Showing Flexibility: Helping Students Develop an Essential Executive Function Skill

Posted In Behaviors On March 11, 2025

In any elementary classroom, teachers encounter students who struggle with showing flexibility. Whether it’s resisting new activities, finding transitions challenging, or struggling to understand different perspectives, these behaviors often stem from an executive function skill deficit in flexibility. Showing flexibility is essential for adapting to new situations, solving problems, and navigating social interactions. Without it, students may experience frustration, difficulty with peer relationships, and decreased academic performance.

Click here to read: What is Flexibility?

Understanding the Executive Function Deficit in Flexibility

Executive function skills enable students to plan, organize, and regulate their behaviors effectively. When a student struggles with flexibility, it impacts their ability to shift thinking, adjust to unexpected changes, and see things from multiple perspectives. These challenges can manifest in various ways:

• Difficulty in Showing Flexibility to Try Something New – A student might resist engaging in an unfamiliar activity or become anxious when faced with a new learning approach.
• Struggles to Prepare for Transitions – Students may have trouble shifting from one activity to another, leading to delays and classroom disruptions.
• Difficulty Understanding Other Perspectives – A child might struggle to compromise during group activities or have conflicts with peers due to rigid thinking.

Fortunately, teaching executive function skills explicitly can empower students to become more adaptable, fostering both academic success and stronger social skills.

Executive Function Strategies to Build Flexibility in Students

Addressing executive function learning through structured interventions and engaging classroom practices can help students develop the ability to adapt. Here are three powerful strategies for showing flexibility in the classroom:

1. Gradual Exposure to New Experiences

When students resist trying something new, providing a structured approach can help ease their anxiety. Executive function instruction should include gradual exposure, starting with familiar elements before introducing new ones.

• Pair unfamiliar activities with routines students already know.
• Use positive reinforcement to encourage risk-taking.
• Incorporate choice to give students a sense of control and build student confidence.

For example, if a student hesitates to participate in a new classroom routine, start by modeling the behavior, then allow the student to practice in a low-pressure setting before expecting full participation.

2. Visual and Verbal Transition Supports

Students who struggle with transitions benefit from executive function tools that provide clear expectations. Student behavior management improves when transitions are structured and predictable.

• Use visual schedules and countdown timers to signal upcoming transitions.
• Provide verbal prompts and previews of what’s next.
• Implement transition rituals, such as a song or a stretching break, to create consistency.

By integrating executive function intervention strategies, students develop self-confidence in managing transitions effectively.

3. Perspective-Taking Exercises

To help students develop the ability to see multiple perspectives, educators can embed executive function lessons that promote empathy and critical thinking.

• Use read-alouds with diverse characters and discuss different viewpoints.
• Encourage students to role-play and act out different scenarios.
• Implement structured discussions that require students to argue both sides of a topic.

These student engagement strategies are great methods for showing flexibility, but also improve students’ social skills, helping them navigate peer interactions with greater understanding.

The Impact of Teaching Flexibility on Student Success

Developing flexibility as part of an executive function curriculum can have profound benefits on student learning. When students improve their ability to adapt, they experience:

• Increased academic performance as they become more willing to engage in problem-solving.
• Stronger social relationships due to improved perspective-taking and compromise.
• Greater emotional resilience, reducing frustration and anxiety when faced with change.

By integrating executive function strategies into daily instruction, teachers can help students overcome challenges and develop lifelong adaptability skills.

Bringing Executive Function Support to Your Classroom

Understanding and addressing executive function challenges requires the right tools and resources. Our platform provides educators with customized solutions for evaluating student behaviors and designing targeted interventions.

Showing flexibility is a critical skill that supports both academic and social development. By embedding executive function instruction into daily routines and providing structured support, teachers can empower students to navigate their learning with confidence, adaptability, and success.