Help Children Succeed in Learning, Relationships, and Everyday Life?with Strong Executive Skills
The skills children need to control impulses, follow directions, solve problems, and manage big feelings, all part of executive function (EF), don't develop automatically. The good news is that these skills can be nurtured during the early years, so teachers have a unique opportunity to help children build these essential foundations.
In this practical guide, you'll discover how to support five key EF skills that facilitate learning and development in preschool: selective attention, inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and problem solving. Using a clear, accessible approach, the authors explain what the EF system is and how to strengthen EF skills through playful, developmentally appropriate experiences throughout the day.
Inside, you'll find
- Ideas for using routines, the classroom setup, movement activities, play, games, and simple mindfulness practices to build EF skills
- Adaptations for different levels of support
- Examples and questions that help you consider and apply the concepts and ideas to your own setting
- Tips for partnering with families to support EF at home
Facilitating executive function doesn't have to mean adding one more thing to an already full day. With the right strategies, you can intentionally nurture these skills through your typical daily activities. Children will learn how to self-regulate, become more engaged, and gain confidence in everything they do!
Autorentext
Carrie S. Cutler, EdD, is clinical professor of education at the University of Houston. Dr. Cutler is an award-winning educator, author, and national presenter whose work focuses on teacher preparation, family engagement, and effective educational practices that support young children's learning and development. She has been honored with multiple University of Houston Presidential Excellence awards, college- and university-wide Teaching Excellence honors, and career award recognition from the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children and the Texas Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
A respected voice in early childhood and elementary education, Dr. Cutler has contributed to the field through her teaching, research, publications, and professional development work with educators and families. She is the author of several books, most recently Math-Positive Teaching: Questions and Answers for Elementary Educators and Math-Positive Mindsets: Growing a Child's Mind without Losing Yours. She has published scholarly and practitioner-oriented work on children's learning, teacher education, and family-school partnerships. Through her work, Dr. Cutler advocates for developmentally appropriate, engaging, and inclusive educational practices that help children thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. As the mother of eight children, she brings both professional expertise and firsthand parenting experience to her scholarship, teaching, and outreach.
Jennifer J. Chen, EdD, earned her doctorate in human development and psychology from Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She holds additional degrees from Columbia University and Harvard University. Dr. Chen is professor of early childhood education at Kean University. She is recognized among the world's top 2 percent of scientists in the Stanford University/Elsevier rankings. In addition, she has been honored with numerous awards in recognition of her excellence in teaching, mentorship, research, and scholarship, including the 2026 Kean Excellence in Research Award; the 2025 and 2021 Kean Presidential Excellence Awards in Scholarship; the 2023 Outstanding Early Childhood Teacher Educator Award from the NAECTE Foundation; the 2022 NJAECTE Distinguished Scholarship in Early Childhood Teacher Education/Early Childhood Education Award; the 2020 NAECTE Foundation Established Career Award for Research in Early Childhood Teacher Education; the Kean Faculty Research Mentor of the Year Award; the Kean Presidential Excellence Award for Distinguished Teaching; and a Fulbright Scholar Award, Hong Kong.
A nationally and internationally respected scholar, Dr. Chen has made significant contributions to the fields of early childhood education and psychology through more than 100 scholarly publications, including three authored books, one coauthored book, four coedited volumes, and numerous peer-reviewed research articles. She is co-editor of NAEYC's Casebook: Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8.