Spotlight: College Fair at Westport Day School!

In a recent event dated March 21st, 2024 hosted by school educators and led by Dr. Dawn Matera, the Westport Day School took center stage in championing personalized learning through executive function.

Dr. Matera, a renowned advocate for educational innovation, highlighted the importance of tailoring education to individual needs, emphasizing executive function as a key factor in student success.

The event, featured in both IBTimes and USA Today, showcased Westport Day School's commitment to holistic education, ensuring students receive personalized support to thrive academically and personally. Through innovative approaches and a focus on executive function, Westport Day School is redefining education and paving the way for student excellence! 

Websites to Explore

• Understood - Executive Functioning Issues: Understood.org offers comprehensive information and resources on executive functioning issues, including articles, tips for parents and educators, and strategies for supporting individuals with executive function challenges.

  🔗 Understood - Executive Functioning Issues

• National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) - Executive Function: NCLD provides valuable resources and articles on understanding executive function, including its role in learning and strategies for improving executive function skills.

  🔗 NCLD - Executive Function

• Child Mind Institute - Executive Functioning: The Child Mind Institute offers insights into executive function, including articles, guides, and practical tips for parents, educators, and individuals with executive function challenges.

  🔗 Child Mind Institute - Executive Functioning

• ADDitude - Understanding Executive Function Deficits: ADDitude magazine provides in-depth articles and resources on understanding and managing executive function deficits in children, adolescents, and adults with ADHD and related conditions.

  🔗 ADDitude - Understanding Executive Function Deficits

• Harvard University Center on the Developing Child - Executive Function & Self-Regulation: The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University offers research-based insights into executive function and self-regulation, including interactive resources and videos explaining the science behind executive function.

  🔗 Harvard University Center on the Developing Child - Executive Function & Self-Regulation

• American Psychological Association (APA) - Executive Function: The APA provides articles and resources on executive function, covering topics such as assessment, development, and intervention strategies.

  🔗 APA - Executive Function

• LD Online - Executive Functioning: LD Online offers articles, webinars, and resources specifically addressing executive functioning difficulties in individuals with learning disabilities and ADHD.

  🔗 LD Online - Executive Functioning

• Center for Parent Information and Resources - Executive Functioning: This resource hub offers information and strategies for parents of children with disabilities, including articles and resources on understanding and supporting executive function development.

  🔗 Center for Parent Information and Resources - Executive Functioning

Book Recommendations

The following books provide valuable insights and practical guidance for high school students looking to enhance their executive function skills, whether they face challenges related to ADHD, organization, time management, or general executive function difficulties.

• Smart but Scattered Teens: The Executive Skills Program for Helping Teens Reach Their Potential" by Richard Guare, Peg Dawson, and Colin Guare: This book offers practical strategies and tools to help teenagers improve their executive function skills, such as organization, time management, planning, and self-control. It provides guidance for both teens and their parents or educators.

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• "The Executive Functioning Workbook for Teens: Help for Unprepared, Late, and Scattered Teens" by Sharon A. Hansen MSE NBCT: This workbook provides exercises, activities, and tips designed to strengthen executive function skills in high school students. It covers areas such as goal setting, prioritization, task initiation, and emotional regulation.

      🔗 Book Link

• "The ADHD Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Gain Motivation and Confidence" by Lara Honos-Webb PhD: While specifically targeting teens with ADHD, this workbook offers practical strategies and exercises to improve executive function skills, including attention, organization, and time management. It includes interactive activities and reflection prompts.

      🔗 Book Link 

• "Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents" by Russell A. Barkley PhD: Although written for parents, this book contains valuable information and strategies for teenagers with ADHD to develop their executive function skills. It covers topics such as understanding ADHD, managing behavior, improving organization, and enhancing academic performance.

      🔗 Book Link

• "Late, Lost, and Unprepared: A Parents' Guide to Helping Children with Executive Functioning" by Joyce Cooper-Kahn and Laurie Dietzel: This book offers practical advice and strategies for parents to support their teenagers with executive function challenges. It addresses common difficulties such as forgetfulness, procrastination, and disorganization, providing tools for building independence and success.

