GUEST POST, HANNAH ROSS: Executive Functioning Skills: Using Games to Strengthen the CEO of Your Brain

Photo by Michal Parzuchowski on Unsplash.

Remember Hannah Ross? We interviewed her recently to talk about her work in educational therapy, executive functioning skills, and how we can best cope with the disruptions brought to you by Covid-19. She’s graciously shared some of her insights on using gamification to strengthen your executive functioning skills - “the CEO of your brain,” as she calls it - games like Jenga, Monopoly, and even Clue can incentivize and engage all of us to a higher learning ability. Don’t have these games at home? Create your own, or even just find a recipe you want to make.

Executive functioning weaknesses can show up in a lot of different ways. It could be the student whose backpack or binder is stuffed full of paper, but they can’t find the assignment that needs to be turned in. It could be the student who can’t seem to turn a paper in on time and always finishes work at the very last minute. It could also be the student who doesn’t know how to organize the content they learn in class to be successful on projects or tests. Generally speaking, a lack of executive functioning skills (particularly when it comes to academics) will appear as struggles with time and planning, material organization or a general lack of content understanding.

There are several causes of weak executive functioning skills. Executive functioning skills are mainly controlled by the prefrontal cortex of the brain. Individuals with traumatic brain injuries or conditions affecting this area of the brain may struggle with these skills. In addition, it is fairly common for students with other learning differences such as ADHD, Dyslexia, slow processing speed and more to exhibit weaker EF skills. Finally, executive functioning skills develop over time as students mature with age. These skills develop earlier in some students and later in others due to a mix of that child’s unique strengths and weaknesses, as well as the executive functioning skills (or lack of EF skills ) that they observe in their parents and siblings.

My biggest goal in my educational therapy practice is to make learning fun and engaging for students who generally struggle in the classroom so I LOVE the concept of gamification. Particularly for younger kids, I use a lot of games that practice core executive functioning skills. Games make EF skills more fun and memorable for students. For example, the game Jenga can teach the skills of self-regulation and emotional control. The game Monopoly can teach organization, prioritization, and planning ahead. While games are great, they can’t replace explicitly teaching students executive functioning skills and strategies, like how to use a planner or how to break projects into smaller chunks. Regardless, games can be a fun way to practice some executive functioning basics in a different context. These are ten of my favorite games to use in strengthening skills in different areas of executive functioning:

Working Memory & Sustained Attention

Distraction

Players practice recall skills by taking turns drawing cards and remembering a string of numbers while being interrupted by silly questions.

Simon

In this classic electronic game, players have to remember a sequence of colored lights and tones. Try to beat your best score or play against your friends!

Cartoon It!

Memorize a goofy cartoon picture, then draw it from memory! This game not only strengthens memory and drawing skills, but provides an opportunity to discuss strategies that aid in memorization.

Planning, Organization, & Problem-Solving

Rush Hour

Plan how to move cars strategically to get out of the traffic jam. Easy set-up with levels for players of all ages.

Clue

Find out who did it! Players use strategic planning to ask questions and organize information as they race to be the first one to solve the crime.

Cat Crimes

A kinesthetic logic puzzle with four different challenge levels. Players use sequential reasoning, logic, and organizational skills to find the cat who committed the crime. An added bonus is strengthening reading comprehension skills!

Settlers of Catan

Build and develop settlements as you trade resources and earn victory points. This challenging game requires a great amount of strategic planning and logical thinking. Great for middle school age and above.

Flexible Thinking

Set

In this fast-moving, family game of visual perception, players create “sets” of three cards where each feature is the same or different. This game builds logical thinking as well as visual-spatial reasoning skills.

Swish

Players compete to find the most “swish” matches where each ball fits into a hoop, strengthening spatial awareness and requiring players to look at shapes and patterns in different ways.

Impulse Control

Jenga

This classic game requires turn-taking and patience as players work collaboratively to make the tallest tower. Add some academic skills to this game by writing math facts or sight words on the individual wooden pieces.

One of the easiest ways to practice executive functioning skills around the house is creating check-lists and schedules. For example, to practice remembering important tasks and organizing time, a student could create a checklist of everything they need to do in the morning to get ready for school or create a schedule for their day, including activities they have to complete and things they want to go for fun. Schedules and checklists are great reminders to keep around the house and use to help students get into an organized routine. For more buy-in, have your children create and decorate their own schedules and lists. 

Another fun and simple executive functioning activity is cooking. Have your child choose a recipe they would like to prepare and write a list of supplies they already have vs. supplies they need to purchase. Then have your child plan out when to make the recipe, what kitchen resources they will need to use, and how to clean up. This requires a lot of planning, organization of supplies, and goal-directed persistence. Plus you get a tasty snack! 

Finally, another great activity for the home is having your child create their own game, either board game or outside game. The steps required to do this (finding supplies, writing directions, testing the game, and more) require the executive functioning skills of planning, organization, task initiation, and more. Any activity that requires multiple steps, planning backwards to meet a goal, and an open-ended response is a great way to practice EF skills in the comfort of your home. 

Executive functioning skills develop over time with practice. Many students have not been explicitly taught the skills of organizing work, time, or materials efficiently. The best thing parents can do is model the skills they want their children to learn. For example, for a student learning to schedule their time, a parent might talk through how they set up a family calendar for the weekend. For a student who is constantly forgetting things, a parent might help the child set up reminders on their phone for various tasks. For a student with a constantly messy room, a parent might show the child how to use different labeled organizers for various items. Often, children and adolescents need to learn a concrete strategy to be successful. After modeling for your child the skill you want them to practice, give them time to master it and praise them for their efforts. EF skills don’t develop overnight, but with patience and practice they can improve! 

