Executive Function Coaching
Our specialized executive function coaches teach academic and practical skills that foster success in the classroom and beyond. From time management to organization, students gain skills they’ll carry for life.
What is Executive Function?
Executive function refers to the mental processes and skills we use to manage the tasks of daily life in school, in the workplace, and in our home life. These skills include: staying organized, planning and prioritizing, focusing and following directions, starting and finishing tasks, managing our time, and regulating our emotions and impulses in order to achieve all of the above.
Why Work With an EF Coach?
Whether your child is struggling in school or a straight-A student, executive functioning support can help them thrive.
EF Skills Matter
Executive functioning skills help us stay organized and on task. They’re essential skills for academic achievement, helping students complete assignments on time, pay attention in class, and study for tests. They’re also critical for managing the tasks of everyday life, from getting to work on time to paying the bills.
students Excel with 1:1 Support
Students benefit from a nuanced approach to learning these crucial skills. They often need to unlearn habits they have formed over many years of schooling. They may also hold negative beliefs about their own potential. Despite best intentions, suggestions and tips from well-meaning parents and teachers don’t often lead to lasting habit change.
EF Coaching Works
Students who receive 1:1 coaching from a trusted mentor are better equipped to internalize these skills. Our EF coaches take the time to understand each student deeply and tailor their approach accordingly. In turn, our students become more confident and capable in academic settings and wherever their academic journey takes them.
Our Approach
Executive functioning coaching looks different for each student, but a few core components are always in place.
Individualization
After an in-depth intake call with our team, we select the coach who we believe will be the best fit for your student. In one-on-one sessions, the EF coach customizes their lessons and adapts their strategies to meet your student’s individual needs.
Hands-on tools
Although we primarily work with students online, we send physical materials like planners, visual timers, and carefully selected physical texts to serve as a base for learning and habit change.
Accountability
Our coaches gently hold students accountable as they work towards greater independence. Sessions are designed to be engaging, to build students’ confidence, and to instill intrinsic motivation and a sense of empowerment.
Consistency
Executive functioning skills take time to develop. With practice and sufficient time to try different techniques, students will find the strategies that work for them.
EF Coaching in Practice
Wondering what your child will actually DO with their executive functioning coach? Read on.
What to Expect from EF Coaching
Executive functioning coaching looks different for each student and is not usually a linear process. Our EF coaches collaborate with the student and their family to understand the student’s needs, goals, strengths, and areas for growth. They will then develop a customized coaching plan to address those needs while building off the student’s strengths. We teach executive functioning skills in a way that’s grounded in the student’s day-to-day school work and experiences.
A Typical Coaching Plan
A typical coaching plan will balance students’ short- and long-term priorities and goals.
Examples of short-term focus areas: completing homework assignments and projects, studying for tests, juggling schoolwork with other responsibilities and extracurriculars, or working on the college application process.
Examples of long-term focus areas: creating systems for staying organized, learning strategies for timeliness, and developing greater self-awareness about one’s own habits and tendencies.
Sessions provide a mix of targeted EF strategy development (e.g. trying out a new time management technique) and applied practice, using that strategy to complete a current assignment. Specific agendas and focus areas will be tailored to the individual and will shift over time based on the student’s individual needs and progress.
Core EF Skills & Strategies
Below is a sampling of specific executive functioning skills and strategies that our coaches and students may work on, ranging from basic study habits to higher-level inquiries into self-knowledge and expression. Note: this is a broad overview. Most students will take a more focused approach based on their own strengths and challenges.
Organization: Students will learn to organize their physical & digital spaces.
Time Management: Students will learn strategies for completing tasks on time.
Planning & Prioritizing: Students will learn to combat procrastination and see tasks through to completion.
Study Skills: Students will apply executive functioning skills to key academic competencies including: taking notes, studying for exams, tackling reading and writing assignments, and completing projects with ease.
Social-Emotional Learning: Students will get to know their own strengths and identify areas for continued growth. They’ll practice self-monitoring and learn about impulse control (i.e. how to resist the lure of the smartphone when you have math homework to complete).
Digging Deeper: Students will learn how to improve their focus and concentration, tackle test anxiety, and set and achieve goals.
Brain Building: Students will practice flexible and creative thinking, strengthen their working memory, and cultivate resilience.
Thinking Big: Students will build leadership skills, harnessing effective communication and self-advocacy. They may discover their guiding principles, values, morals, ethics, and beliefs. Along the way, they’ll develop a holistic perspective on becoming the best learner and person they can be.
Ready to Learn More?
Fill out our consultation request form today and a member of our leadership team will get back to you shortly.