Executive Functioning

Problem to be solved: Who wore which color?• Rachel, Linda, and Eve were friends sitting in

a circle on the grass. Rachel passed 3 chocolate chip cookies to the person in blue. Who wore which color?

• Eve passed 3 macaroons to the person who passed her cookies to the person wearing green.

• Each person passed 3 cookies to the friend on her left.

• Rachel, Linda, and Eve were dressed in red, blue, and green, but not necessarily in that order.

• The person who wore green did not get a macaroon.

• The person wearing red passed along 3 oatmeal cookies.

The Cookie Problem (from Richard Guare, Ph.D.)

Questions to consider:• What do I need to know?• What do I know now?• How can I organize the

information, so it makes sense?• What is my plan?• Checking for accuracy

The Cookie Problem (from Richard Guare, Ph.D.)

Broca’s Area

(Speech and

Language)

Wernicke’s Area

(Language Comprehensio

n)

Angular Gyrus

(Connector)

Occipital Lobe

(visual)

• ADD/ADHD• OCD• Tourette’s Syndrome• Schizophrenia• Autism Spectrum

Disorder• Alzheimer’s

Dementia

• Poor executive functions

• Excessive joviality, as well as oral and manual exploration

• Impulsivity• Stereotypical

behavior• Perseveration• Ritualistic Behavior

Frontal Lobe Deficits are connected to:

Where/How do executive functions develop?Myelination is the process by

which a fatty layer, called myelin,

accumulates around nerve cells (neurons). This myelination occurs

in adolescence and supports

improvement of executive functions, impulse control, self-regulation…

Let’s Explore Executive Functioning

+

Imagine the

Possibilitie

s

• Effectively use time• Use working

memory• Attend to the task

at hand• Filter out

extraneous information

• Initiate Tasks• Have

motivation to persevere• Organize• Plan• Make Decisions

Executive Functions give us the ability to:

Socially: • Self-monitor• Theory of Mind• Self-control• Task Shift• Modify emotional

response• Predict

consequences

Executive Functions give us the ability to:

Executive functions allows for:• Forethought• Planning• Goal-directed Actions• Self-Disciplane/Self-Regulation• Persistence/Grit

T-P-S: How does this impact literacy instruction?

Smart, but Scattered: Explained

• Self-monitor• Self-control• Task Shift• Modify emotional

response• Predict consequences• Attend to the task at

hand• Filter out extraneous

information

• Initiate Tasks• Have motivation to

persevere• Organize• Plan• Make Decisions• Effectively use time• Use working memory

Which of these are most connected to language development?

• Pruning of the Neuropathways

• Increased connectivity between brain regions

The Growth of the Brain

Two Brain Changes During Adolescence

How are we going to meet the needs of most kids in the classroom?

Effective Teaching PracticesHigh Impact StrategiesUniversal Design for Learning

• Limit Stress!!!• Find appropriate sources of

motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic) to communicate

• Teach the process of organization through play, modeling and communication opportunities

• Repetition and structure are necessary for solidify neuropathway

Strategies for Language and Executive Function:

• Teach and practice dialogue• Use “managed choice” for decision-

making• For memory: music, rhymes, words

within words, peg words• V.A.K.T. (Visual, auditory, kinesthetic,

tactile)• Sensory seekers and avoiders• Physiological needs

Strategies for Language and Executive Function:

• Picture• List• Assemble (hint)• Notice

Have a PLAN

Learner Variability

Quotation Mingle:Universal Design for Learning

• Increased Engagement Time• Read and Wrap• Discuss Salient Points with

your team• Find a person with a

different number and share

Learner Variability

8.5

How to Use the Resources

http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines

3-2-13 Things you Learned2 Things you want to know more about1 Thing you are going to try tomorrow