Executive functions in early childhood

Executive functions refer to the higher-order skills we use to engage in purposeful and goal-directed behaviours (Carlson et al., 2013). ‘Purposeful’ means that we call on these functions when we have a goal in mind. Developmental psychologists compare the brain with a bustling airport, referring to executive functions as the mind’s ‘air traffic control’ system (Center on the Developing Child, 2011). In the same way that an air traffic controller manages the arrival and departure of several aeroplanes at the same time, the brain’s executive functions enable us to manage a lot of information. Executive functions help us to focus and resist distractions, to think before acting, and to cope with frustrations and rules simultaneously. Young children use executive functions in all aspects of their everyday lives, such as remembering the rules of a game, resisting temptations or impulsive reactions, waiting their turn, staying focused, recalling routines and respecting different points of view. This chapter begins by defining executive functions and their role in children’s learning. It then describes how educators work across the early years to promote executive functions. The final section of the chapter lists questions that may help early years educators to reflect on the ways in which they support children’s emerging executive functions.