Executive function (EF) is a critical cognitive ability that develops throughout childhood and continues into adulthood. This review highlights the importance of examining EF across the lifespan, not just in preschool children. EF consists of several components, including working memory, inhibition, shifting, and planning, which are essential for goal-oriented behavior, school performance, and social functioning. While much research has focused on preschoolers, there is a need to study EF development in school-age children and adolescents to understand its full trajectory and how it changes with age. EF development is influenced by both biological and environmental factors, and its decline is particularly evident in older adults. The PFC, a key brain region involved in EF, matures slowly, which explains why EF continues to develop into adolescence. Research has shown that EF components such as inhibition, working memory, and shifting improve with age, but their development is not uniform. For example, inhibition tends to develop earlier than other components, while working memory and shifting continue to improve into adolescence. Additionally, EF is vulnerable to age-related cognitive decline, with impairments in tasks requiring executive control becoming more pronounced in older adults. Neuroimaging studies have shown that changes in brain activity, particularly in the PFC and hippocampus, are associated with EF development and aging. Understanding EF development is crucial for developing interventions to support children with EF deficits, such as those with ADHD. Overall, EF development is a complex process that involves both structural and functional changes in the brain, and it continues into adulthood, with significant implications for cognitive functioning and behavior.Executive function (EF) is a critical cognitive ability that develops throughout childhood and continues into adulthood. This review highlights the importance of examining EF across the lifespan, not just in preschool children. EF consists of several components, including working memory, inhibition, shifting, and planning, which are essential for goal-oriented behavior, school performance, and social functioning. While much research has focused on preschoolers, there is a need to study EF development in school-age children and adolescents to understand its full trajectory and how it changes with age. EF development is influenced by both biological and environmental factors, and its decline is particularly evident in older adults. The PFC, a key brain region involved in EF, matures slowly, which explains why EF continues to develop into adolescence. Research has shown that EF components such as inhibition, working memory, and shifting improve with age, but their development is not uniform. For example, inhibition tends to develop earlier than other components, while working memory and shifting continue to improve into adolescence. Additionally, EF is vulnerable to age-related cognitive decline, with impairments in tasks requiring executive control becoming more pronounced in older adults. Neuroimaging studies have shown that changes in brain activity, particularly in the PFC and hippocampus, are associated with EF development and aging. Understanding EF development is crucial for developing interventions to support children with EF deficits, such as those with ADHD. Overall, EF development is a complex process that involves both structural and functional changes in the brain, and it continues into adulthood, with significant implications for cognitive functioning and behavior.