Executive Functioning Skills + Six Effective Study Habits

"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." 

- Maya Angelou

This week we discussed executive functioning skills and how these skills are different from mere intelligence. Taking “in” facts and remembering them is often a strength of learners who are gifted. However, acting on ideas or having “output” is a different set of skills. 

Fundamental skills related to executive functioning include:

Metacognition
Planning
Organization
Time Management
Task Initiation
Working Memory
Attention
Self-Control
Perseverance
Flexibility

Day-to-day examples of executive functioning skills include:

Taking notes
Writing down assignments and ideas
Organizing materials
Prioritizing assignments
Writing structured responses
Having a study schedule
Making a to-do list

We talked about how we have to learn these skills by breaking them down and practicing them before they are needed for difficult classes or pursuits. If a class is easy, we may be tempted to by-bass these skills, but we will need them for the future so they are important to practice! 

In order to practice the part of executive functioning that involves planning ahead and being resourceful, students were led through the following exercise.

Each student was prompted to list their top 3 goals/tasks for the day. 
-What do they need for these tasks? 
-Do they have what they need? If not, how can they be resourceful?
-Where are they at concerning completion of their daily tasks? What is going well and what can be improved? In addition, what is their week-long goal for their work? What is happening in the next two weeks that can be contributed to today?

Part 2: Six Effective Study Habits (From the Gifted Teen Survival Guide) 

This week we also discussed six popular study habits backed by research. 

1. Connect your emotions and interests to the material. It’s easy to learn about something you are innately passionate about, and it’s easier to remember things you’ve had strong emotional reactions to. Ask yourself how and why this topic matters. Can you connect your passions to the material in some way? For example, if you love math but are studying oceans for a science class, can you think about relevant connections to pique your interest? 
2. Vary content during an intense study session and take mini-breaks (like walks). Consider intense sessions of 20 minutes focused on a specific skill. As a guitar player this would look like 20 minutes practicing scales, 20 minutes practicing chord switches, 20 minutes playing through other people’s songs related to these micro-skills. For math, this could look like 20 minutes of drilling formulas, 20 minutes of word problems, 20 minutes of theory.
3. Have multiple locations where you are comfortable learning. Studies show we retain more information when we change up our setting. When the outer environment is novel (even just changing from your bedroom to the kitchen) our senses are heightened and this plays a role in memory. If possible, aim for three locations in your home where you are comfortable studying.*If you can’t move around much, alter features in your existing location (the lighting, the artwork, the direction you face, and the place you sit). Be creative with changing it up in minor ways.
4. Try not to study at the last minute. It’s the same reason most people don’t eat all the food they need for one day in one sitting. Consume over time, like grazing and your mind will thank you. Perceive a far off test and create a spaced out study schedule for it.
5. Vary your methods of input (visual, auditory, verbal, kinetic) even if you have preferred methods for learning (for example, a liking for physical reading over audio books or vice-versa). Content shows up in the world in a variety of different ways. Train yourself to encode information in various formats. Act it out. Write about it. Listen. Change it up.
6. Practice tests are your friend. Putting your knowledge to the test frequently (such as finding a way to “test” yourself in low-key situations) should become a habit in your studying practice. This aids your memory retrieval. Make sure to challenge yourself with hard material. 

SMART Goals Acronym:

S - Specific

M - Measurable

A - Attainable and/or Achievable

R - Realistic and/or Relevant

T- Time Bound

Optional journal questions:

1. Which one of the study tips comes most naturally to you? Which one is an area of need?
2. Which one of the study tips do you think is most useful for a difficult class? Which one seems arbitrary?
3. Which one of the SMART goal letters comes most naturally to you? Which one is an area of need?