Children, Self-Control and 'Executive Function'

Children, Self-Control and 'Executive Function'
Experts say there are ways to improve problems with organizational skills. Transcript of radio broadcast:
05 March 2008

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Executive function. What do you suppose that is? Mental health professionals, educators and others use this term when talking about ways that people exercise self-control. Executive function involves the skills we need to organize our lives.


Experts at the National Center for Learning Disabilities say we use executive function to study situations, plan, act and change our minds. They say problems with executive function are strongly linked to attention deficits and learning disabilities.
All of these problems can have some of the same signs -- for example, trouble with working memory.

What is working memory? This term is commonly used now in place of short-term memory. It describes the brain's ability to store recent information temporarily, but also to use and make sense of it.

Researchers say good executive function is important for success in school.

Students with poor executive function need help to organize research. They have serious trouble deciding which of two or three tasks to do first. They have difficulty changing tasks or working on one project for a long period of time.

A person might have trouble waiting and cooperating, and might say or do things even if it offends others.

Laura Berk in the psychology department at Illinois State University is an expert on the subject. She says executive function skills can be improved.

For example, Professor Berk says games of Simon Says can help young children learn to exercise self-control by NOT doing something. Children are given directions but told to follow them only when the leader begins a direction by saying "Simon says ... "

She also suggests a game called Freeze. Children dance to music until the music stops. Then they have to place their bodies in a position shown in a picture.

She says giving children a chance to use their imaginations for make-believe play can also help them develop executive function skills.

Teenagers and adults can write lists and establish ways to make sure they do important tasks. Technology can help. For example, online banking services can be set up to pay bills automatically. And alarm clocks on cell phones can remind someone when it is time to go to work or be in class.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. This was part seven in our series on learning disabilities. The series is online at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

----------------------------Google Translate

儿童自我控制和'行政职能'
专家说，有一些方法可以改善的问题，组织技能。全文电台广播：
2008年3月5日

这是美国之音特别英语教育报告。

执行功能。你有什么假设是什么？精神卫生专业人员，教育工作者和其他人使用这个词时，谈到如何人民行使自我控制。行政职能，涉及到我们需要的技术，来组织我们的生活。


专家在国家中心学习障碍说，我们利用行政职能，以学习的情况，计划，法令，并改变我们的心中。他们说，问题与行政职能，有很强的联系，注意缺陷和学习困难。
所有这些问题都可以有一些相同的迹象-例如，麻烦与工作记忆。

什么是工作记忆？这个词是常用的，现在在地方的短期记忆。它描述了脑的能力来储存最新的信息暂时的，但也可使用和理解证据。

研究人员说，良好的行政职能，是很重要的成功的学校教育。

学生与穷人的行政职能，需要帮助，以组织的研究。他们有严重的麻烦，决定哪两个或三个任务，首先要做的。他们有困难，改变任务或工作项目之一，在相当长的一段时间。

一个人可能有麻烦等候，并进行合作，并可能会说或做的事情，即使冒犯他人。

劳拉贝克在心理学系伊利诺伊州立大学是一个专家对此事的意见。她说，行政职能的技能得以提高。

举例来说，教授贝克说，游戏的西蒙说，可以帮助幼儿学会自律控制不这样做的一些事。儿童获得指示，但他告诉跟随他们只有当领导人开创了一个方向说： " Simon说… … "

她还提出了所谓的博弈冻结。儿童舞蹈音乐，直到音乐停止。然后，他们把他们的尸体在一个位置显示在一个图片。

她说，给孩子们提供一个机会，利用他们的想象力，为化妆相信玩也可以帮助他们建立行政职能的技能。

青少年和成年人也可以撰写的名单，并确定各种方式，以确保他们重要的任务之一。技术可以提供帮助。举例来说，网上银行服务，可以成立来支付帐单自动。和闹钟手机可以提醒别人时，现在是时候去工作，或者在课堂上。

这也是该美国之音特别英语教育报告书，写的南希steinbach 。这是7个部分，在我国一系列关于学习障碍。该系列是在网上voaspecialenglish.com 。我史蒂夫Ember公司。