For children, teens, and adults with executive function challenges, the smallest project or task can be overwhelming. Planning and prioritisation are essential skills for initiating tasks and following through, writes Dalena van der Westhuizen, a cognitive development specialist and co-founder of BrainAbility.
Does your child struggle to start a big school project? Do they put things off until the last minute, leading to stress for the whole family? This daily struggle can be mistaken for laziness, but the root cause is often something different: weak executive function skills for children. A single internet search might point to stress or anxiety as reasons for procrastination, but an often-overlooked reason is underdeveloped executive function skills for children.
In a homeschooling environment, where self-direction is key, strengthening these abilities is fundamental. This guide, based on insights from cognitive development specialist Dalena van der Westhuizen, will show you how to help your child build crucial planning and prioritising skills for success in their studies and in life.
What Are Executive Function Skills? The Brain’s CEO
Executive function skills are often called “the management system of the brain”. According to Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, these are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully. They help us set goals and get things done.
Key skills like planning and prioritisation allow us to create a roadmap of what needs to be done and when. Without a strong “CEO” in the brain, a child can feel constantly overwhelmed, especially when faced with multi-step tasks. This is a common challenge in homeschooling executive function development.
Why Planning and Prioritising Are Non-Negotiable Executive Function Skills
Developing these skills is not just about finishing schoolwork on time. Being able to distinguish between urgent and less urgent tasks is a critical skill for school, work, and life in general.
- Planning is the process of figuring out all the steps you need to take to complete a goal. A clear understanding of these steps helps you better allocate your time.
- Prioritisation allows you to decide what is most important so you know what to focus on first.
Children with weak executive function skills for children find themselves impaired before they even start an assignment. They struggle to identify the steps needed to create a presentation, do their homework, or even clean their room. They also cannot easily decide which information is important and in what order to tackle tasks. This can be a major source of procrastination in teens in South Africa.
How to Spot Weak Planning Skills in Your Child
You might recognise some of these frustrations in your child:
- They have trouble starting and/or completing tasks.
- They start projects but fail to finish them because they struggle to follow the required steps.
- They find it hard to remember and follow all the steps in familiar routines, like packing their school bag.
- They struggle to figure out which assignment is most important to complete first.
- They have trouble when there is more than one item on their to-do list.
Four Practical Strategies to Teach Your Child How to Plan
The good news is that these skills can be improved with the right intervention and practice. Here are four tried-and-tested strategies you can apply in your homeschool.
1. Be Clear About the End Goal
It is impossible to plan if you do not know what you are planning for. Before your child starts a project, help them articulate what a successful end result looks like. For a history project, this could mean defining the topic, the required length, and the due date. Use this process to create a checklist of the most important elements, which is a great tool for planning and self-monitoring.
2. Understand That Planning Is Part of Doing
Many people skip planning because they see it as separate from doing; they just want to get started. It is important to reframe this: planning is doing something. It lowers stress by breaking large tasks into manageable parts and ensures you do not miss important steps. A great strategy is time-boxing. Instead of a simple to-do list, block out time in a calendar for specific tasks. Always include a catch-up day for unexpected delays.
3. Decide How to Prioritise
Deciding what to do first is tough, especially if you do not distinguish between “need-to’s” and “want-to’s”. Try a simple “1, 2, 3 system”:
- 1: This must happen now or as soon as possible.
- 2: This must be done as soon as the 1s are finished.
- 3: This is the least urgent and the last thing to be done.
Practise sorting tasks with your child using this system so they get the hang of it.
4. Keep Practising and Adjusting Your Executive Function Skills
Continuously practise these skills by asking questions to plan everyday tasks. Use questions like:
- “What’s the most important thing to get done today?”
- “When will you be able to do that?”
- “What are the steps you need to follow?”
If you feel your child’s struggles with planning and anxiety are persistent, reaching out to organisations like the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) can provide further resources and support.
By making planning and prioritising a daily habit, you are equipping your child with some of the most powerful executive function skills for children, setting them up for a future of better self-management and success.
What are your favourite tools or methods for teaching your kids executive function skills for children? Share them in the comments below!
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