Executive Functioning Skills Student Workbook – Middle School (Grades 6–8): Plan, Focus, Follow Through

What Is the Executive Functioning Skills Workbook for Middle School?

Executive Functioning Skills: Plan, Focus, Follow Through is a 113-page student workbook from Future Ready Education for middle school students in grades 6–8 (ages 11–14). It builds the organization, planning and self-management skills students need as they juggle multiple teachers, bigger assignments and more independence. Across 7 chapters and 47 hands-on activities, students organize their backpacks and digital folders, plan their week, beat procrastination, find what helps them focus, understand what motivates them, study with proven strategies, set and track goals, and learn money basics like saving and budgeting. A pre-assessment and post-assessment show their growth. The workbook builds the durable skills in your district’s Portrait of a Graduate.

Why Do Teachers and Parents Choose This Executive Functioning Workbook?

• Student-ready: written directly for middle schoolers, so students can work through it in class, with a coach or on their own
• Substantial content: 113 pages, 7 chapters and 47 hands-on activities
• Practical organization: backpack and binder makeovers, digital folders, routine builders and weekly planners
• Proven study strategies: retrieval practice, spaced practice, chunking, mind maps and study guides
• Money basics included: a 7-activity chapter on money personality, needs vs. wants, saving, budgeting and comparing cell phone plans
• Measurable growth: a pre-assessment and post-assessment show what students learned
• Flexible: works for whole classes, advisory, small groups, intervention, coaching and homeschool

How Does This Workbook Build Portrait of a Graduate Competencies?

This workbook builds durable, future-ready skills, the transferable abilities students carry into every class, career and community. Each chapter connects to the competencies schools use to define college, career and life readiness:

• Personal Responsibility & Work Ethic (PRW): organization, routines, time management and beating procrastination
• Agency (AGY): setting and tracking goals, understanding motivation and making choices about their own learning
• Finances (FIN): money personality, needs vs. wants, spending vs. saving, savings goals, budgeting and comparing real costs
• Adaptability (ADP): planning for obstacles and adjusting goals that are too big or too small
• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving (CT): prioritizing tasks, breaking down big assignments and analyzing schedules
• Career Readiness (CAR): the planning, focus and study habits that prepare students for high school and beyond
• Creativity (CRE): designing personal organization toolkits, mind maps and study guides
• Communication (COM): partner interviews and explaining why tasks matter
• Collaboration (COL): managing time and responsibilities on group projects
• Empathy (EMP): understanding how stress and distraction affect yourself and others
• Citizenship (CIT): being a dependable, organized member of the classroom community

What Chapters and Activities Are in the Middle School Executive Functioning Workbook?

The workbook opens with a pre-assessment and includes 7 chapters, a post-assessment and extra resources:

1. Organization & Routines: Strategies & Tools, “Fix That System!” Challenge, Digital Folder Build-Out, Routine Builder, Organization Style Survey, Create a Personal Organization Toolkit, Backpack or Binder Makeover
2. Time Management: Time Estimation Warm-Up, Top 3 Task Sort, “Too Much, Not Enough, Just Right” Schedule Analysis, Weekly Planner Mock-Up, Procrastination Sort, How Small Can You Make It?, Time Management Myths
3. Focus & Attention: “What’s Distracting Me?”, “What Helps Me Focus?” Partner Interview, Distraction Map, Build Your Focus Toolkit
4. Motivation & Momentum: Motivation Sort (Intrinsic or Extrinsic?), Real-Life Connection Match, Task Makeover Challenge, Autonomy Scenarios, Motivation Self-Rating, “Why Does This Matter?” Quick Write, Motivation Makeover
5. Study Skills: Study Strategy Scenarios, Study Habits Survey, Make Your Own Quiz (Retrieval Practice), Study Week Planner (Spaced Practice), Chunk-It Challenge, Mind Map Builder, Build-a-Study-Guide, Real Task Real Strategy
6. Goals & Tracking Progress: Goal Sort + Fix the Goal; Too Big? Too Small? Just Right; Step Breakdown Challenge; Obstacle Scenarios; The 4-Part Goal Builder; Steps & Checklist Builder; Adjustment Plan
7. Financial Literacy: What’s Your Money Personality?, Needs/Wants Sort, Spend or Save? Scenarios, My Savings Goal Builder, Create a Basic Budget, Cell Phone Plan Comparison, “Future Me” Money Snapshot

Who Is This Executive Functioning Workbook For?

Middle school students in grades 6–8, their teachers and their parents. It works well in advisory and homeroom, middle school transition programs, study skills and organization support, academic intervention, executive functioning coaching, special education, counseling, financial literacy, homeschool and independent learning. It also supports Portrait of a Graduate initiatives.

What Comes in the Executive Functioning Skills Workbook?

• Grade level: Grades 6–8 (ages 11–14)
• Format: Paperback student workbook
• Length: 113 pages
• Design: Full color, student-facing
• Includes: a pre-assessment, 7 chapters, 47 activities, a post-assessment and extra resources
• Publisher: Future Ready Education, an IB Source company
• ISBN: 9781957136806

Frequently Asked Questions About the Executive Functioning Workbook for Middle School

What are executive functioning skills?

Executive functioning skills are the mental skills that help us plan, organize, focus, manage time, start tasks and follow through. For middle schoolers, they include keeping track of materials and assignments, managing multiple teachers and deadlines, studying for tests and staying motivated.

What grade level is this workbook for?

It is designed for middle school students in grades 6–8, ages 11–14.

How does it help disorganized students?

The Organization & Routines chapter walks students through fixing their systems step by step: building a digital folder system, creating routines, discovering their organization style and making over their backpack or binder.

Does it help with procrastination?

Yes. The Time Management chapter includes a Procrastination Sort and a “How Small Can You Make It?” activity for breaking tasks into doable steps. The Motivation & Momentum chapter helps students understand what drives them and how to get started.

What study skills does it teach?

Students learn retrieval practice (making their own quizzes), spaced practice (planning a study week), chunking, mind maps and building study guides, then match strategies to real assignments.

Does it teach money skills?

Yes. The Financial Literacy chapter covers money personality, needs vs. wants, spending vs. saving, building a savings goal, creating a basic budget and comparing real cell phone plans.

Can it help students who struggle with focus or ADHD?

Yes. The Focus & Attention chapter helps students identify their distractions and build a personal focus toolkit. The workbook’s structure, with short readings and hands-on activities, works well for intervention, coaching and students who need extra support.

How is this different from The Inner Compass Middle School workbook?

This workbook focuses entirely on executive functioning. The Inner Compass Middle School Workbook includes this same executive functioning content plus full units on emotions and resilience. Choose this book for a focused executive functioning course, or The Inner Compass for all three skill areas.

Is there a high school version?

Yes. The Executive Functioning Skills High School Workbook covers the same skills at a more advanced level, including cognitive load, credit scores, credit cards and loans.

What are future-ready skills?

Future-ready skills, also called durable skills, are lasting, transferable abilities like self-management, financial literacy, adaptability and critical thinking. Students use them across subjects, careers and life.