Research indicates that executive function skills are more reliable predictors of success in academics and life than test scores, IQ, or socioeconomic status. Therefore it is important to teach children strategies to improve their Executive Function Skills. We will present and discuss our data and observations from a school year of teaching Executive Function skills in a Grade 4 classroom. We will share our approach to the direct instruction of the barriers and strategies method, based on Dr. Laurie Faith’s book, “Executive Function Skills in the Classroom.” We will share our students’ growth in acquiring these skills through brainstorming and shared problem solving.
