Summer break is a time to relax, unwind, and recharge, but for many students it can also mean a
loss of structure. For those who struggle with executive functioning skills, this switch can
make it harder to stay organized, motivated, and transition back to school or work. Executive
functioning includes skills like task initiation, self-monitoring, planning, and
organization. These skills could weaken over the summer without the right management. The
overall goal is to keep these important life skills in a natural way.
Why Summer can be challenging:
Without the built-in routine of school, students may
- Have an irregular sleep schedule
- Have difficulty starting tasks
- Become easily overwhelmed when asked to complete something
- Experience increased screen time
This doesn’t mean your child is being “lazy”; it often reflects difficulty with initiation,
regulating and organization.
Summer removes the structure that many children rely on, so they may need extra support
to maintain the skills they’ve built throughout the year.
Simple ways to support your Student/Child
1. Break Tasks into Steps
- This could be as simple as taking a chore and building sequencing and planning skills into
it. Breaking tasks into smaller steps makes them less overwhelming and helps children
follow through.
2. Create a Routine
- Staying consistent with wake-up times, activities, and even meals help with sticking to
a routine.
3. Use Visual Supports
- This can include things like calendars, planners, or even checklists using sticky notes to
help children stay on track and reduce mental overload.
4. Build Predictable Anchors into the Day
- Instead of having a strict schedule to follow, use consistent times of the day such a
morning routine, a midday reset, and an evening wind-down. This can help regulate
sleep, transitions, and expectations.
5. Set Small Weekly Goals
- Having weekly goals teaches planning and prioritizing. This could include finishing a book,
learning a new recipe, or organizing your dresser. You can have your child help choose
the goal to increase motivation.
Let your child help set the goal to boost motivation.
6. Embed EF Skills Into Everyday Activities- Executive functioning can be practiced in natural settings like cooking, gardening,
packing, and even budgeting.
7. Create Healthy Technology Boundaries
- Screen time does increase over the summer, so we need to collaborate on expectations
including technology free zones during mealtimes and mornings, screen time windows
and even charging the devices outside the bedroom.
8. Practice Emotional Regulation
- Emotional regulation is closely connected with executive functioning. Summer offers
extra space to practice naming feelings, problem solving, and using coping strategies.
9. Encourage Planning Their Own Day
- You can expand this by letting your child choose daily activities, plan a family event,
manage their own morning checklist, and even build their own visual schedule.
10. Model EF Out Loud
- Modeling allows the child to hear your own trategies. Some examples include, “I’m
making a list, so I don’t forget” and “I’m setting a timer to stay focused.”
11. Use Natural Consequences
- Allow safe and small consequences to teach the child responsibility. If they forget to
bring their towel to the pool, they can air-dry.
12. Build in Downtime
- Resting is essential for executive functioning. Quiet time, unstructured play and even
boredom support problem solving and creativity.
Building Independence Over Time
- One of the most important long-term goals is helping students rely less on adult prompting
and more on their own. Independently starting to help plan a part of their day would be a
small gain which could make a big difference in the end. Summer is a great time to
gradually shift responsibility in a supportive way.
Madisyn Palenchar , B.A.
SLP Graduate Student