Executive Functions - A deep dive into how they connect to tutoring:

Here is a reminder of what the key 11 Executive Function skills are:

1. Organisation 

2. Planning & Prioritisation 

3. Time Management

4. Task Initiation 

5. Sustained Attention

6. Goal-Directed Persistence 

7. Emotional Control

8. Response Inhibition 

9. Flexibility

10. Working Memory

11. Metacognition

There is generally an assumption in school learning that students will have all of these 11 skills under wraps. 

They will:

Be organised (e.g. have the right books for each class) 

Be on time (e.g. for school registration) 

Be able to start tasks without help (e.g. homework) 

Be able to control their emotions when things get tough (e.g. with exam stress) 

But these are all just assumptions, and what we now know is that these are skills that need to be developed and practised just like any other school subject or hobby. Tutoring is often seen as a way of simply improving a student’s grades by giving them 1:1 attention that can pinpoint their areas of weakness. But what if this 1:1 subject-specific learning could also incorporate EF skill training?

At The CODE we work with tutors who are EF-aware.They know what Executive Functions are, and know how to tailor tuition to target not only their subject struggles,but also the EF challenges that might also be getting in the way of their progress in that subject. For example, if one of our students is getting tuition in GCSE Science, but has no clue how to organise the revision, one of our tutors can guide this student to plan and prioritise certain topics over time and with the right revision tools, thereby demonstrating and teaching three core EF skills:

Planning and Prioritisation

Time Management 

Organisation 

If the tutor finds that after a few weeks the student is still struggling to follow the plan in place, then the tutor might investigate the reasons behind that. It may be a case of the student sticking to easier topics and resisting harder ones (Response Inhibition) or needing more help with the breakdown of tasks to get started (Task Initiation). Or finding ways to overcome a lack of focus by making the revision more engaging (Sustained Attention). 

For more information on how our EF-aware tutors can help you, schedule a free call with Roxane, our In House Educational Consultant.