SLCECESCEF - Promoting Self-Regulation and Executive Functioning in Young Children - Short Course

This eight-week course will present research-based strategies for promoting self-regulation and executive functioning in young children. These domains are not only critical to children’s successful regulation of behavior, but they also impact academic growth as children learn to sustain attention and consider multiple perspectives when comprehending texts. During this short course, we will address components of the classroom environment as well as specific strategies, learning games and activities that impact the development of these skills.

Course Structure

Dates: Tuesdays, March 19-May 7, 2024

This course is considered a blended learning course with both synchronous and asynchronous components. We will meet in person 3 times, virtually (synchronous) 2 times, and there will be 3 weeks when participants will practice implementing the recommended strategies and activities in their own classrooms using materials provided. Participants will be assigned a total of 4 modules to complete via Rice University’s Canvas learning platform. Our final in-person meeting will be a sharing and celebration of teacher reflection projects.

Topics Include:

What IS executive functioning and why does it matter?
Routines and rituals to promote executive functioning and self-regulation
Games and activities to promote executive functioning and self-regulation
Signs of growth: “Hot” and “cold” executive functioning/ Assessing executive functioning
Trauma and executive functioning: Promoting healthy relationships
Putting it all together: Executive function and impact on academic skills

Schedule:

March 19, 3:30-5:30 p.m. - In person at a Houston-area early childhood center
Week of March 26 – Implementation week
April 2, 4:30-6:30 p.m. - Synchronous online session
Week of April 9 - Implementation week
April 16, 3:30-5:30 p.m. - In person at a Houston-area early childhood center
Week of April 23 - Implementation week
April 30, 4:30-6:30 p.m. - Synchronous online session
May 7, 3:30-5:30 p.m. – In-person End-of-Course celebration at Rice

Student Reflection Project

The What, Why and How of Promoting Executive Functioning in Young Children