The Connection Between Cognitive Skills and Executive Functioning Skills

As parents and educators, we often emphasize the importance of academic skills—reading, writing, and arithmetic. While these are undoubtedly crucial, there’s a deeper layer that significantly impacts a child’s ability to learn and succeed: cognitive skills and executive functioning skills. At LearningRx, we focus on strengthening these foundational skills to ensure that children not only excel in school but are also set up to thrive in all areas of life.

What Are Cognitive Skills?

Cognitive skills are the core mental abilities that enable us to process information, solve problems, and perform everyday tasks. They include:

• Attention: The ability to focus on specific tasks and ignore distractions.
• Memory: The capability to store and recall information when needed.
• Processing Speed: The pace at which the brain interprets and responds to information.
• Logic & Reasoning: The ability to think critically, solve problems, and understand concepts.
• Visual and Auditory Processing: The skills needed to interpret and make sense of visual and auditory information.

These cognitive skills form the backbone of our learning capabilities in all subject areas and contexts. When they are strong, learning becomes more efficient and effective.

What Are Executive Functioning Skills?

Executive functioning skills are a subset of cognitive skills that involve managing oneself and one’s resources to achieve a goal. They are essential for planning, organizing, strategizing, paying attention to and remembering details, and managing time and spaces. Key executive functioning skills include:

• Planning and Organizing: The ability to create a roadmap to reach a goal or complete a task and to arrange things in a structured order.
• Working Memory: Holding information in mind while using it to complete a task.
• Flexible Thinking: The capacity to adapt to new situations and think about problems in novel ways.
• Self-Control: The ability to regulate one’s emotions, behavior, and attention.
• Initiation: Starting tasks without undue procrastination.

The Interplay Between Cognitive and Executive Functioning Skills

Cognitive Skills & Executive Function Disorder

Cognitive skills and executive functioning skills are intertwined and often influence each other. For instance, working memory is a core factor in both categories, influencing your ability to follow multi-step instructions or solve complex problems. Similarly, good attention skills enhance self-control by allowing a child to stay focused on tasks even in the face of distractions.

Related Resources:

• Why Kids Get Stuck and How to Foster Academic Resilience
• How to Evaluate Your Child’s Academic Progress (Beyond Grades)
• What’s the Connection Between ADHD and Executive Dysfunction?

The Impact of Cognitive and Executive Functioning Skills on Learning and Everyday Life

When cognitive and executive functioning skills are well-developed, children find it easier to learn new concepts, stay organized, manage their time effectively, and navigate social situations. Conversely, weaknesses in these areas can lead to academic struggles, behavioral issues, and increased stress in a variety of contexts.

At LearningRx, we recognize the importance of these skills and incorporate them into our brain training programs. By focusing on both cognitive and executive functioning skills, we aim to provide a comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of learning difficulties, rather than just the symptoms.

Strengthening Cognitive and Executive Functioning Skills

Using these skills and exercising them like you would for a muscle group in a gym is the key to improving their function! Here are some ways to do this:

Engaging Activities: Puzzles, memory games, and problem-solving tasks can be fun ways to engage cognitive skills at home. We have a few helpful lists to guide you towards games that may be aligned with your or your child’s skill weaknesses so you can get the most benefit:

• 5 Family Game Night Favorites to Improve Reading Skills
• 9 Games to Improve Working Memory
• Games that Build Attention Skills
• Build Math Confidence with These Fun Math Games

Routine and Structure: Establishing clear routines helps children develop planning and organizational skills. You can’t “system” your way to strong skills, but these are helpful strategies to build in some external support to assist along the way!

Mindfulness and Self-Regulation Techniques: Teaching children mindfulness practices can improve their ability to manage emotions and stay focused. Stress is the enemy of learning. When the brain is in fight, flight, or freeze mode, no memories can be formed and it’s a lot harder to engage with the task at hand. Teaching our kids breathing techniques or other strategies to cope when they start to feel overwhelmed is critical!

Brain Training Programs: Our programs are designed to target specific cognitive and executive functioning skills through one-on-one training. This intense, individualized approach in a therapeutic setting allows us to make measurable changes in individuals’ cognitive abilities! According to research, not only do brain training clients achieve across-the-board improvements in all core cognitive skills, but they also report things like greater confidence, better grades, improved relationships, and better quality of life.*

Get to the Root Cause of Learning Struggles Today!

When cognitive skills are weak, every area of life feels the effects (whether you know to look for it or not). We talk to so many parents who get so much clarity once they realize the root cause of their kids’ struggles with focus, organization, and other areas of school and life.

Curious which skills may be weak (and strong) in your child? We have a FREE brain quiz to help you start to identify what’s going on under the surface.

*Results from surveys and studies of past clients. Individual outcomes may vary.