Improve Planning: Executive Function Strategies for Elementary Students

Posted In Application On March 6, 2025

In this blog, we explore engaging and practical executive function strategies that elementary teachers (grades 1-4) can use to improve planning skills in their students. Planning is a critical executive function skill that helps students manage their time, organize their thoughts, and work toward goals. When teachers focus on executive function instruction, they equip students with essential tools for success in and beyond the classroom.

Improve Planning Through Observations

Throughout the school day, take moments to pause and have students observe their surroundings. Ask them how planning can help them learn better at that moment. Their responses can be written down and compiled into a classroom chart that visually demonstrates the benefits of planning. This simple yet effective executive function lesson helps students connect planning with real-world learning experiences and promotes student engagement strategies that improve academic performance.

Teaching Prioritization Through Task Evaluation

A crucial aspect of improving planning is learning how to prioritize tasks effectively. Over several days, write three different tasks on the board and ask students to rank them based on urgency and importance. Guide them to create a plan for completing the tasks in order of priority. After executing their plans, discuss whether they made the best decisions or if they would have changed their approach. This activity serves as an executive function intervention helping students develop problem-solving skills.

Breaking Down Assignments for Long-Term Planning

To further develop students’ executive functioning, provide them with a week-long assignment and guide them in dividing the project into manageable daily tasks. At the end of the week, facilitate a discussion about their planning strategies. Did their approach work well, or would they do things differently next time? This practice helps improve students’ performance by giving them hands-on experience in structuring their workload effectively—an essential component of executive function learning.

Setting and Achieving Long-Term Goals

Teaching students to set and work toward long-term goals builds confidence and social skills while reinforcing planning as an executive function tool. As a class, choose a meaningful long-term goal and break it into three smaller, measurable objectives. Conduct regular check-ins, allowing students to assess their progress, celebrate their successes, and identify areas for improvement. Encouraging students to evaluate their progress fosters self-regulation and enhances their ability to solve executive function challenges.

Estimating Time for Improved Time Management

Time management is an essential aspect of executive function instruction. Over several days, assign tasks and have students estimate how long they will take to complete. Record their estimates and then time them as they work. Comparing estimated vs. actual time helps students refine their planning skills and develop a more accurate sense of how long tasks require. By engaging in this executive function exercise, students enhance their self-awareness and ability to allocate time wisely, ultimately improving their planning skills.

Implementing Executive Function Strategies in the Classroom

By incorporating these activities into daily routines, teachers provide students with valuable executive function tools that empower them to become independent learners. Executive function instruction not only improves academic performance but also fosters essential life skills such as prioritization, organization, and goal setting. These strategies help improve students’ academic performance and build self-confidence.

Are you looking for more ways to improve planning across different grade levels? Click below to explore additional strategies for middle and high school students:

• Improve Planning for Grades 5-8
• Improve Planning for Grades 9-12

For more executive function lessons and strategies, check out Cerebrate’s executive function curriculum designed to support student learning needs.

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