What It Means
Executive function is a set of mental skills that help a person hold information in mind, switch between tasks or ideas, and hold back an impulse long enough to choose a better response. The Harvard Center on the Developing Child names three: working memory, mental flexibility and self-control. It compares them to an air traffic control system in the brain, helping a person manage information, make decisions and plan ahead.
Try It: Flip the Three Executive Function Skills
Open each card to see what the skill is and how it can look in a young child. The examples are illustrations.
Working memory
Holding information in mind and using it.
A 4-year-old remembers "shoes, then coat, then wait by the door" without being told again.
Mental flexibility
Shifting attention or trying another way when the first one doesn't work.
A child whose block tower keeps falling tries a wider base instead of repeating the same move.
Self-control
Pausing before acting on an impulse, and staying with a task.
A child waits for a turn on the slide instead of pushing ahead.
Harvard's Center on the Developing Child names these three skills.
How Parents Say It
- "He can't hold three instructions in his head yet."
- "She gets stuck when the plan changes."
- "Executive function is still under construction at this age."
The Breakdown
How the skills grow, per the Harvard Center on the Developing Child
| Stage | What's happening |
|---|---|
| Infancy | The skills begin to form, built through back-and-forth with caring adults and through play |
| Ages 3 to 5 | The Center publishes a separate activities guide just for this age group |
| School age and adolescence | The skills keep developing; the Center's activity guides run through adolescence |
| Early adulthood | Development continues into early adulthood |
No one is born with these skills, but the Center says everyone is born with the potential to develop them, and experiences and relationships shape how they grow. Children vary a great deal, and a young child who forgets a step or grabs a toy is showing a skill still in progress.
Everyday practice. Games with rules that change (like freeze dance), pretend playPretend playPlay in which a child acts out something that isn't real, like feeding a doll, using a block as a phone, or being a superhero. See more, cooking together from a short list, and simple routines with a picture chart all ask a child to remember, switch and wait. These are our own examples; the Center's activity guides suggest games and activities matched to each age.
When to talk to the doctor. If you're worried that your child has much more trouble with attention, planning or self-control than other children the same age, or it's causing problems at home or school, talk with your child's pediatrician. Bring examples of what you see and when it happens.
Good to Know
The Harvard Center on the Developing Child links these skills to school achievement, to readiness for work, and to avoiding a range of health problems later in life. Its free activity guides are organized by age, from infancy into the teen years, and build the skills through play and everyday routines.
FAQ
What are the three executive function skills?
The Harvard Center on the Developing Child names working memory, mental flexibility and self-control. Together they help a child plan, focus and manage what they do.
At what age does executive function develop?
It starts in infancy and keeps developing into early adulthood, according to the Harvard Center on the Developing Child. The Center also publishes a separate activity guide for ages 3 to 5.
Are executive function and self-regulation the same thing?
They're closely linked, and the Harvard Center discusses them together. Executive function is the set of thinking skills; self-regulationSelf-regulationA child's growing ability to manage their own feelings, attention and actions, like calming down, waiting a turn or sticking with a hard task. See more is using skills like these to manage feelings and behavior in the moment.
Do It in Buhata
Tasks, Household Space
Set up the morning routine as Tasks in your Household Space in Buhata, one short step at a time, so you can talk your child through the same order each day.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- Self-regulation
A child's growing ability to manage their own feelings, attention and actions, like calming down, waiting a turn or sticking with a hard task.
- Emotional regulation
The growing ability to notice a feeling and manage how strongly it shows and how long it lasts, so a child can calm down and carry on.
- Cognitive development
How a child's learning, thinking and problem-solving grow, from finding a dropped toy to drawing shapes and counting.
- ADHD in kids
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children: ongoing trouble paying attention, sitting still or controlling impulses, beyond what's usual for their age.
- Financial literacy for kids
The money skills, habits and knowledge children build over time, from waiting for something they want to budgeting, saving and weighing choices.
Sources
Harvard Center on the Developing Child, "A Guide to Executive Function"; Harvard Center on the Developing Child, "InBrief: Executive Function"; Harvard Center on the Developing Child, "Activities Guide: Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills"; Harvard Center on the Developing Child, "Executive Function Activities for 3- to 5-year-olds"
- developingchild.harvard.edu/resource-guides/guide-executive-function
- developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbriefs/inbrief-executive-function
- developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/handouts-tools/activities-guide-enhancing-and-practicing-executive-function-skills
- developingchild.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Executive-Function-Activities-for-3-to-5-year-olds.pdf
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