Self-Regulation and Executive Function

This article explains the three areas of executive function: working memory, cognitive flexibility (flexible thinking), and inhibitory control (self-control).

This is a guide to enhance and practice executive function skills. Executive function and self-regulation (EF/SR) skills provide critical supports for learning and development, and while we aren’t born with these skills, we are born with the potential to develop them through interactions and practice.

This guide walks you through everything you need to know about executive function and self-regulation skills and how to develop and practice them throughout life.

This article addresses how parents can help shape children’s emotion regulation. Three key factors for regulation are provided.

Persistence at mastering challenging tasks is mastery motivation, and it plays a key role in children’s learning and in their later academic achievement. This article gives five ways to support mastery motivation.

This parenting resource provides parenting tips to help the persistent child approach challenges in a more constructive way.

This brief provides information about self-regulation development in the first five years of life. It is designed for early childhood leaders such as program administrators.

This page provides links to resources and a report that summarizes key concepts about self-regulation development and intervention for infants and toddlers for practitioners and educators interested in promoting self-regulation for this age group.

This pages provides links to resources and a report that summarizes key concepts about self-regulation development and intervention for preschool-aged children for practitioners and educators interested in promoting self-regulation for this age group.  

This article addresses the benefits of setting limits for children and tips for guiding children so that they feel supported and valued.

This resource contains an infographic and a Q&A on executive function in young children.