: Executive Functioning Skills in EYFS Developing executive function skills in an EYFS/KS1 mixed class.

At the beginning of the day, Tilly walks into a room which is cosy and inviting through the use of low lighting. soft textures and neutral colours. Soothing lullabies play and she is greeted with warmth and smiles. Tilly happily explores provision until our learning day starts. Non- verbal and well- rehearsed cues ensure that Tilly completes the routines and transitions of the day seamlessly.

At the beginning of the day, Tilly walks into a room which is cosy and inviting through the use of low lighting. soft textures and neutral colours. Soothing lullabies play and she is greeted with warmth and smiles. Tilly happily explores provision until our learning day starts. Non- verbal and well- rehearsed cues ensure that Tilly completes the routines and transitions of the day seamlessly.

“If children feel safe, they can take risks, ask questions, make mistakes, learn to trust, share their feelings, and grow.” ~ Alfie Kohn

As EYFS practitioners, we know that children’s self- regulation and executive function are linked; if our children feel happy and safe, they will be able to develop executive function.

For executive function to take place, we must create a nurturing learning environment where children feel safe, valued and challenged. Through our relationships and interactions with the children, we can create a climate where mistakes are celebrated and there is a shared trust and safeness to explore. Consistent and predictable routines develop an emotionally stable environment where children feel secure and know just what to expect.

A model for learning

To learn something new — like a new word or number fact — pupils must pay attention, hold information in working memory and encode it into long-term memory. But this cognitive journey is tenuous. If attention slips or working memory overloads, learning may not happen at all.

“To avoid overloading students’ working memory, teachers should present new information in small steps, pausing to check for understanding, and eliminating extraneous distractions.” — Barak Rosenshine

Effective practice supports executive function by helping pupils:

✔️ Set goals and stay on task.

✔️ Apply strategies independently.

✔️ Monitor and adapt their thinking.

Over the past year within our mixed age setting of 3- 7 year olds, we have used the EEF’s Approaches to Support Self-regulation and Executive Function to support us with our teaching of Executive Functioning.

The EEF Early Evidence Store states that:

​“Self-regulation supports children’s executive function. Executive function refers to a set of skills that are often used together. These require teaching and modelling, practice, and repetition to develop. ”

In order to bring about effective and sustainable change we selected two approaches from the EEF Self ‑Regulation and Executive Function Toolkit as our initial focus: Creating a Community of Collaborative Learners and Promoting Talk About Learning.

Approach 1~ Creating a community of collaborative learners

​“Cognitive training may be especially effective when an educator provides metacognitive scaffolding for the child while they are completing the training tasks (for example, by providing suggestions or asking questions such as, ​‘I wonder what would happen if…’)” Pozuelos et al.

What this looks like in the classroom

A group of pre-school gather in the Blocks Area and begin to build. They build individually but each structure falls down. As they begin to lose motivation, one voice utters ​“I can’t do it.” Our practitioner observes and sensitively interacts to help the boys build together, navigate challenge and achieve success through collaborative learning.

Through sensitive adult modelling and scaffolding, she creates a mini community of learners where the children work together, think aloud and support one another on a shared goal. She successfully scaffolds the play, encouraging the children to plan collaboratively and share ideas. She encourages the children to negotiate with one another and plan a zoo together, personalising her responses to each child. The children continue to build the zoo throughout the morning, showing increased concentration, motivation, collaboration and independence.

Approach 2- Promoting Talk about Learning

​“Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others. In play, children learn how to learn.” — Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework, UK Department for Education (2021)

EEF define ​‘promoting talk about learning’ as educators using talk as a way to help children plan, monitor and reflect on their thinking and learning. This is also known as metacognition. They support children to explain how they plan to do something and to reflect on how their learning is going ​‘in the moment’.

What this looks like in the classroom

To raise the profile of ​“Promoting Talk about Learning” we introduced ​“Learning to Learn” puppets. One of these puppets was ​“Reflective Red Squirrel”- a squirrel who planned and reflected on her learning. Our Learning Puppets were introduced through stories, role-play and play.


The puppets always looked for children showing their designated learning behaviours, popping up in provision indoors and outdoors to set challenges. In the outset, all staff narrated learning behaviours observed, whilst modelling and scaffolding these behaviours continually. Our narration of praise connected to our Learning Behaviour Puppets. We then noticed the children talking about their own learning in a magically metacognitive way . The children love to hold a puppet and complete “ Learning Talk” – “ I am going to… by…” “ Next time I will …” ( Reflective Red Squirrel). The children were also invited to nominate other children who had displayed specific learning behaviours. This really raised the profile of ​“Learning Talk.”

Key Reflections for your team

Create a classroom and environment which actively encourages and models self- regulation

Unite and engage staff teams around the importance of executive function

Identify key priorities for your setting using the EYFS Executive Function Evidence Store https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/evidence-store/self-regulation-and-executive-function

Plan for executive function strategies to be explicitly modelled , scaffolded and celebrated in provision– allocate time! Involve all staff in this to raise the profile

Ensure change happens by supporting and positively influencing implementation


Remember implementation is ongoing continuous improvement- as a staff team, facilitate time to evaluate and prioritise future actions and developments.

References

DFE ( 2021) Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework

Kohn, A: Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, Praise, and Other Bribes (1999).

Rosenshine, B: Principles of Instruction: Research-Based Strategies That All Teachers Should Know (2012)