Executive Function and the Gifted Child: A Guide for Parents

Abstract

Executive function (EF) is a term that describes a set of skills that play an important role in the development of children's abilities to be prepared for and successful in accessing academic and social growth. The ability to self-regulate emotions and impulse control, switch attention between tasks, optimize working memory, and hold information in your head while acquiring more information are all executive function skills. Executive functioning skills become especially critical when students reach middle-school age and are faced with situations and assignments requiring them to manage stress and use such skills as critical problem solving, strong communication, conflict management skills, persistence and working through challenges, task initiation, time management, responsible decisionmaking, and project planning. [...]the crucial development of time management, task initiation, intentional focus and persistence through obstacles are skills typically developed in the high school years, but many gifted students face this development earlier in middle school.