How to Teach Executive Functioning in Grades 1–6 (Fun + Practical Tips)

Have you ever met a child who constantly loses track of their belongings, interrupts others mid-sentence, or has a meltdown when plans change? These behaviors aren’t signs of laziness or defiance—they often reflect underdeveloped executive functioning skills. The good news? These essential life skills can be taught, practiced, and strengthened over time. 

When we teach executive functioning (EF) explicitly—and in a way that’s fun and engaging—children begin to understand their brains. They learn to plan, stay organized, pause and think, and manage transitions with confidence.

So where do we begin? The three core executive functioning skills form the foundation of self-management and learning success.

🧠 Core Executive Functioning Skill 1: Working Memory

Working memory is like a mental stage—it holds information while a child is doing something with it. Whether remembering multi-step directions or solving a math problem in their head, this skill is vital to academic and everyday tasks.

Key Tools Embedded in Working Memory:

• 🗣️ Inner Voice – Repeating things in your head to remember them

• 👁️ Visualization – Making mental pictures of what needs to be remembered

• 🧭 Spatialization – Using the mind’s map to organize and retrieve information

Teaching kids to strengthen these internal tools gives them a reliable system for managing and retrieving information.

✋ Core Executive Functioning Skill 2: Inhibitory Control

Inhibitory control is the brain’s brake pedal. It helps children pause before reacting, manage emotions, and stay focused when distractions arise.

Key Tools Embedded in Inhibitory Control:

• 🎯 Attention – Directing focus to what's important and ignoring distractions

• 🧠 Metacognition – Noticing thoughts and making better choices

• 💖 Emotional Regulation – Managing big feelings in healthy, constructive ways

These tools help kids slow down, reflect, and respond with intention—rather than reacting impulsively.

🔄 Core Executive Functioning Skill 3: Cognitive Flexibility

Cognitive flexibility allows children to shift gears, try new strategies, and adapt to changes in routine. It’s the key to creative thinking, resilience, and social success.

Key Tools Embedded in Cognitive Flexibility:

• 🕘 Transitions – Moving smoothly from one task or setting to another

• 👓 Multiple Perspectives – Seeing things from another person’s point of view

• 💡 Flexible Thinking – Coming up with new ways to solve problems or face challenges

These tools build emotional adaptability and creative problem-solving—both essential for growth and connection.

💡 Teaching EF Skills the Fun Way

Children learn best when they’re having fun. By turning executive functioning instruction into games, stories, and hands-on activities, we help students connect with the material and internalize the tools in a way that sticks.

That’s exactly why I created the E-Fun Workbook Series—playful, engaging, and research-based resources that help elementary students master executive functioning while enjoying the journey.

🌟 Explore the E-Fun Executive Functioning Series

🧠 E-Fun Working Memory

A 52-page digital workbook full of games and challenges that teach kids how to use their inner voice, visualization, and spatialization to hold onto information and recall it when needed.

✨ Perfect for: Following directions, remembering lessons, organizing thoughts

🚦 E-Fun Inhibitory Control

This 48-page resource introduces fun strategies, such as S.E.E.M.E. and P.O.W.E.R., to help kids reflect, regulate, and respond thoughtfully. It targets attention, metacognition, and emotional control.

✨ Perfect for: Staying focused, managing feelings, and making smart choices

🔄 E-Fun Cognitive Flexibility

Guided by a friendly character named C. Flex, this 40-page workbook helps children practice transitioning with ease, seeing different viewpoints, and thinking outside the box.

✨ Perfect for: Coping with change, solving problems creatively, and social awareness

🎁 Want to Try Them Out? Download Free Sample Pages!

I’d love to share a taste of these tools with you. You can download free sample pages from each workbook to experience how fun and transformative EF skill-building can be.

👉 Click here to download your free samples

Final Thoughts

When we give children the language, tools, and playful practice they need to build executive functioning skills, we’re doing more than helping them succeed in school—we’re preparing them for life.

Let’s empower the next generation with self-awareness, flexibility, and the confidence to face any challenge head-on. One fun activity at a time.

What are Dr. Warren's Other Executive Function Products?

• Executive Functions Coaching & Study Strategies Certification Course: https://www.learningspecialistcourses.com/collections
• Executive Functioning Activities Library: https://www.learningspecialistcourses.com/courses/executive-functioning-activities
• What is Executive Functioning Workshop: https://www.learningspecialistcourses.com/courses/executive-functioning-skills-workshop
• Executive Functioning Brain Trainer Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/executive-function-brain-trainer-podcast/id1588400094
• Executive Functioning Coaching Assessment: https://goodsensorylearning.com/products/executive-functioning-coaching-assessment
• Executive Functioning Remedial Assessment: https://goodsensorylearning.com/search?type=product&q=efra
• Planning, Time Management & Organization for Success: https://goodsensorylearning.com/products/planning-time-management-and-organization-for-success-download
• Working Memory Activities Bundle: https://goodsensorylearning.com/products/working-memory-bundle
• Following Directions Bundle: https://goodsensorylearning.com/products/following-directions-primary-beginners-intermediate-bundle

Cheers, Dr. Erica Warren