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If your child struggles with reading and you go online searching for help, you’ll likely find a wealth of information about the science of reading and how to teach your child in a brain-friendly way. This is fantastic, and I’m grateful that such valuable resources are now widely available. Not long ago, access to this kind of information wasn’t as common. Fortunately, in recent years, both educators and parents have become much more informed about the science behind reading and writing instruction.
We’re also learning more about executive functioning skills and how they help our children succeed in school. While much of the information online about executive functioning is geared toward older children or those with ADHD, these skills are vital for all school-aged children—from Kindergarten to high school—regardless of any diagnosis. Learning—especially in a classroom setting—requires strong executive functioning skills. Learning to read and write, particularly in a classroom, demands that children use several executive functioning skills simultaneously to grow as readers and writers.
Without these executive functioning skills, our thinking can become disorganized and chaotic, much like an orchestra without a conductor. Think of a child’s brain as a little orchestra, and executive functioning skills as the conductor. The musicians (various cognitive skills) can play their instruments, but without the conductor (executive functioning), the music might be chaotic or out of sync. For a 6-year-old learning to read, executive functioning skills help organize, direct, and harmonize the different processes involved in reading.
Here’s how the "orchestra" works:
Attention (Conductor’s Baton): The conductor uses the baton to focus the musicians on a specific part of the music. Similarly, a child’s attention helps them focus on words and sounds, blocking out distractions. In writing, a child who can concentrate better is more likely to complete a writing assignment and put thought into each sentence.
Working Memory (Sheet Music): The musicians follow the sheet music, remembering the notes as they play. Working memory helps the child remember sounds, letters, and words long enough to make sense of them together. When writing, working memory allows a child to hold ideas in mind while they write. A child needs to remember the beginning of a sentence while thinking about how it will end. This skill also helps them recall spelling rules and grammar.
Cognitive Flexibility (Musicians’ Adaptability): If the conductor changes tempo or dynamics, the musicians must adjust. Cognitive flexibility allows a child to adapt when encountering a tricky word, new vocabulary, or a new phonics rule. This skill is also useful for spelling, where children must transcribe sounds from their brains onto paper.
Inhibitory Control (Stopping the Wrong Notes): The conductor stops musicians from playing out of turn. Inhibitory control helps the child resist guessing or getting distracted, ensuring they follow the correct reading path. In writing, it helps children reread and revise what they have written, add more details, and make corrections instead of rushing through or relying on pictures alone.
Planning and Organization (Rehearsing for a Performance): Before the orchestra plays, they plan and rehearse. Planning and organization skills help a child approach reading with strategies like sounding out words or predicting what happens next. These skills also help children structure their thoughts before writing. A young writer with strong planning skills can map out ideas, create a logical sequence, and break the task into manageable steps.
Without the conductor (executive functioning), the orchestra (reading process) would struggle to create harmonious music (successful reading and writing). By nurturing these skills, we can help a child’s literacy abilities flourish.
At Kelly’s Reading Club, executive functioning skills are just as important as phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension. It’s the combination of instruction in all of these areas, along with making learning fun and engaging, that helps students progress quickly as readers and writers. Our students also develop important learning skills that support their success in other academic areas and in social/emotional development and wellbeing.
To find out more, visit www.kellysreadinglcub.com or check out our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@reading_teacher_kelly .
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