My oldest just entered middle school. She had great habitsgoing in, but the year is early. My grade 4 kid has similar habits. We have found that a really consistent routine and expectations have worked well, and have been doing this since they were little. We actually didn’t know that it was consider ‘executive functions’ until last year. We were taught this in their Montessori programs and just kept adding.
Our kids have an agenda, they choose a book version even though I preferred on line in an electronic calendar. As soon as they find out a date or schedule of activities, they write it in their calendar for the whole year. Often schools publish their old days, and special days well in advance, and same with their other activities. I find this set up always take a lot more time I. September when everything start new. I send them or print them each schedule and ask them to put it in the calendar. I then sit down and check to make sure everything is in. This also include sleepover, camps, school concerts, ect. This first set up take us a couple of hours.
As new events come up, they are to immediately put it in their calendar, this could be birthday parties, school special lunches, whatever. Every weekend when we have a little down to wine (unusually Sunday). I have them confirm they have entered the calendar events. I also confirm that all homework and due have been entered in. I ask area as a checklist, school by subject school and extracurricular, each after school activities, and each volunteer activity.
When they get a homework project that is larger than a day or two, they are to put it in their calendar when it’s due. Then they are suppose to estimate how time they think they need to work on the assignment, and then pencil in the blocks they are to work on the assignment. This goes for other multi step activities they have to pencil the work time in around their other activities and responsibilities. I find this is really critical skill to work with them because kids (and adults) often don’t think about the time the need when the home work is due later. The kids are then suppose to adjust there work plan as they go. An example was my kid had a project they had penciled in for work time, a she doesn’t see often friend invited her over, my daughter knows that she has to reschedule her workblock before she goes to her friends house.
We have been doing this for a while, and it’s become more second nature with the kids. In beginning it’s takes a lot of steps in making sure you follow up every, and helping plan. Now, even with my younger one,it’s a lot less maintenance. Our maintenance now, is i give them e yearly schedules as I get them. They write in, I do a quick check. I do a quick check on the weekend, but they usually have gone through their on checklist. I spend the most time helping them estimate their work locks on big assignments.