Executive Function in Action: Translating Research into Strategic, Independent Learning
Presented by Director of Cognition and Learning Dr. Kristin Simmers
About the Session
Executive function plays a critical role in how students access instruction, apply what they know, and become increasingly independent learners. This advanced certificate session examines executive function through the lens of dyslexia and complex learning profiles, connecting current research with explicit, practical instructional approaches. Participants will explore how working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, planning, organization, self-monitoring, and emotional and behavioral regulation interact with reading and learning, particularly for students with dyslexia and co-occurring language-based learning differences.
Moving beyond traditional study-skills approaches, the session will demonstrate how educators can explicitly teach executive function, use intentional teacher language to support metacognition, and embed EF supports within structured literacy and other academic instruction. Classroom examples will illustrate how teachers can help students plan, monitor, reflect, and flexibly apply strategies while gradually shifting responsibility from the educator to the learner.
Participants will leave with an evidence-informed framework and practical strategies for creating learning environments that support student agency, strategic thinking, and meaningful independence.
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