Storytelling and
Executive Functioning BY DR. MICHAEL DORER
All classroom teachers have had
Executive functioning is key to our
achievements, including: advanced think-
ability to navigate the world.
ing, or mentally playing with ideas; careful
difficulty in school; often, it’s unclear why.
Simply stated, executive functioning
planning, or taking time before acting or
We might try a number of things and still
is a set of essential mental skills that we
performing; flexibility, or meeting unex-
find frustration. Often, the students clearly
employ at all ages, from early childhood
pected
want to do well and evince great potential,
through adulthood. Three of these func-
perseverance,
but their difficulties or challenges aren’t
tions, possibly the most important, are:
and
attributable to any sort of obvious learning
working memory; cognitive flexibility; and
maintaining focus.
disability or special need.
inhibition control.
Working memory refers to our every-
abilities can be nurtured, developed, and
consider that there may be impediments to
day memory, our use of it, and our ability to
refined, so that even if one or more of them
executive functioning, the set of key skills that
access it. Cognitive flexibility is adaptable,
is at a less-than-ideal level, they can be im-
we use every day in our daily lives, our learning,
manageable, and responsive thinking. Inhi-
proved and maintained. In short, they can be
our work, and in any sort of performance.
bition control refers to the willpower that
taught in our classrooms in a way that pro-
experiences
with
children
who
have
In these elusive cases, it is important to
or
unanticipated or
developing
resisting
temptation
stick-to-itiveness
and
The good news is that these skills or
one manifests over one’s own actions, such
motes their growth and utility. How? We can
people who seem to “get it.” They are
as restraint, self-control, and discretion.
do this by using, quite possibly, the most
attentive, seem to follow our lessons, and
ancient teaching technique: storytelling.
appear to understand essential concepts
these three skills are. They underlie most
embedded in our lessons. In these cases,
successful
and,
to each of these skills: it directly addresses
it is important to consider that these
indeed, our entire professional adult life.
and encourages working memory, cognitive
students may have greater capability in the
Executive functions make possible a large
flexibility, and inhibition control. Let’s look
key areas of executive functioning.
number of intellectual and psychological
at each one and see how storytelling can
We also regularly work with young
I cannot overstate how important behaviors
in
school
Storytelling has a unique relationship
benefit and support its growth.
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challenges;
©MONTESSORI LEADERSHIP | WWW.MONTESSORI.ORG/IMC | VOLUME 23 ISSUE 1 • 2021
