In traditional American education, there has long been a “middle school mandate” for workforce readiness. The prevailing logic suggests that once students reach the cusp of adolescence, we should begin equipping them with the skills necessary for the professional world.
Waiting until middle school to focus on these abilities is a mistake, says Ellen Galinsky, president of Families and Work Institute and author of The Breakthrough Years and Mind in the Making.
Galinsky’s extensive research in this area has proven that to prepare students for an unknown, rapidly evolving workforce, parents and educators need to shift their focus to include the early development of executive functioning skills—the neurocognitive processes that allow us to manage ourselves and our resources to achieve goals.
Developing these skills in early childhood isn’t just about better classroom behavior, but builds the foundation for lifelong career success.
What is “Executive Functioning”?
Executive function is a suite of four core cognitive processes or what she called the New Basics:
- Working Memory: The ability to hold information in mind and mentally work with it.
- Cognitive Flexibility: The ability to switch perspectives or focus and adjust to changed demands or priorities.
- Inhibitory Control (Self-Control): The ability to resist impulses and stay focused on a task despite distractions.
- Reflection: This capacity involves pausing, stepping back and considering alternatives before acting.
“These are attention-regulation skills,” Galinsky explains. “What we pay attention to, what we focus on, is what we learn. They are the skills that underlie all intentional learning and well-being. These are the skills that underlie learning to read and to do math as well as the skills that you use to handle challenges when something gets tough.”
The Early Start Advantage
The push to start executive functioning development in preschool and early elementary years is rooted in biology, Galinsky says. This is a sensitive period during which the neural connections for executive functions are being wired.
“If you really want children to have these skills, you have to start in the early years,” she says. “Two, three, four, five… these are the ages of huge brain plasticity when the connections among various parts of the brain are being formed and the skills learned can be more lasting.”
By the time a student reaches middle school, their cognitive habits are becoming more ingrained. While Galinsky emphasizes adolescence is another sensitive period for strengthening these skills and that it is “never too late” to learn them, building the foundation early ensures that when students face the high-pressure environments of modern careers, they aren’t struggling to build the engine while already driving the car.
Translating Classroom Skills to the Boardroom
Galinsky notes that in the modern workforce, technical knowledge has a shorter shelf life than ever. The ability to learn, unlearn, and relearn is the ultimate competitive advantage.
“I know from years of working with companies and surveys are increasingly showing that employers look for kids who can communicate, solve problems, and work in teams much more than they look at grade point averages,” Galinsky says. Executive functioning skills are the cognitive building blocks for the real skills that power high-level professional competencies. Some examples:
- Perspective Taking: Built on cognitive flexibility, this allows a salesperson to understand a client’s needs or a manager to resolve a conflict.
- Critical Thinking: Built on working memory and reflection, this allows an analyst to see patterns in data rather than just repeating facts.
- Collaboration: Built on inhibitory control, this allows a team member to listen to others’ ideas instead of just “blurting out the first thing in their mind.”
The Power of Reflection: “The Active Ingredient”
One of the most practical takeaways from Galinsky’s research is the role of reflection. In a rapid-paced society, we often prioritize checking boxes over meaningful integration. Galinsky sees reflection as the “active ingredient that makes all of the skills work together.”
For a math teacher, this might mean moving away from “right vs. wrong” and asking a student, “How did you remember that formula?” or “Why did you make that error and what can you learn from this mistake?”
This metacognition—thinking about one’s own thinking—is what separates a worker who follows instructions from a worker who innovates.
Real Skills for Real Life
The AASA (The School Superintendents Association) has recognized the importance of focusing on executive functioning by making “Real Skills for Real Life” one of its five Public Education Promise pillars for transforming public education. Galinsky is currently working with the organization to launch a curriculum for educators that spans from birth through age 18, ensuring that these neurocognitive muscles are exercised throughout a student’s entire journey.
“Executive functioning is the most important asset we have,” Galinsky says. “It has to be reinforced throughout our lifetimes. Nothing is a vaccine forever, but starting in the early years will make a significant difference to kids’ academic success and to their positive mental health”.