job force, these skills tend to be looked at more closely than the actually grades earned in college. Grades get you in to the interview, EF skills get you the job

5. Planning/Strategizing
Metacognitive Strand
Executive Attention
Organization
Task Initiation
Working Memory
Self-Monitoring
Time Management
Goal Setting
Planning/Strategizing
Sequencing
Task Persistence
Set Shifting
Show all the skills, but explain the skills in read are those we will focus on. I prioritized them specifically for 5th graders.

6. More difficult if you do not have the right tools
Cracking the nut…
If I gave parents a nut and asked them to open it, but did not give a nut cracker, they might become frustrated with the task. They likely will get it open eventually, but they will be frustrated and angry…the same a child feels when we give a school task when they do not have the skills to get the job done.
More difficult if you do not have the right tools

7. Filling up the Toolbox…
to help themselves.
Focus of the program is to teach the students skills so they don’t have to rely on adults all the time…in an attempt to make them more independent. The program allows them to learn tools for their toolbox, experiment with them, and decide which ones work well for them

8. How do these skills develop?
Talk about the development of the skills. Focus on the fact that the second biggest time of development of gray matter in the brain is around the fifth grade. Very important time for these students

9. I teach with Essential Questions.
Now, I begin to explain how I go about teaching their children. I always use an essential question and review that question during the presentation.

10. EXAMPLE

11. Another EXAMPLE

12. Another EXAMPLE

13. I teach with questions.
I use carefully scribed questions to teach

14. Example

15. EXAMPLE

16. Example

17. Example…I do talk about the examples for a few seconds, like I would with their children so they can see the conversation each question can ignite

18. I teach using comics.
Comics are great and can actually be a leaning experience as we talk about play with words, etc.

19. Another example

20. Example..talk about comic

21. Example…had to talk about what the words “quality control” means to see why this was funny

22. exampe

23. example

24. I teach using whole group discussion.
I use whole group discussions at times

25. Example..might share some experiences from the discussion…what children shared

26. example

27. I teach using thought bubbles and talking bubbles.
LOVE thought bubbles, allow students to share thoughts anonymously

28. example

29. Example..actually shared that many students did not know where the lost ad found was located

30. example

31. I teach through small group problem-solving.
Sometimes we go to groups to work

32. example

33. example

34. I teach using tools…lots of tools.
And the tools…one of the most importnt things

35. Use a timer as a
Tool
example

36. example

37. You can use Noise Canceling Headphones as a tool.
example

38. Did you know that using a post-it as a tool will help your self-monitoring?
Put your name on the paper first.
Bring a pencil to math class
WATCH YOUR OPERATION SIGNS
example

39. Did you know that sleeping can be a tool for memory?
Sleep is essential to learning, poor sleep can cause a delay of memory up to 3 days. Has more impact on HOW TO memory than memorization skills

40. You can start with the hardest assignment as a tool
Are you kidding? Why would I start with the most difficult work?
example

41. I teach and learn about their progress through their responses to thought bubbles
Share that they give me feedback at the end of each session

42. example

43. example

44. Example that a student wrote

45. example

49. The Rain Umbrella
Covers a smaller amount of information, so there is some time to learn a bit more about pieces of information
The Beach Umbrella
Covers a lot of information, so there really isn’t time to learn much depth about any one piece of information
explanation
The Parasol Umbrella
This umbrella covers a very small piece of information so there IS time to learn a great deal about information

50. I extend my teaching through…
monthly brochures.
Explain how important the brochure are for parents to connect with what has been taught. They can support the use of tools at home

51. What you can do this year?
Check out presentation on school site Read the brochures that come home Create routines Use a whiteboard for school events for the week/month Use post-its and reminders Celebrate accomplishments with these skills Practice decision-making Prepare for school the night before Reinforce the value of the agenda