     🔗 Book Link

• "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie: This classic book offers timeless advice on interpersonal skills, communication, and building successful relationships, which are essential for success in any vocational field.

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• "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol S. Dweck: Dweck's book explores the concept of mindset and how having a growth mindset can impact one's ability to learn, adapt, and succeed in any endeavor, including vocational pursuits.

     🔗 Book Link 

• "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change" by Stephen R. Covey: Covey's book offers practical principles for personal and professional effectiveness, focusing on habits that can help individuals achieve their goals and navigate their vocational paths with purpose and effectiveness.

     🔗 Book Link

• "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth: Duckworth explores the concept of grit—the combination of passion and perseverance—and how it can predict success in various fields, including vocational pursuits. This book offers insights into building resilience and sticking with long-term goals.

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• "Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action" by Simon Sinek: Sinek's book examines the importance of purpose and vision in driving individual and organizational success. Understanding one's "why" can provide vocational learners with clarity and motivation as they pursue their career paths.

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• "The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload" by Daniel J. Levitin: This book explores the science behind organization and offers practical strategies for managing information overload, improving decision-making, and enhancing productivity. Levitin provides insights into how the brain processes information and offers actionable tips for organizing tasks, time, and space.

     🔗 Book Link 

• "Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity" by David Allen: David Allen's productivity system, known as GTD (Getting Things Done), is widely regarded as a transformative approach to organization and time management. In this book, Allen presents his methodology for capturing, clarifying, organizing, and executing tasks, helping readers achieve stress-free productivity.

     🔗 Book Link

• "Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones" by James Clear: While not explicitly about executive function, this book provides valuable insights into habit formation, which is closely tied to organization and productivity. James Clear presents practical strategies for building positive habits, breaking bad ones, and implementing small changes that lead to significant improvements in daily routines.

     🔗 Book Link

• "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business" by Charles Duhigg: Similar to "Atomic Habits," this book delves into the science of habit formation and its impact on individual behavior. Charles Duhigg explores the neurological mechanisms behind habits and provides insights into how habits can be changed to improve productivity, effectiveness, and overall well-being.

    🔗 Book Link 

• "Organize Tomorrow Today: 8 Ways to Retrain Your Mind to Optimize Performance at Work and in Life" by Jason Selk, Tom Bartow, and Matthew Rudy: This book offers practical strategies and techniques for improving organization, productivity, and performance. The authors provide actionable steps for setting goals, managing time effectively, and developing routines that lead to long-term success.

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Apps & Technology Resources

This list is designed to aid in organization and executive function. These apps offer various features and approaches to organization and executive function, so you can choose the ones that best suit your needs and preferences.

• Todoist: A popular task management app that helps you organize tasks, set deadlines, and prioritize your to-do list across various platforms.

      🔗 Check here!

• Evernote: A versatile note-taking app that allows you to capture ideas, create to-do lists, save web articles, and organize documents in one place.

     🔗 Check here!

• Trello: A visual collaboration tool that uses boards, lists, and cards to help you organize and prioritize your projects and tasks in a flexible and easy-to-use interface.

    🔗 Check here!

• Notion: A comprehensive workspace app that combines note-taking, task management, and database functionalities to help you organize and manage your personal and professional life.

     🔗 Check here!

• Microsoft OneNote: A digital notebook that allows you to capture and organize notes, ideas, and information across different devices, with features like handwriting recognition and audio recording.

     🔗 Check here!

• Asana: A project management tool that enables teams to organize tasks, track work progress, and collaborate effectively on projects of any size.

     🔗 Check here!

• Google Keep: A simple yet powerful note-taking app that lets you capture thoughts, create to-do lists, set reminders, and collaborate with others in real-time.

     🔗 Check here!

• Forest: A productivity app that uses gamification to help you stay focused and manage distractions by planting virtual trees while you work and gradually growing a forest.

     🔗 Check here!

• MindNode: A mind mapping app that allows you to visually organize your thoughts, brainstorm ideas, and plan projects in a hierarchical structure.

     🔗 Check here!

• Focus@Will: A music streaming service that provides personalized playlists scientifically designed to enhance focus, productivity, and concentration based on your preferences and work style.

     🔗 Check here!