As a parent, you want nothing but the best for your child. You want them to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. However, despite their best efforts (and yours!), they may struggle with school, and you may wonder why.
Many parents assume that when their child struggles academically, it’s because they lack motivation, are lazy, or simply not cut out for school. However, these assumptions are often misguided. The reality is that academic success is not just about intelligence but also about the strength of your child’s executive function skills.
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Executive functions skills work in collaboration like a series of gears in your child’s brain
Executive function skills are a set of mental processes we need to succeed academically and in life. These skills are responsible for our ability to plan, organize, set goals, focus, control impulses, and manage time. They also include cognitive processes such as working memory, which allows us to hold information in our minds while we perform other tasks.
When executive function skills are functioning well, they collaborate like a series of gears, and things run smoothly. However, when one gear stops working, there’s an impact on everything your child is trying to accomplish. When a student has executive dysfunctions, it makes it really difficult for them to succeed academically.
On the flip side, when everything is working together, school achievement improves, grades go up, participation goes up, and the student’s confidence increases. Those negative feelings start to go away. Students become more willing to engage in academics, negative behaviors are reduced, and they stop withdrawing. Once they learn what’s been going on with them and learn tools for handling the stress, their emotional and physical health improves as well.
Academics are changing and taxing your child’s executive functioning skills
Academics are evolving, and so should our approach to them. In the past, most school curricula involved handing out worksheets and assignments that students could complete in a few minutes to a few hours. However, today’s curriculum involves more long-term projects, like group research, videos, and multi-step projects that can take students weeks to complete. While this may be great for some students, those with executive function weaknesses find it incredibly challenging to keep up with.
Long-term projects without clear deadlines or structure can be a nightmare for students with executive function issues. However, when students know how to break down tasks into smaller chunks, prioritize, and manage their time, they can thrive with today’s academic demands.
Summer executive function coaching can bridge the gap between school years
To boost your child’s academic success next school year, our Executive Function Coaches help your child create a bridge between the end of this school year and the fall.
Summer EF Coaching and Subject Tutoring are used for remediation, enrichment, closing skill gaps, and preventing that dreaded “summer slide,” where students forget much of what they learned the year before.
By infusing executive functioning skills into summer sessions, students learn practical skills to help them stay on a schedule and get organized, making the transition back to school in August or September much easier.
How summer coaching can help get your child’s gears in motion for the new school year
Parents often tell us they’ve tried everything, but their child still struggles in school, and they’re tired of all the nightly nagging about homework.
The truth is that students are much more receptive to a third party since their EF Coach or Subject Tutor does not grade or discipline them. Students are much more willing to engage in a student-coach/tutor relationship because it’s a safe space where they get the help they need without fear of judgment.
Our virtual EF Coaches use the SMARTS research-based curriculum and tailor each session to your child’s individual needs and goals. Learn more here about our program and the skills we work on for students at each school level, from elementary school to college.
We’re here to support your students through the summer so they can have a strong start in the fall
Summer break is a time to let your child unwind and have fun! In as little as one-hour each week, this summer is also the right time for your child to:
- Close any academic gaps
- Jumpstart learning for the next grade
- Prepare standout college applications
- Build confidence for a fantastic fall
Please schedule a call with one of our Educational Specialists to discuss your child’s individualized summer plan for success.
