New week, new game for our #WhattheEFSummer fun activity series. Executive Function and Social Emotional Development Games This week we’re seeing how well kids can pay attention and not get caught by a tricky playmate. Boppity Bop Bop Bop is a fun outdoor game meant to help kids concentrate and not get distracted. Reflection Sciences…
Singing + Ball + Fun = Learning!
It’s week 2 in our #WhattheEFSummer fun activity series and we have great news! Playworks is joining the team and adding to our list of games that strengthen Executive Function Skills and Social Emotional Learning. Singing, Throwing, Laughing This week we are focusing on impulse control and prosocial behavior with Wonderball, an active, outdoor game…
Summer Learning, Summer FUN!
The last year in education has been, well, downright crazy and our youngest learners struggled to keep up. Research has shown that many children have actually lost ground and are at risk of entering school next year behind their peers. We know that strong Executive Function (EF) skills are at the heart of getting them…
Give Your Kids an “I CAN DO THIS!” Moment
In a recent Raising Good Humans podcast, Goldilocks Parenting: How to Shape Executive Function Skills Through Caregiving Dr. Carlson explains that kids need to realize they have a choice in how they think, act, or feel. As children make these decisions, they own it and learn to realize each has its own consequence, good or…
Using a Digital Diet for Screen time Decisions
Should we set a screen time limit What programs can our children watch? Is my child playing too many video games? Children’s technology use is a common topic of discussion echoed in living rooms across the country. A recent piece in the New York Times highlights the struggles faced by pandemic families who express…
Promoting Executive Function with STEAM
Have you ever thought to yourself, “I’m just not creative,” or “Gosh, I wish I were better at math”? How about considering yourself to be either left-brained (analytical) or right-brained (creative)? It can be tempting to think of science and art as opposite ends of a spectrum, but evidence from neuroscience shows us that brain…
Just Right Parenting: An Executive Function Strategy for Parents
If your child has ever complained to you about having too little milk in a glass (“But I’m thirsty!”) and then after you added more, complained that it was too much (“I can’t finish it all!”), you know how challenging it can be to find the right balance in parenting. It’s like how Goldilocks wanted…
Play Builds Serious Skills
Playtime is many things. It’s fun for children. It’s an escape for busy parents. But it’s much more than that. According to Dr. Stephanie M. Carlson, distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota, and Reflection Sciences co-founder, “Play is about as ‘blueprinted’ a behavior as you can have in terms of basic survival…
COVID-19, Student Trauma, and Executive Function
Everyday, we are bombarded with new information on and experiences with COVID-19. While we may be acutely aware of how the pandemic impacts us personally we may not know how the pandemic is impacting our children or students, or how to prevent possible long-term negative effects. It’s logical to presume that many children are experiencing…
What is Executive Function?
Executive Function, or “EF”, is a distinct set of skills imperative to school readiness and academic success. Scientists refer to these skills as the biological foundation for adaptation and learning throughout life. They argue that strong working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control – the 3 components of EF – provide the basis upon which…