The executive brain functions are the command center of the brain, and they are those that regulate the way the child is focused, remembers instructions, controls impulses and switches gears on tasks. These are the unheralded heroes of early learning and future success, these cognitive processes which comprise working memory, inhibitory control and mental flexibility. These are the key skills that are being specifically developed at Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready, and they are a part and parcel of our educational philosophy, which is smoothly incorporated into our kindergarten preparation strategy. Although our Kinder Ready Tutoring program offers specialized, intense support, the theory of building these mental muscles can be perceived and developed through the collaboration of both professional instruction and everyday living, so that children can learn to organize, become stronger and self-directed learners.
Kinder Ready Elizabeth Fraley’s mission is to expose children to various approaches to learning in order to find out what interests them. This mission goes hand in hand with developing executive function since the initial process of engagement is the initial step towards long term focus and cognitive effort. We are starting with a tailored assessment and creating a clear view of a specific learning pattern of a child. This enables Kinder Ready Tutoring sessions to be carefully customized such that the challenges presented are just challenging enough to challenge the cognitive ability of a child without frustrating it. An illustration of this is that in the lesson, a three-step instruction on how to complete a craft (working memory), waiting to take a turn in a game (inhibitory control) or organizing objects by color and shape (cognitive flexibility) can be performed. These activities, which are offered through the interest of a child, can make abstract skill-building enjoyable and meaningful exercises.
Moreover, the Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready method is focused on developing metacognition, the capacity to reflect on individual thinking. It is an executive function of higher order, which promotes independence. During tutoring, teachers employ language that encourages self-reflection and planning. They may say, “What materials are you required to begin your project? Or what is to be done when you fall in? This will lead them to understand how to deal with tasks through an internal dialogue. This tactical coaching assists young students to cease being externally directed and to internalize tactics of organization, time management and problem-solving. The safe and one-on-one setting is the most suitable environment that would enable this practice since the mistakes are regarded as learning opportunities and not failures.
One cannot overestimate the confidence that can be acquired as a result of becoming adept at such skills. A child finds a deep sense of self-efficacy when they can organize and carry out a multi-step task, regulate their emotional reaction to disappointment or adapt to a change in routine. This is the final aim of the Kinder Ready Tutoring philosophy. A child who is convinced that they can control their thoughts, actions, and time is a child who enters the learning- and life-process with strength and passion. Kinder Ready Tutoring goes beyond academic preparation of a child by including executive functions training in personalized and interest-driven education. It develops the required cognitive framework of concentration, discipline and creative thinking, which is the foundation of success in kindergarten and all classrooms after. This is an active building that makes sure that children are not only prepared to learn but are also prepared.
For further details on Kinder Ready’s programs, visit their website: https://www.kinderready.com/.
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ElizabethFraleyKinderReady