Executive function in early childhood education

HomeEarly childhood education resourcesExecutive function in early childhood education
type here...
Early childhood
Thought leadership
School

Executive function in early childhood education

HomeEarly childhood education resourcesExecutive function in early childhood education

Topic summary

Executive function refers to a set of skills that are foundational to success in life and learning.

Executive function is a set of skills that stems from the coordination of three cognitive processes: cognitive flexibility, working memory and inhibitory control. These skills help us plan, focus, remember instructions and complete tasks. Cognitive flexibility is the ability to pay attention and switch attention from one task to another. Working memory enables us to mentally hold and process information, and inhibitory control allows us to stop an impulse and display a more appropriate response.

Executive function skills are foundational for success in education, employment, and in social situations throughout life. Executive function skills are important for many aspects of our lives, including:

  • Mental and physical health
  • Effective social communication
  • Short and long-term success in school
  • University completion

Over the past two decades a strong body of evidence has developed demonstrating the importance of executive function skills across the lifespan. There also is a growing body of evidence on how to support executive function in young children.

Executive function skills are particularly malleable in early childhood and these skills can be taught, practised and improved. At the core of building strong executive function skills is establishing positive relationships with children. Modelling what strong executive function skills look like is important as children look to adults as a guide for their own behaviour. One way teachers can support executive function in the classroom is by talking aloud. For example, teachers can narrate their actions as they walk through the classroom and clean up: “We need to clean up the toys at the activity centres, so I’m going to start with the art centre first and then clean the dramatic play centre”. Using games can also be a powerful means for supporting executive function development. 

  • Can you identify children who struggle with focusing and paying attention, persisting on tasks or demonstrating self-control?
  • What do you do to support children who appear to have weaker executive function skills?
  • How do you model and build positive behaviour into your interactions, routines and activities with children?

Research reviews

Executive function in early childhood

An explanation of what we mean by executive function and why it’s important, along with some practical and readily usable strategies for building executive function in young children.

Strategies and activities for strengthening executive function in infants and toddlers

Approaches for supporting infants and toddlers to build their executive function skills in the crucial early months and years of life.

Games and activities for building executive function in 3-5-year-olds

Ideas for helping young children to develop their executive function skills though play.

Webinars

Executive function and supporting positive behavior

Dr Megan McClelland and Dr Shauna Tominey discuss executive function – the skills that help us to plan, focus, regulate our behavior, remember instructions and complete tasks.

Infographics

Executive function infographic

Executive function skills support wellbeing and success at school and in life. Find out more about how to promote and develop them.

Snapshots

Executive function and supporting positive behaviour in early childhood

Key insights from our webinar with Professor Megan McClelland and Dr Shauna Tominey.

