To the Editor:
Principal Ian Knox’s thoughtful opinion essay, “Kindergartners Are Struggling With Self-Regulation. How Principals Can Respond” (July 8, 2025), centers on steps school leaders can take to respond effectively in the face of student challenges. His advice, rooted in empathy, authenticity, and logic, offers timely guidance for school leaders this school year. But to support young learners effectively, we must also bring attention to the underlying driver of self-regulation: executive function.
Most educators are likely familiar with the skills that comprise executive function, if not necessarily the name: emotional regulation, behavioral control, and cognitive flexibility. These skills are the foundation for how students navigate transitions, manage feelings, and engage with learning. When children struggle with them, we see what’s typically labeled as dysregulation: defiance (fight), avoidance (flight), or shutdowns (freeze).
Executive function is often mistaken for organization or study skills—something taught later in a student’s journey—but these skills should be part of their educational foundation in preschool and kindergarten. Children’s executive-function skills develop over time, with specific milestones at different age levels. For example, focusing on self-awareness, learning inhibitory control, following routines, and developing working memory are all important in elementary school. Early-childhood classrooms should include simple, proactive executive-function supports to foster this development. In many respects, early-childhood teachers are on the front line of this set of skills.
When we invest in executive function as a core component of early education, we create calmer classrooms, more confident students, and stronger foundations for learning. Success is achieved not only when students know what to do but also when they understand what they do.
Jeffrey Ruggiero
Associate Head of School for Academics
The Southport School
Southport, Conn.
read the opinion essay mentioned in the letter
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