Your working memory, cognitive flexibility, and self-regulation are core components of executive function (EF), an interrelated set of mental skills that lay the foundation for advanced cognitive ...

Executive function is the mechanism by which our brains manage and prioritize our thoughts, working memory, emotions and actions; Harvard researchers call it our brain’s air traffic control system.

Vulnerability causes people to do some interesting things. For preteens, it often manifests into cutthroat judgment and meanness as defense mechanisms. If you look stupid, then I won’t. Couple that ...

Principal Ian Knox’s thoughtful opinion essay, “Kindergartners Are Struggling With Self-Regulation. How Principals Can Respond ” (July 8, 2025), centers on steps school leaders can take to respond ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I cover Mental Wellness for Adolescents and Adults. Executive functioning skills are your child’s mental control center, ...

Executive function — the term for critical mental skills like organization, focus, time management and emotional regulation — help all of us navigate our daily lives. People with ADHD are much more ...

Reading involves the skill of decoding written words into meaning. The first step, decoding, is the process of teaching children how to connect symbols with sounds. In layman’s terms, this is ...

Conditions like A.D.H.D. and autism can make starting and completing tasks feel impossible, but experts say there are workarounds. By Christina Caron The pomodoro technique. Power poses. Planners.

Going to school helps children learn how to read and solve math problems, but it also appears to upgrade the fundamental operating system of their brains. A new analysis suggests that the structured ...