The Executive Function Impact

January 20th, 2026

The first time I heard the term ‘executive functions’, it was out of context. I immediately visualized a dynamic, high-powered professional sitting in their sleek, high-tech office, tackling their to-do list. Ha! I was way off on that one!  

So, what  are  executive function skills, exactly?  Executive functions  (also known as cognitive control and supervisory attentional system) are a set of cognitive processes . They include things like attentional control, inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, as well as reasoning, problem solving, and planning. Each of these are necessary for the cognitive control of behavior, allowing us to select and monitor our own behaviors and attain our chosen goals. 

In other words, executive function skills are those that we use everyday while navigating our way through this world of ours: accomplishing tasks, demonstrating self-control, and making sound, healthy choices. Planning and organizing schedules, dialing a memorized phone number, and setting down that chocolate bar in the grocery store checkout line are perfect examples of executive function skills at work! It’s important to note that executive functions are  learned skills  that help contribute to our success in life. Deliberately and thoughtfully teaching young children these critical skills early on can lead to improved learning and better outcomes as they progress through school and grow into adulthood. 

There are many things we can do to help children develop executive function skills.  According to neurologist Judy Willis , when young children are given the opportunity to apply their learning in authentic ways, the odds of retaining information in the prefrontal cortex, or the area of the brain linked to executive functioning skills, increases. 

Image courtesy of Shire US Inc./ADHD&You 

Check out a few of Willis’s impactful strategies for the classroom: 

  • Rather than asking students to rote memorize information, make lessons and activities personally meaningful to them. This helps build and strengthen connection with the information so it can be recalled later. 
  • Ask open-ended questions and allow students to occasionally work in pairs or small groups. They can then share their own individual experiences and ideas, which will promote student engagement and add meaning to the lesson, helping it ‘stick’. 
  • Create “student-centered activities, projects and discussions” that encourage students to make predictions, solve different types of problems, and figure out how to get the knowledge they need to reach their goals. 
  • Provide students opportunities to prioritize, set goals, and apply things they’ve already learned to a new lesson or concept. 

It’s no coincidence that GrapeSEED has carefully woven these strategies throughout its curriculum for ELLs! As GrapeSEED students acquire English through meaningful interaction with its pro-social, engaging components, they quickly become able to apply it in authentic ways as they begin interacting with classmates, teachers and others, both inside and outside the school environment.   

Helping children develop executive function skills prepares them to become healthy, contributing members of society. Therefore, teaching children to exercise self-control in social situations, exercise good judgement, plan and prioritize, and become good problem solvers is a responsibility that we all benefit from taking part in –families, educators, and communities included! 

Want to learn more about GrapeSEED?  Contact us!  

New Year, Clearer Path: Decluttering for Stronger Language Learning

January 20, 2026
January is the season of decluttering, but in schools, it’s about clearing space for what truly matters! This month’s blog explores how thoughtful organization supports multilingual learners and why strong language systems are worth keeping. A little clarity now can create momentum that lasts all year… and beyond!

Midyear Glow-Up: Refreshing Routines in Your Classroom!

December 11, 2025
The new year is a perfect time for reflection and renewal—not just for us, but for our students, too. After a long winter break, January offers a natural opportunity to revisit and reinforce classroom routines and procedures, especially in multilingual classrooms where clarity and consistency are key to helping all students feel secure and successful. For multilingual learners, routines are more than just classroom management—they provide language-rich structures that support understanding, reduce anxiety, and foster confidence. Whether students are newcomers or have been learning English for years, a clear and predictable environment helps them focus on learning rather than guessing what’s expected. Start the month by gently reviewing procedures: entering the classroom, transitioning between activities, participating in group work, asking for help, and using classroom materials. Model each step and invite students to demonstrate, using visuals, gestures, and multilingual supports when possible. Pair verbal directions with pictures or sentence stems to help students connect words with actions. This not only aids comprehension, it builds community and shared responsibility. Remember, reviewing routines isn’t about enforcing rules—it’s about resetting the tone for a peaceful, productive, and joyful classroom. Make space for students to share what helps them learn best and celebrate the positive habits they already bring with them. By investing time in January to revisit expectations with warmth and intention, you're setting the stage for a second half of the school year filled with growth, laughter, and learning—for every student, in every language.

