3. Executive Function Coaching

Here is the "Executive Function Coaching" section, updated with correct APA in-text citations (Author, Year).

I have also included the final section for this page, "Speech-Language Support," so you have the complete text for Blog Post 2.

[Heading 2] 3. Executive Function Coaching: Supporting the "CEO"

The Expert: Executive Function Coach, Learning Specialist, or Educational Psychologist. The Strategy: Explicit Strategy Instruction (Learning How to Learn).

If you have ever watched your child stare at a blank page for twenty minutes, unable to start a book report, you are witnessing an Executive Function (EF) jam. Dyslexia is rarely just about reading words; it is also about managing information.

Research confirms that children with dyslexia often have a "thinner cortex" in the brain regions responsible for Working Memory and Cognitive Control (Farah et al., 2021). This means they have the intelligence to do the work, but they lack the "mental filing system" to organize it.

Why It Works: Unclogging the Funnel

Experts describe this as a "Clogged Funnel" effect (Meltzer et al., 2021). Your child is taking in so much information, but because the processing is inefficient, the funnel gets backed up. They freeze not because they don't know the answer, but because they are overwhelmed.

EF Coaching is distinct from subject tutoring. Instead of teaching history, the coach teaches the student specific strategies to manage their brain.

• The Shift: Instead of saying "Try harder," the coach teaches Metacognition—the ability to think about one's own thinking process (Meltzer et al., 2021).

• The Result: The student learns to recognize their own "clogs" and apply a strategy to clear them, building independence and confidence.

Directives for Home & School

• Cognitive Offloading: Coaches often direct families to "offload" mental tasks. Because your child’s working memory is working overtime on decoding, they shouldn't have to remember their packing list, too. Using external tools—like checklists, phone alarms, and graphic organizers—preserves their brain energy for big thinking.

• The "CANDO" Goal Strategy: Vague goals like "I will do better" are paralyzing. The SMARTS curriculum teaches students to set CANDO goals (Meltzer et al., 2021):

  • Clear

  • Appropriate

  • Numerical

  • Doable

  • Obstacles Considered (This is the magic step: planning for what to do when they get stuck).