Mindfulness is a practice of attention, and attention is critical to the work and of youth in schools.

For their part, schools are highly invested in student learning and achievement. School leaders and teachers typically assess learning and achievement outcomes in concrete and observable ways, by means of test scores, grades, acceptances into college, etc. These assessments are literally the ‘products’ of learning because they reflect the learning that has already occurred. But what are the processes that make this learning possible in the first place?

The processes can be construed as the ‘tools’ of learning, or the means by which products of learning are produced.

The mental processes or brain functions that make learning happen are called ‘executive functions’ and research on these tools of learning has increased dramatically over recent decades.

There are three main families of EFs:

1. First, Working Memory (ability to hold something in mind as it is considered, manipulated, and connected to other information as it is processed)
2. Inhibitory Control (ability to notice and manage distractions when you try to process information in working memory)
3. Cognitive Flexibility (ability to shift attention to the task at hand when emotions, impulses or distractions threaten to derail cognitive processing)

EFs are correlated with academic success or failure because they are needed for learning to occur and because they help regulate the behavior and emotions required to maintain attention. Since these functions reflect a mind that’s attentive, stable yet flexible, can mindfulness practice enhance these abilities?