CONNECTIONS IN MIND
The Role of Executive Functioning in Transitions
Bridging the gap Parent and teacher strategies for effective school transitions The back-to-school nerves can be as real for parents and teachers as they are for students. As a mother of three young girls, the last few weeks have been a challenge, but they have also led me to reflect upon school transitions and the emotions they bring up. This month, my youngest daughter started Reception. She experienced a regression of sorts; we have been up most nights with her recently, despite her peacefully sleeping through the night prior to this transition. After discussions at the school gates, we found that other parents were going through the same thing with their little ones. What was causing our children’s distress in returning to the same school building they had all been to last year? I decided to delve into this topic and discover why transitions can be a struggle for children, and how we as parents and teachers can support them through these transitory times. Transitions are a big part of a student’s path in school. These moments can be really important
for students and affect how they learn. In this article, I will talk about these changes, especially how our thinking and planning skills play a role, and share what recent research has found. Understanding Transitions
There are many transitions a student may encounter on their academic journey. This can be something as small as changing classrooms or moving up a school year, or as significant as going from prep school to secondary school - or going from being a ‘flexi-boarder’ to a full-time boarding student. Each circumstance comes along with its own difficulties and can be experienced equally as intensely by individual children. Transitioning from GCSEs to A Levels might seem like no big deal to some, while for others it can feel overwhelmingly stressful and daunting. The degree to which students are impacted by these transitions are greatly influenced by the strength of their executive function skills.
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Executive functions are a family of brain processes that make it possible to mentally toy with ideas, stay focused, remain flexible in the face of unexpected challenges and think before acting. Executive function (EF) skills are the skills we develop which require executive functioning and manifest themselves as measurable and teachable skills. EF skills are vital for smooth school transitions. This is because of their central role in a student’s cognitive flexibility and resilience in these shifts. Strong EF skills allow students to engage with new ideas and obstacles in the learning environment during the school year. In transitory periods, they also enable them to enter new school environments with open minds and an eagerness to engage with new learning material. What’s more, EF skills help students regulate their emotions and any behavioural responses to their emotions that may bubble up during transitions, whether that be excitement, eagerness, anxiety or being overwhelmed. Managing these emotions effectively aids in maintaining positive relationships with classmates and teachers, which is essential for successful transitions. Recent Research Insights
Recent studies have shed light on the correlation between executive functioning and successful transitions at school. Research by Jacobson et al. (2011) underscores the importance of targeted interventions to bolster executive functioning skills, thus facilitating smoother transitions. Additionally, research by Helm et al. (2019) highlights the positive TURN TO PAGES 42-45 to read advice for parents from ISEB and Tooled Up Education
