Executive Functioning & Self-regulation in Children

         As reported by our Head of Preschool to parents and faculty: 


"We were fortunate to have New York University Professor Clancy Blair give two inspiring presentations to preschool teachers and parents on his current research, which is studying the development of self-regulation in children using measures of executive functioning and stress physiology and relating these to measures of children’s temperament, adjustment to preschool, and early academic growth.  Executive functions (EFs) are aspects of cognition that are called upon when brain and behavior cannot simply run on automatic, and when one has to stop and exert effort to process information and manage behavior.  In general, EFs are aspects of cognition that are important for planning, future directed thinking, and monitoring of behavior.  Therefore, they are essential for school readiness and early school achievement.  Professor Blair’s research, and that of others in child development, has shown that EFs are better predictors of academic achievement than general intelligence."