Table of Contents

Introduction

Executive Functions and Musical Thinking

When a Child Needs Executive Function Support

Critical Thinking and Executive Function Skills

How We Look at Executive Functions in Musical Thinking

Step 1 - Teach Children How Their Brains Learn
Activity #1: The Roads Most Traveled
Activity #2: Sequencing Interests and Activities

Step 2 - Teach Children About the Main Part of Their Brains
Activity #3: The Thinker, The Caveman and Boots

Step 3 - Teach Children That Their Brains are Musical
Quarter Notes and Quick Notes
Half Notes and Slow Notes
Activity #4: Let's Count and March

Step 4 - Introduce the Love Notes
Meet Quick Rick and Slow Mo
Meet Thinkerbelle and Bess Rest
How to Introduce Them
Printable Musical Thinking Quartet Set for Children
Activity #5: Let's Read in Slow Mo
Activity #6: Let's Read in Quick Rick

Step 5 - Apply Musical Thinking to Real Life Learning
Sarah and Sir Isaac Newton
Joey and His "Oh So Difficult to Initiate" Homework
Jannelle and Her "Oh So Boring" Vocabulary Words
Activity #7: Tutorial
Activity #7: Creative Compositions

Executive Function Direct Instruction
Attention
Cueing
Approach
Organization
Motivation
Planning
Attention
Inhibition
Saliency
Inhibition: Impulse
Memory
Cognitive Flexibility
Musical Thinking Poems
Conclusion

About the Author

Lynne Kenney, Psy.D., is a mother of two, an international educator, and a pediatric psychologist in Scottsdale, AZ. Dr. Kenney is co-author with Wendy Young of Bloom: 50 things to say, think and do with anxious, angry and over-the-top-kids and author of The Family Coach Method. Her next book, 70 Play Activities For Better Thinking, Self-Regulation, Learning and Behavior will be available Fall 2016. Dr. Kenney has advanced fellowship training in forensic psychology and developmental pediatric psychology from Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School and Harbor-UCLA/UCLA Medical School. In her BrainSmarts presentations to over 4000 clinicians, parents and teachers, Dr. Kenney integrates neuroscience, kinesiology and music research to enhance executive function, social-emotional and academic skills with motor movement. Dr. Lynne's cause-related program, Play Math, helps children ages 6-12 learn their math facts with playground balls and hula-hoops for better algebraic thinking.