As a special education teacher, I spend a lot of time thinking about the skills my students need to be successful in the classroom. Reading, writing, and math are obviously important, but there’s another set of skills that impacts nearly everything students do throughout the school day.
Executive functioning skills.
These are the skills that help students get started on assignments, follow directions, stay focused, manage their emotions, organize materials, and complete tasks independently.
And in my experience, they’re often overlooked.
We’re So Focused on Academics That We Miss What’s Getting in the Way
Academic expectations have changed significantly since I was a student. There’s an enormous amount of pressure on classroom teachers to cover curriculum, meet benchmarks, and keep students moving forward academically.
I see how hard teachers work to meet those expectations. There simply isn’t enough time in the day to address everything.
But here’s something I wish we talked about more often: Students need executive functioning skills to access the academics we’re working so hard to teach.
A student might understand how to solve a math problem but struggle to get started on the assignment. Another student might know the answers during a small-group lesson but miss important directions during whole-group instruction because they have difficulty sustaining attention.
We sometimes see the unfinished assignment or the student who isn’t following directions without recognizing the skill that’s missing underneath.
In my school, executive functioning needs are often viewed as something the special education case manager should address. If a student has an IEP, the expectation is that special education will handle those skills.
But executive functioning isn’t just a special education issue.
These are skills that all students are developing, and they deserve attention at the Tier 1 classroom level, too.
Sometimes One Small Support Changes Everything
I have a student who struggles significantly with attention. He frequently misses parts of classroom instruction, which creates another problem when it’s time to complete independent work.
He doesn’t always know what he’s supposed to do because he missed the directions in the first place.
His classroom teacher recognized this and came up with a simple solution.
She created a reusable checklist where she could write down the steps he needed to complete. The tasks were broken into small, manageable pieces, and as he finished each one, he crossed it off.
That’s it. Nothing elaborate or time-consuming.
But that checklist gave him something he was missing: a clear starting point and a way to keep track of what came next.
With that support in place, he was able to complete his work independently without needing a paraprofessional beside him.
I think about this example often because it demonstrates something I’ve seen repeatedly throughout my teaching career.
Sometimes students don’t need someone to do more for them. They need the right tool to help them do more for themselves.
Teaching the Tool Is Just as Important as Providing It
One thing I’ve learned is that we can’t simply hand a student a checklist, visual schedule, or regulation strategy and expect them to know how to use it.
Those tools require instruction, too.
When I’m introducing a new executive functioning support, I typically begin by working one-on-one with the student. We talk about what the tool is, why we’re using it, and how it can help. I model how to use it, give the student opportunities to practice, and answer questions along the way.
Once the student begins understanding the tool, I incorporate it into our small-group instruction. This gives them additional opportunities to practice in a familiar setting before they’re expected to use it in the general education classroom.
When I feel the student is ready, I collaborate with the classroom teacher and paraprofessional, if one is involved, to explain how the support should be implemented.
That consistency matters.
If I’m teaching a student to use a checklist independently, but the adults in the classroom are completing the checklist for them, we’re not working toward the same goal.
Of course, the way I teach a skill depends on what we’re working on.
An academic task checklist might be introduced during a structured lesson, while an emotional regulation strategy might be practiced through a social story, discussion, game, or activity during social skills instruction.
There’s no single approach that works for every student or every executive functioning need.
The important part is making sure we’re teaching students how to use the support, rather than assuming the support itself will solve the problem.
Small Supports That Can Make a Big Difference
Executive functioning supports don’t always require elaborate materials or complicated intervention plans.
Some of the most useful tools are also the simplest.
Visual checklists and task lists
Breaking an assignment into smaller steps gives students a clear starting point and helps them see their progress. For students who struggle with task initiation or completing multistep assignments, this can make an overwhelming task feel manageable.
Visual schedules
Visual schedules help students understand what to expect throughout the day or during a particular activity. They can be especially helpful for students who struggle with transitions, remembering routines, or managing changes in expectations.
A discreet way to ask for help
This year, we’re trying a simple desk visual that allows students to indicate whether they understand what they’re doing or need additional help.
I really like this idea because some of my students struggle with raising their hands and publicly admitting they don’t understand something.
Instead of having to announce that they’re confused, they can use the visual to communicate their needs. The teacher can check in as they circulate around the classroom.
It’s a small adjustment, but it gives students another way to advocate for themselves.
Break cards
Break cards have also been incredibly helpful for some of my students.
Not every child can recognize and verbally communicate when they’re becoming overwhelmed. A break card provides a nonverbal way to request a break.
Depending on the student and classroom, they might hand the card to the teacher, point to it, or use another established routine.
The goal is to help students recognize their needs and begin using an appropriate strategy with increasing independence.
And that’s really what connects all these supports.
They’re not just about getting through today’s assignment or avoiding a difficult moment.
They’re about helping students develop skills they can eventually use on their own.
Independence Doesn’t Mean Removing Support
This is something I think about frequently when working with students who receive paraprofessional assistance.
Sometimes it’s difficult to determine whether a student genuinely cannot complete a task independently or has become accustomed to relying on an adult to guide them through it.
That distinction matters because our goal should always be to build students’ skills and independence wherever possible.
There are absolutely students who need significant adult assistance, and that support is important. But we also need to consider whether we’re providing opportunities for students to practice doing things on their own.
A well-chosen executive functioning tool can sometimes provide the structure a student needs without requiring an adult to remain beside them throughout an entire assignment.
And when that happens, it’s a meaningful step toward independence.
Executive Functioning Belongs in Every Classroom
I understand that classroom teachers already have more on their plates than they can reasonably manage.
I’m not suggesting that every teacher needs to create an entirely separate executive functioning curriculum or add another lengthy lesson to an already packed schedule.
But I do think we need to become more intentional about recognizing executive functioning needs and incorporating simple supports into everyday instruction.
A visual checklist. A predictable routine. Directions broken into manageable steps. A discreet way to ask for help.
These are strategies that can benefit students with and without IEPs.
And when executive functioning supports become part of the classroom environment, students don’t always have to wait until they’re struggling significantly before someone recognizes what they need.
The Bigger Picture
When I think about what I want for my students, academic progress is certainly part of it.
But I also want them to become more independent.
I want them to recognize when they need help, understand how to get started on something difficult, manage frustration, and develop the confidence to try things without immediately relying on an adult.
Those skills extend far beyond the classroom.
And sometimes the progress that matters most isn’t reflected in a test score or academic benchmark.
Sometimes it’s a student who starts an assignment without being prompted.
A student who checks their own work.
A student who independently asks for a break before becoming overwhelmed.
Or a student who looks at their checklist, figures out what comes next, and keeps going.
Those moments matter.
Because when we teach executive functioning skills, we’re doing more than helping students succeed in school.
We’re helping them develop the tools they’ll need to navigate everyday life with greater independence.
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