Building Better Brains: Why Executive Function in Early Childhood Matters

Executive Function: A Key to School and Life Success

Executive function is like the brain’s “air traffic control system,” helping children manage thoughts, emotions, and actions. It involves three key skills: working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. These abilities allow children to focus, remember instructions, control impulses, and adapt to change—skills essential for learning, socializing, and managing frustration.

Strong executive function is a better predictor of school success than early literacy or math skills. Children who can follow directions, regulate emotions, and shift attention adjust better to classroom routines. These skills begin developing in infancy and continue through adolescence.

Parents play a vital role in building executive function. Simple routines—like turn-taking, using “inside voices,” or following rules—offer daily chances to support brain development. These skills are further reinforced in preschools and classrooms, where teachers rely on them for smooth learning environments.

Understanding executive function also helps parents support children who struggle with focus or self-control. Rather than labeling them as “bad,” recognizing underdeveloped executive skills encourages empathy and timely support.

By actively nurturing executive function, parents and educators lay the groundwork for children to become capable learners, responsible citizens, and adaptable individuals in all areas of life.