Preschoolers’ executive functions are inevitable in life and come handy in tackling difficult circumstances.
Prof Jelena Obradovic of Stanford Graduate School of Education, the overseer of the study of rural Pakistani children, further asserted that the research they undertook was instrumental in bridging the gap of understanding executive functions of preschoolers from disadvantaged places.
He also claimed that they should be developed maximally as they instigate successful school engagement and transition.
The development of preschoolers’ executive functions helps enable them to regulate their emotions, behaviors, and attention whenever they are faced with stressful situations. As a result, this propels success in the classroom.
Factors contributing to preschoolers’ executive functions
According to a new study overseen by Professor Jelena Obradovic of Stanford Graduate School of Education, several factors are pivotal in promoting preschoolers’ executive functions.
He also directs Stanford’s SPARK Lab whose mandate is researching the effect of adversity on children’s well-being and learning.
This is the scenario, especially for those from areas with high malnutrition, poverty, and infectious disease rates.
Prof Obradovic noted that executive function abilities are crucial for children who are at risk. Nevertheless, the development of these skills is deterred by several stressors.
He asserted that those factors that support the establishment of these capabilities in a disadvantaged and rural context should be supported through innovative design interventions.
The study examined preschoolers from rural Pakistan and concluded that some of the factors instigating their executive functions included their height, early parenting interventions, and the number of older siblings.
Preschoolers’ executive functions crucial
Prof Obradovic proclaimed that the study was chosen based on the importance of executive functions when it comes to promoting resilience and adaptation.
Executive functions are vital as they equip children with the capacity to ignore distractions, control impulses, and recall relevant information, among others.
Research conducted in high-income nations has revealed that strong executive functions in children can be linked to lower emotional and behavioral challenges, high school engagement, and elevated academic skills.
On the other hand, Richard Ryan, one of the most cited researchers when it comes to human behavior, believes that if a child insists too much for the screen time, sit with them, explain to them how they are losing their precious time, where they could be playing or swimming with their friends.
