Executive Functions Skill: Metacognition

Executive functions (EF) skills are skills required to help perform or accomplish everyday life tasks.  These skills are controlled by the frontal lobe of the brain just behind the forehead.  The frontal lobes are the last areas of the brain to fully develop. Executive functions skills begin to develop in infancy and continue to mature into early adulthood.

Metacognition is the executive functions skill that helps you “think about your thinking” and “learn about your learning”.  It is the ability to self-monitor when performing a task (e.g., doing a math problem, cleaning up after yourself, learning something new).

We can help our teens strengthen their executive functions skill of metacognition by using the following strategy, THINK:

Talk to yourself
“How am I doing?”, “What did I learn?”
Involve yourself in your learning
Notice how you learn best
Keep track of what works and use it

Repeat process or proceed to next challenge that needs to be addressed and help the ADHD teen in your life THINK.