A short introduction to executive function

The key things you need to know about what executive function is and how to support it in children.
“Thanks for the opportunity. This was without doubt amongst the best professional development I have done in many years.”
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching
“I've just started and it's incredible! Best professional learning course I have participated in in a long time. I've just completed Part 2 – so inspiring!”
Course participant
Visual Arts in ECE
"I loved how the course was laid out. It was easy to leave and pick up where I had left off. The site was easy to navigate and I liked the videos that backed up the reading."
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching
“Continue with your excellent work. I get feedback that student teachers love it too.”
Educator
Martinborough
“I have found all your webinars to be of incredible value to myself and my team. Thank you.”
Centre Leader
Auckland
“You guys are doing a FABULOUS job - keep up the great work. And thank-you for offering free webinars; readings etc - in this current climate it is so hard to find money for extra things and PD is usually the first thing that gets a budget cut. Having access to your webinars means that there is no excuse for my teachers not keep professionally ahead of the game. My team and I certainly appreciate it.”
Early childhood teacher
Wellington
“I LOVE your work. It is super useful as an AST in a large COL, The Education Hub is a springboard for my own self-driven PD and a good resource for the spectrum of needs in our Kahui Ako. Thank you for the epic work you do!”
Advanced Skills Teacher
New Zealand
“Appreciate the diverse range of resources on offer!”
Intermediate school teacher
New Zealand
“The Education Hub is a gem and I recommend it to all schools I work with.”
Education consultant
New Zealand
“The resources and support provided by The Education Hub are greatly appreciated. As an HOD in a small school, in a small department usually made up of beginning teachers, it often falls on my shoulders alone to try and be up to date with ensuring our programmes are founded on sound pedagogical practices in terms of teaching in general and our particular curriculum area ... so I'm like a sponge when it comes to what you provide.”
Head of Department
“The Hub articles have been really useful and provided conversations for staff meetings and provocations for teachers. Thank you - great work and food for thought.”
School leader
Dunedin
“Articles are always well considered and written. I enjoy the content; it’s a superb resources for teachers”
Teacher (primary)
Tauranga
"I love this site!! I love everything you do for us educators, professional leaders and whanau. I loved this site during my studies last year when I upgraded to a Degree. Love it – thank you!"
New entrant teacher
Wellington
“I really value the Education Hub as a non-partisan (and non-reactionary) force for building consensus around what works and what matters in (New Zealand) education. There's nothing like it, and without it we'd be at the mercy of the more vociferous at both ends of the spectrum (progressive vs conservative).”
Deputy Principal
Christchurch
“Keep up the great mahi, I would struggle to have conversations with teachers about current pedagogy without you!”
Professional development provider
Auckland
“Having discovered The Education Hub this year, it has been timely as I navigate the teaching of structured literacy. The content has been so relevant and reliable, I come away wanting more.”
Primary teacher
Nelson
“The information I have gained from the webinars I have watched this year has been so enlightening and it has fueled my desire to further my own knowledge. We are lucky to have such a great resource.”
Preschool teacher
Palmerston North
“Thank you for providing high quality professional learning that is easily accessible.”
High school teacher
Napier
“I really appreciate the quality and range of the webinars you provide. I love that I can access them later if I don't get to watch them at the time.”
Teacher
Bay of Plenty
"Thank you! This course has renewed my passion for writing meaningful learning stories that are backed up with intentional teaching and show progression of learning and development."
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching
“Thank you to those of you who are working hard to keep this resource relevant and accessible for all of us in the education sector. More specifically, I appreciate the balanced approach taken by your team to specific topic”
School leader
Manukau
"I liked the mix of different aspects that kept things interesting, I enjoyed sharing my new learning with my colleagues and I loved learning new practical aspects of story writing."
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching
“Thank you so much for the valuable service you provide. We are so lucky to have access to this quality of resources.”
Graduate teacher
Blenheim
"I loved how the course was laid out. It was easy to leave and pick up where I had left off. The site was easy to navigate and I liked the videos that backed up the reading."
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching

Get unlimited access to all our webinars

Buy a webinar subscription for yourself, your school or centre and enjoy savings of up to 25%

The Education Hub webinars provide high-quality research-based content for teachers. A webinar subscription costs just NZ$60+GST per person (with discounts of up to 25% available for groups) and provides access to all our live webinars for 12 months, plus all the recordings in our archive.
Find out more

12-MONTH WEBINAR SUBSCRIPTION

NZ$ 60 per person +GST
  • All live webinars for 12 months
  • Access to our library of over 100 webinars
  • Personalised certificates
  • Group savings of up to 25%
Buy now

About The Education Hub

The Education Hub’s mission is to bridge the gap between research and practice in education. We want to empower educators to find, use and share research to improve their teaching practice, and then share their innovations. We are building the online and offline infrastructure to support this to improve opportunities and outcomes for students.

New Zealand registered charity number: CC54471

Find out more

We’ll keep you updated

Follow us on social media

Like what we do? Please support us

Donate now to show your appreciation

© The Education Hub 2025 All rights reserved | Site design: KOPARA

Close popup
Message from The Education Hub Choose how you stay up to date

Early childhood education
School

Your details:

Already have an account? Login here

* Required fields

By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

We value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. The data you provide on this form will be used to keep you informed about our latest news, updates, and promotional offers. Rest assured, your information will be handled in strict accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Your data will be stored securely, and you have the right to access, correct, or delete your information at any time. For more details, please review our Privacy Policy or Terms of Service.