Is your student struggling with organization? Forgetting to turn in assignments and missing deadlines? Feeling confident with course material but cramming before every test?

Executive functioning skills tutoring can help!

Executive Functioning Skills Coaching

What are Executive Functioning skills?

Executive functioning skills are the tools we use to actually get things done. They govern how well we’re all able to set goals, plan tasks, avoid distractions, problem-solve when we hit roadblocks, make sense of information—and a lot more!

Students with strong executive functioning skills:

  • Can effectively prioritize between multiple assignments and classes

  • Can focus attention on a particular task without significant distraction

  • Can set goals and work toward them

  • Can smoothly shift gears between interruptions and tasks

  • May have low grades caused by challenges with class content

Students who struggle with executive functioning skills:

  • Struggle to prioritize what assignments and tasks are most important

  • Struggle to control impulses to consistently focus attention on a particular task

  • Struggle to stay motivated to make incremental progress toward goals

  • Get sidetracked by distractions and find it difficult to return to a task, even becoming anxious or angry

  • Have low grades caused by many factors—missing assignments, poor study habits, incomplete or disorganized class notes—in addition to challenges with class content

How can we help with executive functioning skills?

Our instructors understand how executive functioning gaps can get in the way of content mastery. They’re prepared to integrate the following into academic, test prep, or consulting sessions or devote an entire hour (or more!) each week to the following:

  • Planner and calendar checks

  • Goal-setting and weekly progress check-ins

  • Accountability for completing and turning in assignments

  • Direct instruction in the best study methods for particular classes

  • Note-taking skills

  • Coaching through skill-building handouts with practical, real-life application activities

  • Additional strategies customized to your student’s unique areas for growth

Meet Our Mentors

  • A woman with red hair, blue eyes, and a nose piercing, smiling, standing in front of a bookshelf filled with various books.

    Haley

    Director of Client Experience & Curriculum Lead, Master Instructor

    BS, George Mason University
    MS, George Mason University

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  • A young woman with curly brown hair, light skin, and makeup, smiling in front of a bookshelf filled with various books.

    Stephanie

    College Consulting Manager & Master Instructor

    BA, Seton Hall University
    MA, Seton Hall University
    MFA, University of Massachusetts-Amherst

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  • Sarah

    Senior Instructor

    BS, United States Coast Guard Academy
    MA, Liberty University

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can you help diagnose my child with ADHD or anxiety?

Principia’s instructors are content experts, but they are not psychologists or psychiatrists. We cannot diagnose any mental health conditions or initiate asking for accommodations such as IEPs or 504s.

Can executive functioning skills be included in my student’s academic or test prep sessions?

Absolutely! Our instructors are happy to integrate executive functioning support while also building up students’ content knowledge. We often find that academic sessions provide great immediate applications for practice with skills like using content-specific study methods and taking comprehensive class notes, and we’re happy to integrate skills like task initiation and goal-setting into test prep sessions as well!

How can my student’s college consultant help with executive functioning support?

Our college consultants are often able to identify patterns in students’ work habits, such as frequent procrastination, anxiety around incomplete tasks, consistent prioritization of tasks with short-term rewards, or time blindness. They can then help the student build skills and systems to address those patterns, whether that’s helping students prioritize among extracurricular obligations, make progress on passion projects, or complete application materials on time. When appropriate, they can also recommend steps for getting assessed for any underlying conditions—which will not affect students’ college applications in any way.

How do I know if my student needs executive functioning support?

Many students who need executive functioning support are very smart—they just need some skill-building to succeed. If your student has lots of missing work, isn’t meeting deadlines, is staying up late to cram before every test, or has gotten behind and is finding it difficult to catch up, executive functioning support could be key! If you’d like to discuss your individual student further, set up a discovery call and see if we’re the right fit.