Executive function skills encompass working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibition control.
Children with better executive function skills have good focus, can shift between tasks, and adjust well to ever-changing environments.
Studying executive function skills by age can help parents and caregivers manage their expectations and provide the appropriate support.
As they age, children learn to organize themselves, make complex decisions, and work around a schedule. However, their ability to do so will depend on how they develop their executive function skills.
As a parent or caregiver, understanding executive function skills by age can help you set realistic expectations for your child. Learn what these skills are, when they develop, and what you can do to keep your child’s development on track.
What are Executive Function Skills?
Executive function skills dictate how thoroughly a child can set and achieve personal goals. They zero in on working memory, inhibition control, and cognitive flexibility.
In addition, they play a significant role in a child’s development of social skills, as they influence the ability to maintain connections with others.
Examples of executive function skills include:
Staying focused on a task
Establishing a routine
Initiating a task
Reflecting on the moment
Prioritizing important goals
Remembering details
Executive functioning develops the most in early childhood but can keep growing until a person’s mid-twenties [*].
How Do Executive Function Skills Affect Learning?
Executive functioning plays a significant role in a child’s learning ability. Take working memory, for example—this skill determines a child’s ability to retain and process information [*].
Another aspect of executive function skills that influences a child’s learning ability is cognitive flexibility or the ability to adapt to change. As children advance in school, they must learn to prioritize and shift between tasks. Cognitive flexibility dictates how effectively a child can multitask [*]. Mastering this aspect of executive functioning is imperative, especially for children with ADHD.
An example of cognitive flexibility is sorting a deck of cards. A child with good executive functioning skills can shift from sorting the cards by color to sorting the cards by suit.
Finally, there is inhibitory control. It isn’t uncommon for children to become overwhelmed in school, but how they manage tasks while practicing self-care can make or break their experience [*]. Exercising inhibitory control means keeping quiet even when you want to say something hurtful, waiting your turn even when you are impatient, or questioning assumptions before jumping to a solution.
Through inhibition control, children can master their social-emotional skills and learn to interact with others without letting their emotions get in the way.
Overall, children with more advanced executive function skills tend to do better academically.
Executive Function Skills By Age
While all children develop executive function skills at their unique pace, knowing when specific skills should manifest can help keep them on track.
Infants (6-12 Months)
Among the first executive function skills infants develop is attentional control—they can shift their attention to things that interest them. For example, if they see an adult putting their favorite toy away, they may search for it.
Other executive function skills an infant may have include:
Simple interactions with others
Remembering words
Copying actions
Toddlers (1-2 Years)
As infants grow into toddlers, they become better at waiting for short periods before they can engage with toys and games they enjoy. They might show more initiative to participate in favored activities.
Other executive function skills a toddler may have include:
Using simple words to describe their emotions
Engaging in structured play
Repeating words and phrases
Preschoolers (3-5 Years)
At preschool, children develop inhibitions and can practice self-control when promised a bigger, better reward for waiting. They can also quickly shift between tasks and collect more short-term information. You can make the learning process more enjoyable with social skills activities for preschoolers.
Other executive function skills a preschooler may have include:
Organizing toys
Following a longer series of instructions
Learning to adhere to rules
Elementary (6-11 Years)
Children at elementary age start applying their executive function skills in school settings. For example, they may remember more information simultaneously, which is helpful across different class subjects. They can also set basic goals and demonstrate preferences for specific topics.
Other executive function skills an elementary student may have include:
By middle school, children start mastering fundamental executive function skills like planning, reflecting on their actions, and following daily routines. Of course, the process comes with complexities, such as being tempted to slack off or make decisions that may lead to consequences.
Other executive function skills a middle school student may have include:
By high school, adolescents have lots of autonomy and can apply executive function skills in multiple settings. They adopt more flexible ways of thinking, allowing them to develop more meaningful long-term relationships. They can also create working systems, adjusting them to find what works best at school and home.
