Preterm children are typically defined according to birthweight (under 2500g) or age (born before 37wks’ gestation). While much is known about the physical development of preterm children, there is considerably less research on their cognitive skills as they get older, especially in extremely preterm children (born before 30wks). On the basis of existing research, we do know that almost a quarter of very preterm children can experience cognitive problems.1 For instance, very low birthweight children can have low IQ scores, as well as learning difficulties, even with IQ scores statistically accounted.2 Aarnoudse-Moens et al. advance current understanding of cognitive development by examining very preterm children (born before 30wks, but not displaying any severe disability).3 In particular, they focus on a range of executive function skills, including working memory. More broadly, working memory is conceived as one of the executive functions responsible for goal-directed, problem-solving behavior – in addition to inhibition, shifting, planning, and other processes. Although working memory shares with these other processes a neuroanatomical association with the frontal lobes and related neural circuitry, current evidence suggests that it has a separate functional basis to other executive functions.4 Aarnoudse-Moens et al.’s results demonstrate that while the very preterm children catch up over time in measures of response inhibition, they continue to lag behind their peers in tasks of fluency, as well as working memory and planning. It is noteworthy that other researchers have found that these skills, planning in particular, rely to some extent on working memory.4 These deficits have the potential to have serious long-term consequences for these children as working memory deficits are not typically indicative of a developmental lag. A longitudinal study demonstrated that working memory skills at 5 years old are predictive of educational attainment scores 6 years later.5 One issue that is somewhat controversial is whether the executive function deficits in preterm children are indicative of ADHD or a learning disability* as both these groups manifest weaknesses in these areas.6 The benefit of Aarnoudse-Moens et al.’s study is that they recruited individuals from a large age range (4–12y) and thus, can offer insight into this question. Their research findings suggest that while younger preterm children struggled to perform well in tasks of inhibition, this pattern was not evident in the older children. The implication is that the presence of executive function deficits, including inhibitory difficulties, does not necessarily imply attention problems. Depending on the age of the child, these deficits may simply represent a learning problem that is the result of immaturity and is one that they could grow out of. Understanding the pattern of strengths and weaknesses in executive function is the first step in supporting very preterm children. There is growing evidence that cognitive skills, such as working memory, can be trained and transfer to improvements in IQ and learning scores.7