The Executive Function Guidebook: Strategies to Help All Students Achieve Success

Teach some of the most important skills your students will ever need!  "Please, try harder." "Please, pay attention." "Please, behave." Most students want to do what it takes to succeed, but sometimes that’s easier said than done. Executive function skills such as self-regulation, focus, planning, and time management must be taught, and they take practice. When you work on them in class, you give students the tools they need to not only learn but also monitor themselves.   Teaching executive function skills in your classroom doesn’t have to be difficult. This unique guidebook—designed with busy teachers in mind—introduces a flexible seven-step model that incorporates Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and the use of metacognition. Features include Descriptions of each skill and its impact on learning Examples of instructional steps to assist students as they set goals and work to achieve success. Strategies coded by competency and age/grade level Authentic snapshots and "think about" sections Templates for personalized goal-setting, data collection, and success plans Accompanying strategy cards Whether you teach kindergarten, high school, or anything in between, you can make executive function training part of your teaching. As students’ proficiencies improve, you will see their confidence and capability increase—setting the stage for their success in school and in life.  

Table of Contents:
Introduction Chapter 1 Reader Outcomes What Is Executive Functioning (EF)? How do ALL Students Benefit from Executive Function Skill Training? Executive Function Skills Training Assessment What Is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)? Metacognition Considering Executive Functions, Metacognition, UDL and Learning Supportive Technologies The 7-Step Model for Executive Function Skills Training Examining Each of the 7-Steps in Detail Conclusion What Happens Then? Think About Chapter 2 - Working Memeory Reader Outcomes What is Working Memory? What Does a Deficit Look Like? How Does a Difficulty in this EF Area Impact Student Achievement? Supportive Technology Supportive Strategies With Cards Case Study: Amanda The 7-Step Model Summary, What Happens Then?, and Practice Chapter 3 Prioritizing, Organizing, Sequencing, Managing Time, and Planning Reader Outcomes What is Prioritizing, Organizing, Sequencing, Managing Time, and Planning? What Does a Deficit Look Like? How Does a Difficulty in this EF Area Impact Student Achievement? Supportive Technologies Supportive Strategies With Cards for Prioritizing, Organizing, Sequencing, Managing Time, and Planning Case Study: Amanda The 7-Step Model Summary, What Happens Then?, and Practice Chapter 4 - Attending, Initiating, and Focusing Reader Outcomes What is Attending, Initiating, and Focusing? What Does a Deficit Look Like? How Does a Difficulty in this EF Area Impact Student Achievement? Supportive Technologies Supportive Strategies With Cards for Attending, Initiating, and Focusing Case Study: Carlos The 7-Step Model Summary, What Happens Then?, and Practice Chapter 5 - Social/Emotional and Inhibiting Reader Outcomes What is Social/Emotional and Inhibiting? What Does a Deficit Look Like? How Does a Difficulty in this EF Area Impact Student Achievement? Supportive Technologies Supportive Strategies With Cards for Social/Emotional and Inhibiting Case Study: Carlos The 7-Step Model Summary, What Happens Then?, and Practice Chapter 6 - Communicating and Cognitive Flexibility/Shifting Reader Outcomes What is Communicating and Cognitive Flexibility/Shifting? What Does a Deficit Look Like? How Does a Difficulty in this EF Area Impact Student Achievement? Supportive Technologies Supportive Strategies With Cards for Communicating and Cognitive Flexibility/Shifting Case Study: Amanda The 7-Step Model Summary, What Happens Then?, and Practice Chapter 7 - Special Considerations Involving Executive Functions Early Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Homework

