“Executive function” has been percolating in education circles for a while, having first emerged from neuropsychological research in the 1970s (e.g., Barkley, et al.) focused on the pre-frontal cortex. It has since morphed into a term with myriad meanings and uses, often tied to early childhood development. In this article, we’ll break down what executive functioning is, then examine what an executive function coach does. Let’s start with what executive functioning is.

All students can benefit from stronger study habits – especially after an unusual year of distance learning. We’re here to explain how study skills and executive function coaching can help your student reach their potential.

No one enjoys spending hours practicing the same skill over and over. By diversifying your study routine and interchanging multiple skills, you can learn more effectively.

You might have heard that practice makes perfect, but repetition with variation is a more effective strategy to reinforce new ideas.

We need to rethink failure, because mistakes always present opportunities for growth.

Great minds don’t think alike, and these noetic differences are especially evident in the ways we learn. For students with learning differences (LD), the path to cultivating successful study habits begins with analyzing and identifying how you effectively absorb and retain information. Such metacognition involves self-monitoring, strategic planning, and objective assessments of strengths and weaknesses.

I’ve been teaching college undergraduates for about ten years now, reading thousands of pages of their writing. I also coach high school students to write better essays. As end-of-term essays from my undergraduates pile up, awaiting commentary, I’ve started wondering, how can high school writers “graduate” to college-level writing? 

Moving science classes out of the classroom decreases the opportunities for collaborative study and eliminates the possibility of in-person laboratory experiments, which provide invaluable hands-on experiences for students – allowing them to see scientific concepts in action. Educators are doing their best to ease this transition for students, but what are some actions students can take to get the most out of their science classes? Let’s take a look.

We understand that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to learning.

NOTE: This is an updated post, originally published May 16, 2016.

The recent college admissions scandal has sparked an important debate around ethical access to higher education.