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Description:

In this webinar, Dr. George McCloskey explores the relationship between executive functions and reading development from a scientific perspective. He begins by explaining how executive functions operate as the brain’s supervisory system, guiding when and how cognitive skills are used. Participants gain important background knowledge about self-regulation, automaticity, and the role of executive control in learning.

The presentation then examines how executive functions interact with reading processes such as decoding, word recognition, and comprehension. Dr. McCloskey emphasizes that reading difficulties should be addressed through direct, skill-based reading interventions that target the specific area of need. Using a case example, the webinar highlights how executive strengths can sometimes mask reading weaknesses and delay identification, underscoring the importance of early screening and targeted reading intervention. Practical strategies are shared for helping students who struggle with executive function deficits such as self-regulation, attention, and organization.

Released in February 2026, this individual webinar can be purchased for $25 (scroll down to purchase). The content in this webinar is intertwined with Domains 1, 3, and 4 of the NASP Practice Model. Attendees who complete this 1.75-hour webinar will receive 1.75 NASP-Approved CPD credits.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe how executive functions operate in the brain as a supervisory system that cues when and how to use cognitive processes.

2. Explain how executive functions support reading development.

3. Identify strategies to support students with reading and executive function deficits.

Brief Bio:

George McCloskey, PhD, is a professor and Director of School Psychology Research in the School of Professional and Applied Psychology of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and holds Diplomate status with the American Academy of Pediatric Neuropsychology. Dr. McCloskey has accumulated 45 years of experience in test development, teaching, research, and assessment and intervention work with children, adolescents, and adults. He has authored two books on executive functions, and the McCloskey Executive Functions Scales, and with his wife, Laurie McCloskey, is co-author of the SILAS/McCloskey Executive Functions Toolkit and the children’s book The Day Frankie Left His Frontal Lobes at Home. 

Attendee Feedback:

“I thoroughly enjoyed this presentation, and it did a fantastic job of addressing the interrelationship between executive functions and reading. I also appreciated the examples that specific students had difficulty with, and what interventions were recommended to support them (e.g. decoding challenges can be supported through Megawords). 10/10!” -Kelly

“Dr. McCloskey is a world-renowned lecturer for a reason. He is exceptionally skilled in walking us, the practitioner, through what we need to better understand regarding not just reading skills, but ensuring we hold essential foundational knowledge of executive functioning and it’s consistent implementation. Well done!” –Marissa

“This helped me tremendously with giving ideas for why it might be difficulty with EF skills when students have difficulty and/or consistently dramatically different irregular data points in response to intervention.” -Paige

“The graphics were very useful to support my understanding of the processes, and it gave me some new ideas of how to explain these concepts to parents, students, or teachers.” -Lindsay

“This was excellent. Full of useful information. No fluff.” –Lauren

“I really enjoyed this presentation, very informative.” -Alexander

“This presenter is so knowledgeable! I felt like I learned a lot of new information and can better describe the impact of EF skills on reading to parents and students.” -Brittany

“I loved the real life examples provided to help connect the lesson to our real life practice. Very insightful presentation.” -Elizabeth

“Great visuals to look at. The webinar correlated highly with my daily practice as a school psychologist.” -Alison

“Dr. McCloskey used excellent examples to explain many concepts.” -Jennifer

“Excellent in-depth information. The case study at the end was eye-opening.” -Paloma

“Great models, specifics, and case study to illustrate the topic. I can’t believe you got Dr. McCloskey! What a pillar in the school psych world- thanks so much for partnering for this training. I’m really looking forward to Part 2!” -Karen

Course Information

Course Instructor

schoolpsych.com Author