About the Author :
Dr. Roberta Atha Strosnider, Professor Emerita in Special Education, Towson University, Towson, MD currently works as an educational consultant in the areas of executive functioning, learning disabilities, and teacher preparation.  Roberta and Val co-founded Project Boost, a program to help students use metacognitive strategies to boost their executive function skills.  They wrote and co-taught a curriculum that provides executive function skill training for students K-12 by building skills through a 7-Step Model. This model, described in The Executive Function Guidebook: Strategies to Help All Students Achieve Success, was co-authored by the pair and published by Corwin in 2019.  The pair has trained teachers (preservice and in service) and administrators throughout the world to use the program. They currently co-direct the Institute on Executive Functioning to provide teachers methods, including the use of metacognitive strategies, to improve their students’ executive function growth. As Co-Directors of the Institute on Executive Functioning, they provide face to face and online trainings, author instructional videos and develop instructional materials to assist in executive function skill training.   Roberta graduated from Fairmont State University with a major in Secondary Education, and in 2017 she was a recipient of an Alumna of Achievement Award from that institution for her achievements in special education.  She earned her master’s degree in Special Education from West Virginia University and her doctorate in Special Education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.  While working in P-12 schools, Roberta taught in both general and special education classes and served in administrative roles. She also taught undergraduate and graduate courses in teacher preparation and held leadership roles at Hood College, Fredrick, MD and Towson University, Towson, MD. While at Hood College, Roberta received a fellowship to study HIV Prevention Education for Students with Disabilities and was chosen as a national trainer for the Co-Teaching HIV Prevention Program sponsored by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).  At Towson University, Roberta directed an off-campus teacher preparation program in special and general education and received the Teacher Education Division (TED) of CEC Nasim Dil Award for her service to Special Education Teacher Preparation. She serves her profession as a reviewer and auditor of special education teacher education program reports for the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).  In addition, she has made contributions to the field through publications, presentations, and grants. She also served as a consultant to the Maryland State Department of Education preparing materials and online resources to provide professional development to teachers. During her career, Roberta has been and continues to be active in advocacy efforts for students with disabilities having served as a board member and advocate for several organizations.  Her leadership with the Frederick County, MD Arc Board was recognized with the STAR Award from the Arc. The Council for Learning Disabilities (CLD) awarded her the Floyd G. Hudson Award for her contributions to the field of learning disabilities, and her high school named her to the Bridgeport High School Hall of Fame for her advocacy for students with disabilities. She currently serves as a representative from CLD to other public policy groups such as the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities, a group of organizations committed to the education and welfare of individuals with learning disabilities. Valerie Saxton Sharpe currently works as an educational consultant in the areas of cognitive disabilities, executive functioning, and teacher preparation.  Val and Roberta co-founded Project Boost, a program to help students use metacognitive strategies to boost their executive function skills.  They wrote and co-taught a curriculum that provides executive function skill training for students K-12 by building skills through a 7-Step Model. This model, described in The Executive Function Guidebook: Strategies to Help All Students Achieve Success, was co-authored by the pair and published by Corwin in 2019.  The pair has trained teachers (preservice and in service) and administrators throughout the world to use the program. They currently co-direct the Institute on Executive Functioning to provide teachers methods, including the use of metacognitive strategies, to improve their students’ executive function growth. As Co-Directors of the Institute on Executive Functioning, they provide face to face and online trainings, author instructional videos and develop instructional materials to assist in executive function skill training.  Val’s career path started as a special education teacher for a large Maryland school system teaching students with learning disabilities and cognitive impairments. As an administrator, she chaired the Special Education department in a comprehensive high school setting. Lastly, as an instructional specialist, she supervised and provided teacher training. Following her career in teaching and supervision, Val prepared teachers at both Hood College and Towson University. While at Hood College, she played an integral role in the development of an assessment system to measure teacher candidate performance used for program review, reform and for accreditation purposes. As program coordinator for Towson University Elementary Education/Special Education at the Universities at Shady Grove she was known for her innovative methodology used in the preparation of teacher candidates to teach ALL students. Val was instrumental in providing teacher candidates opportunities to gain knowledge and skills in universal design, differentiated instruction, and executive function skills. She developed new Professional Development Schools (PDS) partnerships with the local school system, secured grant funding for the design and implementation of unique teacher preparation projects, wrote manuals addressing co-teaching and mentoring, and presented at PDS conferences. In 2021, Val received the Distinguished Alumna Award from Hood College for her work in the field of Special Education. For her outstanding work at Towson University, Val was awarded the Gloria E. Neubert Excellence in Teaching Award, The Universities at Shady Grove Teaching Award and the Universities at Shady Grove Campus Program Director of the Year Award. She was appointed by the governor of Maryland to serve on the Maryland Professional Standards Teacher Education Board. Val also served as an invited member of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Elementary Education Praxis II test development team. An advocate for students with disabilities, Val has served as a national and state officer for the Council for Exceptional Children and its Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities (DADD). For her work with DADD, she received the Special Recognition Award. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Trustees for Service Coordination of Frederick County that assists individuals with developmental disabilities to obtain services. As a member of this Board, Val supported the implementation of transition and employment services for individuals with disabilities in Maryland.

Review :
"As an administrator who works with students who have a variety of emotional and behavioral issues, understanding executive functioning is an important part of reaching some of my toughest students. We cannot always assume that the inside and outside of a student are working in sync. This book offers a lot of insight to students’ difficulties with day-to-day tasks and provides easy-to-implement strategies." "The Executive Function Guidebook addresses specific tasks that are problematic for students and that often lead to behaviors, frustrations, meltdowns, and a sense of failure. The authors offer practical steps and tips for general and special educators and provide curricular tools such as strategy cards, illustrations, and data collection forms (to name just a few), making this book a  complete package that will encourage teachers to address the needs of their students."  "The authors have designed a clear, multi-step approach for teaching executive function skills that is based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL), so that educators can integrate the strategies into their typical instruction with ease. The inclusion of case studies and checklists provides a roadmap for effective implementation." "I struggle with helping my students be successful in class. There are always students who lack focus, don’t turn in their homework, or have trouble writing. They shut down, and it becomes a struggle to get them to move toward success. The Executive Function Guidebook destroys those barriers, making struggles manageable. and allowing for success for each individual learner. Students will learn to focus through clear strategies and metacognition. Homework will be completed and turned in because students will be given the tools they need to be successful. They will be in charge of their learning and success."