Strengthening Executive Function Builds Social-Emotional Competence in Young Learners
| July 2024In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the crucial connection between executive function (EF) and social-emotional competence in young learners. EF forms the foundation upon which children build their abilities to regulate emotions, form relationships, and navigate social situations effectively. Research shows that strong EF in early childhood predicts more positive social relationships, school success, and emotional well-being later in life.
EF refers to the brain processes that enable us to focus and control distractions, consciously hold and manipulate incoming information, and adjust our behavior to changing environments. It has been referred to as the air traffic control system of the brain, managing the arrivals and departures of multiple streams of information simultaneously. EF develops most rapidly from ages three-five and is closely intertwined with the emergence of social and emotional skills.
Key Components
The key components of EF are inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. These three skills are the building blocks that help preschoolers navigate the complex world of social interactions. The ability to control actions, behaviors, and thoughts allows young children to resolve conflicts peacefully and adapt to changing social situations. Working memory and cognitive flexibility are essential for understanding and responding to the emotions of others. Young children who can hold multiple pieces of information in mind and shift their perspective are more likely to demonstrate empathy, perspective-taking, and cooperative behaviors. We are not born with EF skills nor do they develop automatically as we mature. They are fostered in safe, predictable environments where young children can practice emerging abilities with the right amount of adult support and guidance.
EF skills are mostly controlled by the frontal lobes of the brain, primarily by the prefrontal cortex or “thinking brain.” This is the last area of the brain to develop, often not fully maturing until our mid-twenties, which helps explain why young children naturally struggle with these skills. In early human history, survival required the ability to quickly assess threats to safety. Therefore, our brains developed an emergency alarm system that occurs in the limbic system. This system plays an important role in processing and regulating our emotions and is more reactive. In dangerous situations, such as a predator running toward you, there is no time for logical thinking and reasoning. Over time our world has become less physically threatening, but the primitive alarm system hasn’t fully caught up with our current environment. Because our limbic system cannot distinguish between a real threat and a perceived one, our emotional responses can sometimes be more intense than necessary. Think of a road rage situation or a phobia like the fear of public speaking. Without thinking we are quickly flooded with anger or overwhelmed with anxiety. When our emergency alarm system goes off, our prefrontal cortex goes offline inhibiting our ability to think logically. One of the most important roles of parents, caregivers, and educators is to help young children build neural pathways that strengthen the ability to be more reflective and less reactive when not in physical danger. This requires that adults understand and manage their emergency alarm systems to model and support EF development.
The Role of Mindfulness
Reflection necessitates creating space between a trigger or perceived threat and our response to the trigger. In our fast-paced world, it is often difficult to find that space, but it is crucial for our well-being and healthy interpersonal relationships. One evidence-based technique that has proven effective in increasing EF is mindfulness. Mindfulness is the ability to purposefully pay attention to what is happening both internally (thoughts, feelings) and externally (sight, sound, touch) in the present moment without judgment. Many practices are available to help us become more mindful, such as deep breathing and meditation, but the goal is to make mindfulness a habit rather than something you sit down and do.
Research studies have found that mindfulness improves EF in both adults and children. This in turn aids in the development of key social and emotional competencies. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), a nonprofit leader in making social and emotional learning (SEL) an essential part of education, has defined five interrelated SEL competencies that support learning and development: self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness. Mastery of EF is essential to each of these skill sets. For example, self-awareness requires reflection and is interconnected with EF. Adults and children who understand their areas of strength and difficulty can identify tools and strategies that work well for them and set realistic goals. By promoting mindfulness practices within early childhood settings, educators help young learners develop fundamental cognitive skills including attention control and mental processing.
Practical Strategies
Early childhood educators play a critical role in developing EF and promoting social-emotional learning in young children. Despite mounting evidence in neuroscience and cognitive psychology of the long-term benefits of explicitly focusing on EF skill development, a wide gap exists between the science and current early childhood education practices. The emphasis on direct instruction of basic skills accelerated by external pressure to raise standardized test scores means young children miss out on learning fundamental cognitive and social skills. In addition, many of the current SEL and EF programs available in schools focus on remediating children’s challenging behaviors including inattention, anger, and aggression rather than teaching all students how to control inhibition, effectively process and manage information, and become flexible thinkers.
To improve outcomes across all young learners, more emphasis must be placed on measuring EF in early childhood and creating learning environments that support emerging EF skills. Early childhood educators lay the groundwork for healthy brain development, enabling success in school and beyond. Practical strategies for promoting EF skills in young learners include:
- Establishing predictable routines and clear expectations to help children feel secure and know what to expect.
- Providing time for open-ended play and problem-solving, which encourages creativity, flexibility, and critical thinking.
- Modeling and teaching mindfulness and relaxation techniques to help children recognize and manage their emotions effectively.
- Integrate choice-making and self-direction with decreasing supervision into learning activities.
- Modeling positive social behaviors and conflict resolution strategies through everyday interactions and classroom activities.
- Offering plenty of opportunities for guided play and group activities that promote cooperation, communication, and teamwork.
Integrating these strategies into daily educational practices creates supportive environments that foster the development of EF skills and promote social-emotional competence. Used alongside an objective measurement of EF that can detect small EF changes in young children, these strategies can improve EF in a child and change their learning trajectory. Together with parents and families, we can empower young children to become confident, compassionate, flexible, and resilient individuals ready to succeed in school and life.
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