The classroom can be a stressful enough environment for any person – throw in executive functioning challenges and it’s a real beast.
As a person with executive functioning issues (or the parent to one), you may find that there are issues related to managing time, staying organized, and planning out tasks.
All of these are crucial tasks in a classroom setting, as you’re likely aware.
Fortunately, there are adjustments and accommodations you can make to transform the classroom setting into one that’s far friendlier for the individual with executive functioning issues. Here’s what you need to know!
1. Have a Daily Routine and Schedule
The best thing you can do for any person – executive functioning issues aside – is to make sure they have a clear understanding of what’s to come. A routine can work wonders in helping to reduce stress, stay organized, and to boost academic performance.
Post schedules, rules expectations, and directions in places where you or your child will see them often. Try to set up a daily routine that will change as little as possible.
2. Keep Spaces Physically Organized
Set aside folders and baskets of supplies to keep physical spaces as organized as possible. If you’re using a backpack, empty it daily to make sure it doesn’t become a black hole where homework assignments go to die!
If you can, designate certain areas for certain tasks. For example, you might create an area of the home that’s the “homework assignment” zone. A desk or quiet area of the kitchen would be good for this – you’ll want to avoid using the kitchen table or a bed whenever possible.
For a person with executive functioning issues, this can be inadvertently confusing – the bed should be for sleep and the kitchen table should be for eating to create a clear separation in the brain.
3. Provide a Clear Checklist of Instructions and Expectations
When giving your child instructions for assignments (or receiving them, if you’re reading this advice for tips you can incorporate for yourself!), repeat everything multiple times. Have your child repeat them multiple times.
Add attention-grabbing phrases like, “This is important to know because…”
Repeating things out loud can help embed the information in the brain while also presenting in a novel format. Instructions should be kept as simple and concrete as possible – and you should check in with yourself (or your child) to make sure everything is understood.
In some cases, you may even find it beneficial to use technology like speech-to-text or text-to-speech dictation for writing. This can make sure that nothing is lost in translation!
4. Outline Everything
Using worksheets and test overviews can be helpful when it comes to introducing new concepts. However, making an outline can also be beneficial, even when the teacher doesn’t automatically provide one.
An outline can break a lesson or study material down in a clear, succinct fashion so it’s easier to know what’s next. It allows you to focus on specific content rather than getting bogged down on, say, a test’s format.
When making this outline, be sure to highlight key ideas and words for added clarity and organization. Graphic organizers and mind mapping tools can also be helpful when it comes to breaking down course material!
5. Invest in Extra Sets
Consider investing in extra sets – of everything. That might include an extra set of books to keep at home, extra paper and pens, or extra sets of flashcards.
The benefit of doing this is that it makes it virtually impossible to forget materials at school or at home – there’s always an extra set! It can eliminate one of the biggest organizational challenges that people with executive functioning issues tend to have.
6. Write Everything Down
Even if you feel as though you don’t learn best by writing, getting in the habit of writing things down is essential if you want to improve your executive functioning skills – and free up some brain space.
Make daily to-do lists to track assignments and consider keeping a separate assignment notebook. This will help you stay organized and on top of what needs to be done next – without all the overwhelm.
In addition, write down routines, schedules, and other daily tasks that need to be done somewhere besides just the notebook – post these somewhere you’ll be sure to notice them throughout the day, like a poster or calendar in the kitchen or living room.
7. Practice Chunking
Chunking is an effective technique that works well for learning larger bits of information. It can also be used to give a refresh to the way you go about approaching big projects.
Rather than trying to tackle a massive project the night before it’s due at school, start by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable steps from the beginning. Give each task a deadline that’s well in advance of the major deadline – and is reasonable.
By doing this, you won’t have to worry about missing a deadline because you’re so overwhelmed the night before the final due date.
8. Give Color Coding a Try
Color coding is incredibly effective for people with executive functioning issues. If you feel like you’re staring at a huge white wall of information whenever you stare at a page of notes, color coding might be a good technique for you to try, too.
Use highlighters to mark important sections of a text. You can also put colored strips of paper (or sticky notes) under equations or sentences as you read them. This can help call your attention to important pieces of text, so you don’t miss a single essential thing.
9. Pay Attention to Time
If you find that you have trouble focusing on a task for a set period of time (or perhaps this is true for your child or a child you are working with), it may be helpful to get the clock involved.
Put yourself on a timer in which you do a certain task for 15 minutes, then take a minute or two break. Setting time limits for certain tasks can help you stay focused since you know you only have to work for a set period. It can also help improve overall time management skills and add structure to the day.
10. Encourage Collaboration
Many people don’t view collaboration as an essential executive functioning skill. But the reality is that it is invaluable when it comes to boosting these key areas.
Classroom experiences with others can strengthen a student’s prefrontal cortex executive function networks, all of which play a pivotal role in improving attention, memory cognitive flexibility, and impulse control.
Encourage your child to work with others (or team up with someone else) to work on classroom projects or assignments (provided that the instructor permits it). You’ll be amazed at what this does for your focus, organization, and time management skills.
11. Incorporate Rubrics
Rubrics can help you evaluate how much time you should dedicate to various aspects of an assignment. They can teach prioritization and make assignments more personally meaningful.
If a rubric is not provided for an assignment, ask the instructor if they have one. If not, consider reading through the instructions once again and highlighting details that you think are important. Then, create your own rudimentary rubric to give you more focus as you break down an assignment’s various components.
12. Use an App
Don’t be afraid to lean a bit on technology as you try to improve your executive functioning skills in school. Technology won’t necessarily solve your executive functioning challenges, but it can help make things easier – that’s what it’s there for!
Some good ones to consider include Remind (a messaging platform that improves school-to-home connections) and Time Timer, a productivity app that can be great for time management.
How Can Executive Function Be Improved in the Classroom?
Whether you’re trying to improve your own performance on tests or increase the likelihood of your child actually handing in his homework on time, we hope these tips for making school more executive functioning friendly have been helpful.
Consistency is key when it comes to developing key skills like time management, problem-solving, and organization. Stick with it – and you’re sure to see results.
Further Reading
- Check out our free EF assessment
- Download our Real-Life Executive Functioning Workbook (coupon code LSA20 for 20% off at checkout)
- Rachel Kruzel: Assistive Technology Resources and Information
- Amy Sippl: Executive Functioning Skills 101: The Basics Of Time Management
- Elizabeth Christopher: My Teen Struggles with Executive Function
- Center for Instruction and Research Technology at the University of North Florida: Chunking Content into Modules
- Rebekah Pierce: How to Insert Tasks for a Large Project into an Already Established Routine