How building executive functions can support your child's motivation in school with Dr. Stephanie Carlson

Mar 25, 2024

Dr. Stephanie Carlson discusses how building executive functions can support your child's motivation in school. Topics include emotions, sleep, and early childhood development. She also offers strategies for parents to help children develop these crucial skills.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Supporting Children's Executive Function and Motivation

02:07 • 7min

Understanding Executive Functions in Children

08:57 • 5min

The Evolution of Delayed Gratification in Children

14:14 • 11min

Encouraging Future Thinking in Young Children Through Imagining Future Selves

24:55 • 3min

Fostering Executive Function Skills in Children

27:33 • 9min

The Crucial Role of Sleep and Executive Function Skills in Children and Adults

36:39 • 21min

Exploring the Measurement of Executive Function Skills and the Minnesota Executive Function Scale

57:47 • 4min

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Let's talk about executive functions and how these skills support your child's academic performance!

In today's episode, I chat with Dr. Stephanie Carlson, Tedx speaker and Distinguished McKnight University Professor in the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota. She investigates basic developmental processes in executive function in children.

If your child often gets stuck in their emotions, struggle with staying focused or struggles with getting organized or planning, this is a must-listen episode for you!

We chat about emotions, sleep (I learned that total hours of sleep isn't as important as I thought!) and how you can support your child in their early years to help them build these important skills that create the foundation of their future emotional and physical health.

Are you ready to become a reflective parent? Purchase my 100-page workbook! (send me a screenshot of your podcast review to get $10 off!)
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Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvyTiC_byOo

https://reflectionsciences.com/

https://reflectiveperformanceinc.com/

Study: Metacognitive processes and associations to executive function and motivation during a problem-solving task in 3–5 year olds
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11409-020-09244-6

Join her study!
Dr. Carlson is currently conducting a fully online research study examining the predictors of career interests in children, as EF skills might be one overlooked predictor of the topics and jobs students are drawn to in high school and beyond. To be eligible for this study, you must live in the United States, and your child must be in 4th or 8th grade in the 2023-24 school year. Families will be contacted each year for 4 years. Compensation (wide selection of gift cards) depends on level of participation and ranges from $10-$50 per year.
https://innovation.umn.edu/child-lab/research/current-projects/career-study/

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