Executive Function: A Guidebook

Executive Function Guidebook cover

Executive Function: A Guidebook

Blog Series

Strategies for the brain's conductor to make you more efficient at home, school, and work.

Navigate the Executive Function Guidebook as a blog series or fill out the form below to download the entire guidebook.

Avoiding the Dinosaur’s Dinner Table: The Case for Executive Functioning

Intro by Josh Clark, Head of Landmark School

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, once joked that in the age of dinosaurs, he would have been the first to be eaten—a clever way to highlight how success depends on adapting to one’s environment. Gates, a visionary who reshaped industries, admitted that his skills might have been useless in a different era.

I relate, particularly when it comes to executive functioning—the ability to plan, organize, execute, and regulate oneself. If survival had required mastering email organization, I’d have been doomed. The search bar is my lifeline; without it, I’d be buried under paper and endless folders.

Challenges like managing time or regulating emotions can feel overwhelming. But just as I’ve adapted my inbox quirks, others can develop the tools they need to thrive.

Landmark treats executive functioning as a set of teachable skills. Through direct instruction, modeling, and practice, our students are empowered to transform obstacles into opportunities, build on their strengths, and be prepared for the complexities of the modern world.

This guidebook dives into the world of executive functioning, showcasing strategies that equip students and adults to plan, organize, and self-regulate.

Executive functioning is key to success in an ever-changing landscape. By addressing our weaknesses and leveraging our strengths, we will adapt and grow. Gates and I might not have survived the Jurassic era, but today, we thrive—and so will our students.

The Executive Function Guidebook was compiled by representatives from Landmark School, empowering students with reading challenges, and Landmark Outreach, PD and coaching for educators.