An opinion essay in The Wall Street Journal by Richard J. Light, from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, caught my eye as I prepped to begin meetings with some of my college clients. With a nod to President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration address, Light titles his opinion “Ask Not What Your College Can Do …
FaceBook Live with the Colorado Association For Gifted and Talented On Tuesday, Feb. 9th Susanne Keeley, MA CCC-SLP, will share her expertise and knowledge about Executive Functioning. Her conversation will be “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” Learning and Executive Functions in the Time of COVID. It’s been a challenging
People all over the world are eagerly awaiting the day they can receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The fact that a vaccine was developed, tested, approved and distributed in about a year is remarkable. When you consider how long other vaccines have taken to reach this point, along with the number of diseases that have no
This year’s Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented conference was held virtually, which was yet another reminder of how the year 2020 has been different than any other. I spoke about the impact of the changed situation on our Executive Functions and have condensed that conversation into this article. Executive Functions (EF) are the high-level
Arlene Pellicane’s article in the June 3, 2020 edition of the Wall Street Journal entitled “Save Your Kids From Covid’s Digital Deluge” caught my attention. Ms. Pellicane discusses the impact of screen use as we begin to come out of the Covid-19 lockdowns. “Parents used to feel guilty when our children overused phones and tablets.
“When a scene of Mr. Rogers assembling a tent comes to nought, Rogers, rather than retaking it or seeking another character’s help, completes the scene as is and makes his failure to assemble it the crucial theme, later explaining his decision to Vogel: “It’s important for children to know that adults’ plans don’t always work
Depending upon where you live, you are anywhere between days to weeks to months of sheltering in place. While staying at home isn’t what any of us want to be doing now, it is the only choice. This situation is not easy for anyone, including students. I thought I would summarize what I’ve observed in
As the COVID-19 virus spreads, more instances of school closures, social distancing and self-quarantine are appearing. While the health benefits are obvious, it can be very challenging for both adults and children. We all wonder what we should be doing if we’re stuck at home and of course, I’m thinking, “Encourage executive function skills!” Here
“I made that mistake because I was too well rested,” said nobody, ever! The value of a well-rested brain can’t be understated. While many brain functions are reduced with inadequate sleep, executive functions are particularly vulnerable. Because these are very high level skills, they need optimal conditions to function optimally, with sleep being high on
It is always an honor and pleasure to talk to parent and teacher groups about executive functions. When discussing strategies adults can employ to encourage, enhance and expand executive functions in children I include several simple techniques. I’d like to highlight one that is often underappreciated: “Share Your Story.” Executive functions are housed in the