Meet AI, Your New Teaching Assistant!

December 2, 2025
In today’s classrooms, elementary school teachers juggle countless responsibilities—planning engaging lessons, managing behavior, communicating with families, and differentiating instruction for every learner. Fortunately, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is opening up a world of support tools that can help educators reclaim valuable time while still meeting the diverse needs of their students. Lesson Planning, Simplified AI tools and other educator-focused platforms can generate customized, standards-aligned lesson plans in minutes. Whether you're teaching reading comprehension, performing science experiments, or developing math centers, AI can help you brainstorm activities, create differentiated tasks, and suggest formative assessments—all tailored to your students’ grade level and learning goals. Behavior Intervention Plans Made Easier Creating thoughtful, individualized behavior intervention plans (BIPs) often requires collaboration and time that’s hard to find. With the right prompts, AI can assist by generating plan templates, suggesting positive reinforcement strategies, and even helping you write goal-specific language that’s clear and professional. This allows for quicker implementation and better support for student growth. Boosting Communication with Families Need to send home a weekly newsletter, a classroom update, or a quick note in family-friendly language? AI can help you write clear, respectful, and engaging messages in seconds—and even translate them into multiple languages. This promotes stronger school-home connections without adding to your workload. More Than Just Words AI isn’t just about writing. It can generate visual aids, adapt texts for different reading levels, offer creative ideas for classroom themes, or even draft rubrics and anchor charts. When used responsibly, AI becomes a teaching assistant in your pocket—offering fresh ideas and saving you time. A Word of Caution—and Empowerment AI isn’t a magic wand, and it doesn’t replace the care, creativity, and wisdom that teachers bring to the classroom. But when used thoughtfully, it can remove some of the mental load and help you focus on what matters most: building relationships, inspiring learners, and making a lasting impact. AI can be a game-changing tool for educators—not by replacing the human touch, but by enhancing it. With the right approach, you can use AI to create, communicate, and collaborate more efficiently—without sacrificing quality. Just as AI can support teachers in the classroom, GrapeSEED does the same. From intentionally designed lesson plans to materials at your fingertips, to a results driven, joy filled curriculum for your language learner students, GrapeSEED has it all. Click here to learn more !

Finding Balance in a Too-Much-to-Teach World

November 3, 2025
If you’ve ever looked at your lesson plans and thought, “There’s no way I can fit all this in,” you’re not alone. Teachers today face an ever-growing list of standards, assessments, and initiatives, all while striving to create joyful, meaningful learning experiences for young children. The struggle is real! So how can we honor curriculum expectations without overwhelming ourselves or our students? Read on for ideas and strategies! Start with What Matters Most Not everything carries equal weight. Identify the skills and concepts your students truly need to succeed, both academically and developmentally. Prioritize depth over breadth when possible. A well-understood concept is more valuable than one that’s been rushed and checked off a list. Integrate Across Subject Areas Look for ways to blend content. A science lesson can include reading comprehension. A writing activity can connect to social studies. Integration allows for richer, more efficient learning and saves time while deepening student understanding. Protect Time for Play, Talk, and Joy Children learn best when they are engaged and emotionally connected to content. Carve out time for class discussions, movement, and creative exploration. These “non-academic” moments often bring about the deepest learning and are critical for social-emotional development. Be Realistic, Not Perfect It’s okay if not every lesson goes as planned or every objective is met on the first try. Focus on consistent growth, not perfection. Trust your professional judgment. After all, you know your students best. Support One Another Collaboration is key. Talk with teammates about what’s working, what can be scaled back, and how to share the load. A balanced curriculum starts with a balanced teacher, and that balance often comes from working together. Remember, you aren’t just covering content, you’re helping to shape children’s lives. When we prioritize purposeful, joyful learning over packing it all in, we give students (and ourselves) what truly matters most.. To learn how GrapeSEED English for Children saves teachers time so that they can focus on what is important, click here today!
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