Executive Functioning Coaches Keep Students on Track for Success

So many students that we work with nowadays struggle with keeping up with their schoolwork and turning in assignments on time. The majority of these kids are bright, creative, even passionate about various subjects and activities. They are involved in extracurricular activities like sports and drama, which put a strain on their ability to find enough time to get everything completed. Most of them do study to some degree but do not allow enough time to adequately prepare for exams and complete projects by the assigned deadlines. What ends up happening is they leave the majority of the work to the last minute, causing them and their parents unnecessary stress and anxiety. Cramming is not an effective technique for learning and retention and usually results in lower test scores.

Executive functioning has come to represent a host of cognitive processes that allow individuals the ability to create plans and schedules, strategize ways to accomplish tasks, organize their work, sustain attention long enough to complete the tasks, and regulate their behavior along the way. Additionally, Executive functioning includes metacognition, a thought process which helps us to understand our own learning processes and improve upon our techniques.

An Executive functioning coach will suggest ways that the students could enhance or improve their study and organizational habits. We often tell our students that they need to build a regular study routine, one that they will stick to every week for the entire school year. They need to set aside more time to prepare for exams and lengthy projects which requires some planning. It is best to start preparing for exams three to four days ahead of time in order to reduce the stress and improve retention of the material. Studying with classmates is an excellent way to digest the material. They can quiz and teach each other which only heightens their level of mastery of the concepts.

We emphasize the need for consistency and discipline. Students are cultivating new habits, which takes time and effort. After a few weeks, they will get in the groove of the new routine as it becomes a normal part of their week. These skills will benefit them over the long-term, improve test scores, and greatly reduce their stress level.