The term executive function is familiar to researchers who study child development, but many parents and educators are probably reminded of what CEOs do in corporate offices—rather than what children develop during their critical early years of life. Click on the video below to learn about executive function and why it matters.

Executive function is the capacity to control one’s behavior and direct it toward longer-term goals. Because it is so important, Search Institute has prepared a new research brief that explains the concept in clear and actionable terms. The brief, Strengthening Executive Function in Children: Tips for Parents and Practitioners, compares the role of executive function in the brain to that of an air traffic controller who must coordinate the landing schedules of multiple planes, ensuring that everyone reaches the ground safely.

This new research brief describes how adults can easily do many things to promote the growth of executive function in children by keeping in mind the acronym SOAR:

• Support imagination
• Offer choices within limits
• Assist reflection
• Raise activity levels

To find out more about SOAR strategies and what parents can do to nurture executive function skills in children, download a free copy of Search Institute’s latest research brief, Strengthening Executive Function in Children: Tips for Parents and Practitioners.