About the Book
Ensure every child thrives during the critical early years of learning
Every day in primary classrooms, teachers navigate a familiar challenge: Some learners seem naturally ready for school routines while others struggle to follow directions, stay organized, or manage their impulses. The difference often isn′t about a student’s ability or behavior—it′s about executive functions, the cognitive processes that promote attention, memory, and adaptability.
Executive Functions for Every K–3 Classroom provides the knowledge and practical strategies teachers need to support all children in developing these critical skills. The authors translate complex research into actionable classroom practices, showing you how to create learning environments where working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility flourish. This book completes the K–12 series, alongside Mitch Weathers′s bestselling Executive Functions for Every Classroom, Grades 3–12.
What makes this book essential:
- Research-backed strategies that translate complex cognitive science into simple, actionable classroom practices
- Real classroom scenarios showing how executive function challenges play out in daily learning and demonstrating practical solutions that work
- Practical suggestions to reduce interference and increase automaticity, helping all students access learning more effectively
- Embedded implementation that fits seamlessly into your existing routines and instruction without adding extra work
Research shows that strong executive functions in the early years help close opportunity gaps, leading to better academic outcomes and improved reading and math skills. Whether you′re assisting a kindergartner learning to unpack their backpack independently or supporting a third grader through multi-step problem-solving, this book provides the foundation you need to build self-regulated learners who are truly ready for school and beyond.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Understanding Executive Functions
Chapter 2: Executive Function Challenges
Chapter 3: Supporting EFs
Chapter 4: Establishing Targeted Routines
Chapter 5: Implementing Strategic Instruction
Chapter 6: Creating Supportive Environments
Chapter 7: Awareness and Empowerment
About the Author :
Mitch Weathers is a teacher, founder of Organized Binder, Inc. and author of the best selling book, Executive Functions for Every Classroom: Creating Safe and Predictable Learning Environments - Grades 3-12. Together with the Organized Binder team, Mitch works with K-12 schools and colleges in the US and internationally to equip students with executive functioning skills. When he is not working with schools, you can find him running trails training for his next ultramarathon. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Northern California.
Dr. Sarah Oberle is a seasoned educator with extensive experience in primary education. She holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership with a specialization in Cognitive Science, bringing together deep expertise in both teaching and learning. Passionate about bridging research and practice, Dr. Oberle focuses on translating insights from the science of learning into accessible, practical strategies that enhance classroom instruction and student success.
An active member of several educational boards and committees, she works alongside educators and policymakers to promote evidence-informed decision-making and meaningful, sustainable improvement in education. Beyond her classroom experience, Dr. Oberle has designed and led professional learning programs that empower teachers to apply knowledge of how learning happens to their own practice.
She lives in Chester County, Pennsylvania, with her husband and two daughters.
Review :
"It is rare to find learning science books focused on primary students. Rarer still is to find learning sciences books that are highly practical and fun to read. Weathers and Oberle have hit the trifecta with this work. This book should be on the shelf of every teacher who works with younger children (and, dare I say, every parent with younger children)."
"How can insights into core executive functions—working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility—help teachers support every student’s learning and self-regulation? Oberle and Weathers blend research, classroom experience, and spot-on anecdotes to clarify this crucial but misunderstood dimension of K-3 teaching."
"This book is a gem and deserves to be on every K-3 teacher’s desk. Oberle and Weathers identify the developmental skills, structures, and strategies that lead to success for all. They point out ′Many actions that appear as misbehavior, off-task tendencies, or academic struggle may be better understood as symptoms of still-developing executive functions…It’s important for educators to view these differences through a developmental lens rather than a deficit one.′ When the authors discuss what is needed to support executive functions, rather than turning to the latest shiny object or program, they recommend that teachers focus instruction on ′modifying how you present learning and keep students engaged, an area completely within your sphere of influence.′ Best yet, Oberle and Weathers provide examples, diagrams, anecdotes, and explanations that take us from insight to action at every step of the way."
"Simply put, this book belongs in the hands of every elementary school teacher. The information and lessons presented are so valuable for growing students′ abilities to learn successfully. There is no other book that so eloquently and effectively discusses the topic of executive functioning in our youngest learners. What a goldmine for elementary teachers to have this succinct text to help them better understand and assist their students."
"Of all the books I’ve read on the Science of Reading and the Science of Learning over the past five years, Executive Functions for Every K-3 Classroom truly rises above the rest! Teachers hear the term executive functions often, yet few resources explain so clearly what it means for students, how it impacts learning, and, most importantly, how to support learners who struggle in this area. Whether you’re a classroom teacher, a special education specialist, or a school administrator, this book will be an invaluable addition to your professional learning library."
"This text is the long-overdue breath of fresh air teachers didn’t realize they were waiting for. The authors draw on their own classroom experiences to respectfully tap into teachers’ prior implicit knowledge about working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility. They then provide helpful frameworks to understand, anticipate, and respond to executive function challenges in the classroom context. Teachers will not need to make big conceptual leaps from the pages of this book to their own classrooms. The authors ′talk the talk and walk the walk,′ marrying theory and practice in ways that will be transformative for teachers at all stages of their careers."
"This book is absolutely brilliant, an instant modern classic in the field of education. It is simply one of the best books I′ve read to support teachers in the classroom. It focuses on a subject that is relevant to all, explained with clarity and concrete examples. Sarah and Mitch are the perfect pairing; each bringing their own experiences and expertise to each page. I can confidently recommend this book to educators regardless of the stage of their career they find themselves in, as there truly will be sage advice and practical takeaways for every educator."
"This book provides an accessible and critical resource for teachers. It showcases the importance of executive functions as the capacities that orchestrate successful learning. Mitch and Sarah′s book skillfully integrates cognitive science principles, focusing on structuring routines, instruction, and environments to preserve your students′ precious cognitive loads. If you are a K-3 educator, use this book to effectively reduce ′interference′ and increase ′automaticity′ in your classroom!"
