Executive Function and School Readiness: Evidence-Based Assessment and Intervention in Early Childhood
Executive functioning and self-regulation are foundational to children's early learning, behavioral adjustment, and successful transition into formal schooling. School psychologists play an important role in identifying developmental strengths and needs, interpreting assessment information, and collaborating with educators and families to promote school readiness.
This eight-credit continuing education course examines executive function and school readiness through a developmental, assessment, and intervention framework. Participants explore working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, social-emotional development, language, and early academic readiness, with particular attention to the application of evidence-based practices in preschool and early elementary settings.
Course Overview
Grounded in the Institute of Education Sciences' What Works Clearinghouse practice guide, Preparing Young Children for School (2022), this course connects research-supported early learning recommendations with the professional responsibilities of school psychologists.
Participants examine developmental variations in executive functioning, approaches to early identification, methods for supporting self-regulation and cognitive development, and collaborative intervention strategies. Emphasis is placed on interpreting information from multiple sources, selecting developmentally appropriate supports, and monitoring progress across early learning domains.
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Describe the relationship between executive functions, self-regulation, and school readiness in early childhood.
- Differentiate working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility and explain their contributions to early learning and classroom functioning.
- Identify developmentally appropriate strategies for strengthening self-regulation and executive functioning in preschool and early elementary settings.
- Analyze the role of social-emotional, language, and cognitive development in children's readiness to participate in classroom learning.
- Distinguish expected developmental variation from patterns that may warrant additional assessment or targeted intervention.
- Apply evidence-based recommendations to collaborative consultation and intervention planning with educators and families.
- Select methods for monitoring children's progress across behavioral, cognitive, social-emotional, and early academic domains.
Required Reading
Preparing Young Children for School
Institute of Education Sciences (IES)
What Works Clearinghouse
U.S. Department of Education
August 2022
This free, evidence-based practice guide provides recommendations for strengthening young children's self-regulation, social-emotional development, language, early numeracy, and literacy skills.
Assigned reading: Printed pages 1–60, supplemented by course-specific instructional materials and application activities.
View Free Required Reading (PDF) →Course Format and Assessment
This asynchronous independent-study course allows participants to engage with the assigned reading, instructional content, and applied learning activities at their own pace.
Instruction emphasizes practical application of evidence-based recommendations to psychological assessment, early childhood consultation, behavioral support, and intervention planning.
Participants complete the required course components and final knowledge assessment to earn continuing education credit.
Continuing Education Credit Documentation
CE Credits Awarded: 8 hours
Course credit hours are documented using the Mergener formula as the instructional-time estimation framework for independent-study education.
The credit-hour determination document provides information about the instructional format, assigned reading, course structure, and credit calculation methodology.
View Mergener Credit-Hour Determination (PDF) →Documentation for the 8-hour independent-study continuing education course.