Many parents find themselves in a confusing cycle. Their child is clearly bright, capable, and full of potential, yet their grades do not always reflect those qualities. Assignments sometimes get lost in the depths of a backpack, Google Classroom might have some “missing” labels, and the night before a big project may become a frantic marathon.
In these moments, it is easy to label the student as unmotivated or lazy. However, the reality is often much more complex. Most of the time, these students are not struggling with the “what” of their schoolwork; they are struggling with the “how.” They are experiencing a gap in their executive functioning skills.
What is Executive Functioning?
Executive functioning is essentially the “management system” of the brain. Think of it as the air traffic control tower at a busy airport. It is the set of mental skills that allow us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully.
When a student has strong executive functioning, they can look at a long term project, break it into smaller steps, and manage their time effectively to meet the deadline. When these skills are underdeveloped, even the simplest task can feel like an insurmountable obstacle. There are three primary “gears” that make up this system.
- Working Memory: The ability to hold information in mind while working with it. For a student, this means remembering the teacher’s multi step instructions while simultaneously opening their notebook.
- Cognitive Flexibility: The ability to switch gears and think about things in more than one way. This is what allows a student to adapt when a math problem does not work out the way they expected.
- Inhibitory Control: The ability to resist impulses and stay focused on a goal. This is the skill required to ignore a phone notification and finish a paragraph of an essay.
5 Signs of an Executive Functioning Gap
It is important to distinguish between a lack of effort and a lack of skill. If your student is struggling with executive functioning, you will likely see a pattern of these five behaviors.
- The “Black Hole” Backpack: They have the completed homework, but they cannot find it when it is time to turn it in.
- Time Blindness: They genuinely believe a three hour project will only take fifteen minutes, leading to late night panics.
- The Wall of Initiation: They sit at their desk for an hour staring at a blank page, unable to figure out how to write the first sentence. This often leads to a high stress environment at home, but there are ways to break the cycle of the nightly homework battle by shifting the focus toward task initiation.
- Inconsistent Performance: They ace a difficult chemistry test one week but forget to take a simple quiz the next.
- Emotional Regulation Issues: They become disproportionately frustrated or angry when a plan changes or a task feels difficult.
Habit #1: The Digital and Physical Audit
The first step in the blueprint is to clear the mental clutter by organizing the physical and digital environment. In the modern era of education, a messy Google Classroom is just as paralyzing as a messy desk.
Set aside thirty minutes every Friday for a “Systems Audit.” During this time, the student should go through their physical folders and remove any old papers that are no longer needed. Digitally, they should check every subject portal for missing assignments and clear out their email inbox.
By doing this on Friday rather than Sunday night, the student can go into the weekend with a clear head. They are not wondering if they forgot something; they know exactly where they stand. This simple habit moves the student from a reactive state to a proactive one.
Habit #2: Mastering Time Estimation
Most students who struggle with organization have a poor sense of how long tasks actually take. They view time as an infinite resource until it suddenly runs out. This phenomenon, often called time blindness, is not a lack of effort but a lack of internal pacing. To fix this, you have to move your student from vague time to concrete time.
When your student starts a task, have them write down how long they think it will take. Then, have them time themselves. Over time, they will begin to see patterns. They might realize that while math takes exactly as long as they thought, writing an English reflection actually takes twice as long. This skill is not just for daily homework; it is the foundation for success in high pressure scenarios. For instance, students who have mastered their internal clock can apply these proven strategies for high stakes testing to ensure they never run out of time on a critical exam.
Once they have accurate data, they can begin to use a Time Blocking strategy. Instead of saying “I will do homework tonight,” they say “I will work on Biology from 6:30 to 7:15.” This makes the work feel finite and manageable, which significantly reduces the urge to procrastinate. Mastering this internal pacing is one of the most effective ways to lower academic anxiety.
Habit #3: The Weekly Review and Preview
Executive functioning is built on the ability to look ahead. A student who only looks at what is due tomorrow will always be in “survival mode.” To break this cycle, implement a Weekly Review every Sunday evening.
This is a twenty minute meeting where the student looks at the entire week ahead. What tests are on Thursday? What sports practices or extracurriculars might cut into study time on Tuesday? By “previewing” the week, the student can see the “clash points” before they happen. If they see that Wednesday is packed with activities, they can choose to finish their Thursday prep on Monday. This is the hallmark of a student who owns their learning.
Habit #4: The Art of Task Decomposition
One of the most common reasons students shut down is because a task feels too large. “Write a research paper” is a terrifying directive. “Find three sources for a research paper” is a manageable task.
Teach your student the habit of “Task Decomposition.” Every large project should be broken down into steps that take thirty minutes or less. When a task is small enough, the brain does not perceive it as a threat, which makes it much easier to start. This habit builds the “cognitive flexibility” needed to approach complex problems with a plan rather than a sense of dread.
From Managing to Coaching
The ultimate goal of this blueprint is to move the parent out of the “Manager” role and into the “Coach” role. A manager tells the student what to do; a coach helps the student develop the systems to tell themselves what to do.
Developing these executive functioning habits takes time and patience. There will be setbacks, and there will be weeks where the backpack becomes a black hole again. However, by focusing on these foundational skills, you are giving your student more than just better grades. You are giving them the tools they need for independence in college and beyond.
At College Tutors, we believe that every student has the capacity for brilliance. Sometimes, they just need a better air traffic control tower. Our coaches specialize in identifying these executive functioning gaps and building the custom blueprints that allow students to truly own their academic journey.