Other executive function skills a high school student may have include:
Below is a comprehensive executive functioning age chart you can use to gauge your child’s skills
Infants (6-12 Months)
Toddlers (1-2 Years)
Preschoolers (3-5 Years)
Elementary (6-11 Years)
Middle School (12-14 Years)
High School (15-18 Years)
Planning
Focusing on toys
Touching and grasping
Learning and understanding simple instructions
Learning to follow steps
Starting to play games requiring strategy
Working in a group with peers
Understanding how to do homework
Independently planning schoolwork
Developing and achieving goals
Maintaining multiple plans at once
Developing and achieving long-term goals
Time Management
N/A
Holding focus for longer periods
Developing a sense of how long a task might take
Starting to manage leisure and homework
Developing a sense of time management
Finding ways to manage time more efficiently
Task Initiation
Expressing interest in objects around them
Completing concise and simple tasks
Completing more complex tasks that take around 30 minutes
Independently starting tasks that take around 60 minutes
Managing multiple tasks that take between 60 and 90 minutes
Initiating and completing multiple tasks amid distractions
Organization
Showing interest in colors, sizes, and shapes
Understanding straightforward categories and patterns
Learning to categorize things
Cleaning up their space at home
Familiarizing themselves with routines
Organizing sequences and stories
Following school and home schedules
Organizing schoolwork
Maintaining systems for home and school tasks
Reorganizing tasks as necessary
Problem-Solving
Discovering how things work
Engaging in cause-and-effect activities
Completing simple puzzles
Playing turn-taking games
Identifying problems and solutions in social settings
Starting to brainstorm
Identifying problems in school and at home
Making decisions independently
Generating solutions to more complex problems
Persists in settings with ongoing problems
Working Memory
Remembering the toys they like most
Playing simple games like hide-and-seek
Following along to songs and dances
Remembering patterns
Participating in coordinated activities
Collecting and remembering information
Managing more complex tasks requiring information retention and application
Collecting, storing, and synthesizing information to apply in multiple complex settings
Emotional Control
N/A
Experiencing tantrums and frustration
Learning to label and understand simple emotions
Learning to control overwhelming responses
Understanding emotions and developing self-control
Compartmentalizing challenging emotions
Impulse Control
N/A
Starting to play inhibition games
Learning to engage in safe behaviors
Following rules and safety norms
Maintaining good behavior more frequently
Making risky choices
Testing social norms
Managing impulsive behaviors in various settings
Displaying reckless behavior
Attentional Control
Playing simple games like peek-a-boo
Copying behaviors
Responding to adult cues
Directing focus to tasks
Starting to save money for things they want
Learning to set reminders and take notes
Starting to use planning systems
Maintaining attention amid distractions
Creating complex plans to achieve goals
Self-Monitoring
N/A
Connecting simple behaviors and emotions
Accepting play ideas from other children
Completing self-reflection activities
Self-checking work for mistakes
Monitoring school progress
Receiving adult feedback
Checking work for mistakes
Monitoring coping mechanisms that work for them
Supporting Executive Function Skills in Children
Occasionally, your child may need help developing executive function skills. Support may be vital for teenagers with ADHD, as they may experience problems with time management, impulses, and self-awareness [*]. However, ADHD in boys may differ from ADHD in girls, so you should always tailor your support accordingly.
Ways you can help improve executive functioning in children include the following:
Creating predictable routines. Predictability helps children manage their expectations and adjust their plans accordingly. Create predictable schedules for family bonding, chores, and meal time, among other things.
Using tracking tools. It can be challenging for children to remember and complete tasks, so equip them with appropriate planning tools. Teach them how to use a planner, set reminders on their phone, or make simple checklists.
Mindfulness training. Practicing mindfulness can help children improve inhibition control and teach them to become more patient when achieving their goals.
Encouraging exercise. Exercise is an underrated method for improving executive function skills. Children can engage themselves in exercise to enhance working memory through regimens and improve cognitive flexibility through changing environments.
The Bottom Line
Honing executive functioning skills in early development can lead your child toward success. Your child can set realistic goals and easily meet them by practicing impulse control, time management, and organization skills.
Discover more digital resources to support executive functions by exploring our ADHD worksheets.
Sources:
Johnson SB, Blum RW, Giedd JN. “Adolescent Maturity and the Brain: The Promise and Pitfalls of Neuroscience Research in Adolescent Health Policy.” Journal of Adolescent Health, 2009.
McCabe DP, Roediger HL, McDaniel MA, Balota DA, Hambrick DZ. “The relationship between working memory capacity and executive functioning: Evidence for a common executive attention construct.” Neuropsychology, 2010.
Dajani DR, Uddin LQ. “Demystifying cognitive flexibility: Implications for clinical and developmental neuroscience.” Trends in Neurosciences, 2015.
Diamond A. “Executive Functions.” Annual Review of Psychology, 2013.
Belén Roselló, Berenguer C, Inmaculada Baixauli, Mira Á, Martinez-Raga J, Miranda A. “Empirical examination of executive functioning, ADHD associated behaviors, and functional impairments in adults with persistent ADHD, remittent ADHD, and without ADHD.” BMC Psychiatry, 2020.