If you think your child needs support developing EF skills, you can always reach out to an educational therapist or executive functioning coach.

Interview with an Expert: Hannah Ross, Educational Therapist

Tell us about your educational therapy practice and what you do.

My team of ed therapists and I work with students in my Santa Monica office, as well as in homes throughout the Los Angeles area. I work with students ages preschool through high school with a variety of learning challenges. My ultimate goal in my work is to make learning more engaging and accessible for my students and provide them with the tools and strategies they need to become successful, independent learners for the rest of their lives! 

What inspired you to start your educational therapy practice?

I graduated from Pepperdine University with my teaching credential and immediately began teaching 3rd grade at an independent school in Pasadena. I loved the excitement and community of working as a teacher, yet in the full classroom environment I began to notice students who were not receiving the academic support they needed to be successful. I observed students who lacked skills in specific academic areas, couldn’t focus on work in the classroom setting, or simply lacked confidence in their ability as learners. While I tried my best to meet the unique needs of each student, I realized that many of these students would benefit from more targeted, one-on-one instruction. This led me to further my own education in the field of Educational Therapy and start a private practice. 

What exactly is educational therapy?

Educational therapy is the practice of providing individualized instruction to students with learning differences, including but not limited to dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, ASD, executive functioning deficits, and auditory and visual processing issues. Educational therapists have specialized training in administering assessments, developing intervention plans, and implementing learning strategies and remediation for individuals with specific learning challenges. Check out AET https://www.aetonline.org/ for more information!

My ultimate goal is to make learning more engaging and accessible for my students and provide them with the tools and strategies they need to become successful, independent learners for the rest of their lives! 

Why is educational therapy important?

Educational therapy is important because its ultimate goal is to create independent, self-sufficient students who enjoy learning and see themselves as life-long learners. Educational therapists help students understand how to learn in the best way for their specific learning profiles, which can hopefully lead to greater self-confidence and positivity throughout their lives. Educational therapists also help make the school systems, both public and private, easier to navigate for many families. An essential role of an educational therapist is to collaborate with parents, teachers, and other professionals working with the student to ensure all members of the team are working towards the same goals to best support the student’s progress. 

What kinds of students do you work with?

I work with all different types of students, of all ages and abilities, which is one reason my job is so fun! I provide remedial instruction for students with specific learning disabilities like Dyslexia, executive functioning support for students with ADHD, and much more. Every session is tailored to my student’s age, interests, and the style in which I know that they learn best! 

Educational therapy is important because its ultimate goal is to create independent, self-sufficient students who enjoy learning and see themselves as life-long learners.

What is your specialization?

While I work with a diverse range of students with a wide variety of challenges, one of my  absolute favorite areas to work is early reading remediation. As an avid reader myself, I love helping books come alive to students, especially those who are not able to learn to read in a traditional classroom environment. I am trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction so I teach reading skills and phonics patterns in a very explicit and systematic manner, while incorporating lots of games and multisensory activities to make the learning more engaging and memorable! 

Has your practice changed or altered since Covid-19?

My practice has become entirely virtual with the onset of Covid-19. At first it was challenging to transfer the process of educational therapy online, but I feel I have learned so much in the process and I am very proud of  how my students have adapted. We now work towards the same learning goals, but online, which is actually even better for some students. Along with the regular support I provide in sessions, online sessions also offer tremendous opportunities to practice following directions, collaborating, and problem-solving, which is so beneficial for all learners.

Online sessions offer tremendous opportunities to practice following directions, collaborating, and problem-solving, which is so beneficial for all learners.

What are executive functioning skills and why are they important?

Executive functioning skills are vital to every part of daily life for children and adults. I once heard executive functioning skills described as the “CEO of the brain,” which is a metaphor I absolutely love. Executive functioning skills help us set goals, plan, and get things done efficiently. There are eight specific executive functioning skills: Emotional Control, Inhibition, Working Memory, Task Initiation, Planning & Prioritization, Flexible Thinking, Organization, and Metacognition or Self-Reflection. These skills are needed throughout the day for students, but are rarely explicitly taught. Each of us have areas of executive functioning strengths and weaknesses. For example, I am great at planning and scheduling ahead, but struggle with remembering certain things, like where I left my phone or keys. Like many students, I have compensatory strategies I use to help with my challenges. Particularly students with severe executive functioning weaknesses benefit from support from an educational therapist developing executive functioning skills and ways to compensate for their areas of weakness. 

Is a lack of EF a disability?

A lack of executive functioning skills, or executive dysfunction, is not a specific disorder or diagnosis in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), but it is a skill deficit that can have a profound impact on a student’s life, both in and out of the classroom. Oftentimes, but not always, individuals who are diagnosed with ADHD also struggle with executive functioning skills. Students with other learning diagnoses or none at all can also struggle with executive skills weakness. 

Most of the time there is a deeper reason behind why students struggle, whether or not they have diagnosed learning differences.

What do you see as the biggest need for students and/or educators today?

In my opinion, the biggest need for educators today is to change the lens through which they view their students. When a student can’t remember the sound of “e” or forgets to turn in their work for the tenth time, it is easy to think they aren’t paying attention or aren’t trying their best. Most of the time there is a deeper reason behind why students struggle though, whether or not they have diagnosed learning differences. All students can benefit greatly from having a teacher who is able to recognize their individual needs and provide accommodations that help that student stay successful and engaged in the learning process. 

What inspires you?

I am inspired by my students, many of whom work exceedingly hard in the classroom everyday, and then work more with me! I love seeing students push through a challenging problem or apply a strategy they have learned to something new!

Learn more about the work Hannah Ross does or contact her for a consultation.