The early years are of great importance because of all the changes that take place - the development of motor skills, language skills, social interactions, and cognitive skills. Laying a solid foundation is key to growth and that's why it's important to address both physical and social development, as well as the development of cognitive processes. Entering school, children go through a serious transition, and the rich set of skills that is accumulated in kindergarten helps them to deal more successfully with the material and adapt to the change of environment. It is precisely in this period of preschool and primary school age that children begin to use and develop their cognitive and social skills even more actively.

What are executive functions?

Executive functions are mental processes that allow us to concentrate and maintain our attention when making a decision that does not come automatically or instinctively (Burgess & Simons, 2005). In general, these include working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility.

• Working memory helps us handle information at the moment and understand what we read or hear. It is responsible for the temporary storage and processing of the information. It is the basis of learning and cognitive flexibility.
• Suppression ability relates to the ability to suppress a dominant, automatic response when necessary.
• Attention helps us focus on relevant information and ignore distractions.
• Cognitive flexibility refers to shifting perspective, adapting to change, and changing the way we think.

Why is it important to pay attention to the level of development of executive functions?

The early years are of great importance because of all the changes that take place - the development of motor skills, language skills, social interactions, and cognitive skills. Laying a solid foundation is key to growth and that's why it's important to address both physical and social development, as well as the development of cognitive processes.

Entering school, children go through a serious transition, and the rich set of skills that is accumulated in kindergarten helps them to deal more successfully with the material and adapt to the change of environment. It is precisely in this period of preschool and primary school age that children begin to use and develop their cognitive and social skills even more actively. According to numerous studies, a critical period for achieving successful thinking strategies and knowledge acquisition is the preschool and early school years (Blair, 2002; Richland & Burchinal, 2012). Executive functions have a key role in the development of preschool children. They begin to develop already in the first year of life, but the period between 3 and 7 years is the most active.

To be successful in school or at work, a person needs creativity, flexibility, self-control and discipline. At the core of these skills are executive functions. This includes giving a considered response instead of an impulsive one, generating ideas, changing perspective, focusing on the task at hand. These skills are relevant to both the cognitive development and the social and emotional development of the individual. (Diamond, 2016)

How do executive functions help us?

• They allow us to be flexible in a constantly changing environment and to adapt to new situations, as well as suppress inappropriate behavior. They allow us to create a plan and follow it to completion.
• They help us to be able to get along with others, not to be so impulsive in our relations with them. Behavioral regulation also includes emotion regulation—these are behaviorally directed processes that change the dynamic characteristics of emotion, such as the duration and strength of the emotion. It is important for social skills.
• They support school readiness: working memory allows children in the classroom to follow the process and tasks and participate in the group process; inhibitory control allows children to raise their hand before speaking, to wait their turn.

You can support the development of executive functions through various board games suitable for your child's age, as well as through a specially prepared training program according to your child's needs.

If you and/or the teachers observe that your child is having difficulty in:

• remembering instructions
• focusing on a given task
• inhibiting a given behaviour or want

it is recommended that you seek a specialist, who can support the development of these skills.