Executive Function Skills & Neurodiversity
At Conscious Stories, we believe in the transformative power of storytelling to foster essential executive function skills in children of all brain types, whether neurotypical or neurodiverse. Our books are designed not only to entertain but to cultivate crucial cognitive abilities that support lifelong learning and emotional well-being.
What are Executive Function Skills?
If you have a kid who is thriving in all aspects of life, you might not have heard about Executive Function Skills yet, but if you have a child who struggles with any of the following, then learning about Executive Function Skills will help prioritize your parenting time.
Does your child…
Have difficulty starting or finishing tasks.
Frequently lose or misplace materials.
Have trouble getting or staying organized.
Forget directions or steps of a task.
Have difficulty focusing on a task, or switching from one task to another.
Act in impulsive ways (acting without thinking through a situation).
Rush to finish work at the last minute.
Become frustrated with schedule changes.
Struggle to self-regulate their behaviors and emotions.
Struggle to prioritize and work consistently towards goals
These are the 12 Executive Function Skills that every child needs to develop to thrive
Understanding Executive Function SKills will help develop tailored support strategies that recognize your child's unique strengths and needs.
This is particularly important for Neurodiverse children with ADHD, autism, or other cognitive differences who develop executive function skills at different rates compared to neurotypical peers.
These are the 12 Executive Function Skills that every child needs to develop to thrive
Understanding Executive Function SKills will help develop tailored support strategies that recognize your child's unique strengths and needs.
This is particularly important for Neurodiverse children with ADHD, autism, or other cognitive differences who develop executive function skills at different rates compared to neurotypical peers.
How to use storytime to teach Executive Function Skills: A Guide for Parents
You can help develop your kids Executive Function skills at story time without adding another to-do item to your busy day.
Choose the skill you are focused on developing
Pick the relevant story, and
Follow the simple suggestions.
1. Attention
Encourage your child to focus by asking questions about the story’s characters and events. This helps them stay engaged and attentive throughout the reading session.
Best Supported By:
Encourage your child to focus on the light's journey and ask questions about how he grows and shines.
Ask questions about the boy’s journey and what he learns
Ask your child to describe what happens to the circle people in the story as if they were telling it to someone who has never heard it.
2. Time
Management
Set a consistent storytime schedule and stick to it. This teaches children the importance of allocating specific times for reading and other activities.
Best Supported By:
Talk about how setting aside specific times for different activities, like the girl’s moments of reflection and bedtime routine, helps manage time effectively .
Establish a routine to read about the fish’s journey, emphasizing the importance of having a routine.
Encourage consistent practice to overcome challenges, just like Ellie does.
3. Organization
After reading, ask your child to summarize the story in their own words or draw key scenes. This helps them practice organizing information logically.
Best Supported By:
After reading, have your child summarize the story or draw key scenes about the tree’s goodness.
Ask your child to recall and organize details about the elephant’s journey and what he forgets.
Encourage your child to recount the sequence of events in the boy’s search for silence.
4. Prioritization
Discuss with your child what they think the most important part of the story was and why. This helps them learn to identify and prioritize key information.
Best Supported By:
Discuss what the most important part of Rose and Thorn’s journey is and why.
Talk about Rolling Thunder’s priorities in finding his herd and how he achieves his goal.
Encourage your child to identify the key aspects of the tree’s goodness.
5. Working
Memory
Periodically ask your child to recall details from the story, such as character names or significant events. This reinforces their working memory.
Best Supported By:
Ask your child to recall the different places the fish searches for water.
Have your child remember details about the hug’s journey and the sticky thoughts.
Ask your child to recall Ellie’s experiences and how she learns to love her body.
6. Impulse Control
Encourage your child to wait for their turn to talk about the story or answer questions. This teaches them patience and impulse control.
Best Supported By:
Encourage your child to wait their turn to talk about the boy’s discoveries and feelings.
Use the Snuggle Breathing Meditation to help your child practice patience and impulse control.
Encourage your child to pause and think before speaking about the fish’s journey.
7. Flexibility
Explore different endings or scenarios with your child. Ask them, "What if the character did something different?" This promotes cognitive flexibility.
Best Supported By:
Discuss different scenarios of where Alchemy might find her magic.
Explore various outcomes and how different actions could change the story.
Explore different outcomes if different choices were made at different points in the story.
8. Empathy
Discuss how the characters might be feeling and why. Ask your child if they have ever felt the same way. This fosters empathy and emotional understanding.
Best Supported By:
Discuss how Spirit feels throughout his transformation from anger to peace.
Talk about how the hug might feel being stuck and how he feels when he finally delivers his love.
Relate the bee’s feelings during her search to your child’s experiences, fostering empathy and emotional understanding.
9. Metacognition
Encourage your child to think about their own thinking by asking questions like, "Why do you think the character made that choice?" This develops their metacognitive skills.
Best Supported By:
Develop their metacognitive skills by discussing the dad’s decisions and thought processes throughout the story.
Ask your child to think about why the hugs got stuck.
Discuss why the unicorn made certain choices during her search for her magic.
10. Goal Achievement
Talk about the characters' goals in the story and how they achieved them. Relate this to your child's goals, encouraging them to set and pursue their own.
Best Supported By:
Talk about the butterflies goal to land and how she eventually succeeds.
Discuss Ellie’s goals and how she overcomes challenges to achieve them.
Talk about Spirit’s goals and how he achieves peace and connection.
11. Task
Initiation
Encourage your child to start a related activity, such as drawing a scene from the story or writing their own ending. This promotes task initiation and creativity.
Best Supported By:
Prompt your child to draw a scene from the prayer’s journey or create a new ending.
Have your child write a letter to your local politician.
Encourage your child to start an activity inspired by the little brain people's journey, like making their own brain barometer.
12. Emotional Regulation
Use the Snuggle Breathing Meditation or similar exercises from the stories to help your child manage their emotions. Practice these techniques regularly.
Best Supported By:
Practice calming exercises to help your child manage feelings of self-doubt and insecurity.
Practice the Snuggle Breathing Meditation to help your child manage their sticky thoughts.
Use calming exercises from the story to help your child balance their brain.
By incorporating these simple instructions into storytime, parents can effectively support the development of their child's executive function skills in a fun and engaging way.
Parent-Friendly Guidance
Each book includes practical tips and activities designed to seamlessly integrate skill-building into the joy of reading.
Join us at Conscious Stories in nurturing a generation of children equipped with the executive function skills they need to thrive. Explore our collection and discover how storytelling can be a powerful tool for your child’s cognitive and emotional development.
