Twelve Strategies to Bolster Executive Functioning and Academic Performance

In today’s fast-paced academic environment, students face growing pressure to balance multiple responsibilities while striving for excellence in school, making time management a constant challenge. 

To thrive in the face of so many competing demands on time and energy, strong executive functioning skills are essential. These skills, which include organization, planning, and emotional regulation, play a crucial role in academic success. By improving executive functioning, students can better focus, stay on task, and ultimately enhance their performance and reduce feelings of stress. Here are ten strategies that can bolster executive functioning and help students achieve their academic goals with greater ease.

ONE: Use a Time Management Tool Effectively

All students can benefit from staying organized and using a planner or calendar. While those with strong executive functioning skills may thrive with a digital calendar, some students may find that writing tasks down on paper enhances recall and retention. An effective time management tool should include a range of important items, such as homework assignments, quizzes, tests, dedicated study time and strategies, teacher office hours, extracurricular activities, appointments, family commitments, social events, holidays, and any other time-sensitive obligations. As students continue to develop their time management skills, they will likely experience a greater sense of control over their schedules, which can lead to reduced stress and anxiety.

Pro Tip 1💡 Since time is a finite resource and subject to opportunity cost (i.e., when time is committed to one activity or commitment, it cannot be used for another), before students can create and implement an effective time management system, they must know the time they have to work with. Click HERE to use the free Effective Students My Available Time Exercise.

Pro Tip 2💡We recommend that elementary and middle school students use a planner and high school and college students use Google Calendar.  However, it is important to use the time management tool that works best. 

Click HERE to learn how to improve time management skills in students. 

TWO: Forecast

Forecasting complements an effective time management tool because it helps students incorporate a long-term perspective (i.e., week/month/quarter) into their planning routine. Importantly, forecasting makes it more likely that things will get done on time and prevents conflicts. For example, forecasting can preclude a student from inadvertently planning to study for a Friday test when they are unavailable due to competing demands such as a Thursday evening game and will ensure that they plan accordingly.

Pro Tip 3💡 We recommend that middle and high school students and college students forecast every Saturday morning and that younger students forecast on Sundays. 

Pro Tip 4 💡 Forecasting becomes increasingly important not only in high school but also in college, where the time paradigm is flipped. While grade school students have the majority of their time structured for them, college students are expected to create their own structure. Forecasting is an essential strategy for success in college. 

THREE: Create an Effective Homework Routine and Accountability Plan

Establishing a consistent homework routine and accountability plan can help students feel more in control of their schoolwork and boost the ability to manage time, prioritize, and focus on one task at a time. Key steps to building an effective homework routine include: setting aside specific time for homework, beginning with the most difficult or time-intensive tasks, incorporating scheduled breaks and small rewards, checking off completed tasks, ensuring backpacks are packed for the next day, and tidying up the workspace to be ready for the following day.

Pro Tip 5💡 Create a homework space that fosters productivity and reduces distractions by setting phones to Do Not Disturb mode and/or putting them in another room, keeping supplies (e.g., pens, pencils, chargers, etc.) organized and accessible, having a place for computers, calculators, textbooks, etc., removing non-homework related clutter from your work area, keeping the walls around your space as neutral as possible, having plenty of light, and keeping timers visible.

FOUR: Learn Strategies to Overcome Procrastination

Approximately 80% of college students procrastinate, according to a 2023 journal article published as part of a Special Issue Research on the Academic Motivation of Children and Adolescents, Academic Procrastination in Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review by Paz González-Brignardello et al., The research suggests that procrastination is a problematic and widespread issue in higher education. Furthermore, emerging research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s executive functions suggests that executive functions in school-aged children have declined further in recent years. 

Using strategies to overcome procrastination helps students feel more confident in their abilities to get started and, by extension, mitigate feelings of overwhelm. Strategies to overcome procrastination include chunking assignments or tasks into smaller, more manageable parts, starting with the most appealing part of a task, creating checklists to track progress and boost feelings of accomplishment, creating a reward system, such as snacks or five minutes of screentime, to boost motivation, enlisting the support of friends and family. 

FIVE: Set SMART Goals

SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound; they help students identify and attain important milestones. Understanding how to set and achieve incremental, attainable goals empowers students to set and achieve future goals. Students who set and monitor SMART goals become masters of their own outcomes as they make concrete connections between present performance and future possibilities. We suggest students set SMART goals every quarter, trimester, or semester to help them achieve at desired outcomes. Examples of SMART goals include sleep 8 hours per night, complete all homework by 8:30 PM, and get an 85%+ in AP Biology.

Pro Tip 6💡 Set goals that are a bit of a stretch but still achievable.

Pro Tip 7💡 Write down or print goals and keep them visible as a tangible reminder and to enhance accountability.

Pro Tip 8💡 Whether a goal is met or not, always reflect on what went well, identify areas for improvement, and make necessary adjustments.

SIX: Take Quality Notes

Notes taken in an organized, methodical, and usable manner help students remember what they learn and make studying more efficient and productive. To take effective notes, follow the steps below.

Taking Notes from a Textbook - Print or E-Book

1. Put the date at the top of the page.

2. Preview the chapter or lesson and highlight the main and sub-topics, important terms, people, places, etc. - commonly italicized in textbooks.

3. Use Roman numerals for each main topic

4. Use lowercase letters for each subcategory

5. Read each paragraph and write a 2-3 line summary - do not copy text word for word.

6. Consider making note cards or a Quizlet set of key terms, people, places, etc., and adding definitions when you are done with notes.

Taking Notes from a Slide Deck

1. Create a table with two columns and several rows

2. Write the slide number and title or topic on the left

3. Write notes on the right

Pro Tip 9💡 Spending just 10-20 minutes each night reviewing notes can help transition information to long-term memory, making preparation for quizzes, tests, and exams more efficient and less stressful.

SEVEN: Manage Projects, Essays, and Research Papers Effectively

Everyone benefits from having a concrete plan to tackle multi-step long-term projects. Students with weaker working memory, attention, and organizational skills may need a plan to ensure that long-term projects are completed in a timely, complete, and quality manner. Use the steps below for project management.

1. Review the written project description/instructions twice and highlight key information (e.g., due dates, grading criteria, etc.).

2. On a sheet of paper or Doc, list all steps required to complete the project (e.g., purchase materials, build, make a slide deck, research, generate a thesis, make an outline, create an annotated bibliography, etc.)

3. Place the steps in chronological order.

4. Assign dates for each step starting BACKWARDS from the due date

5. Put dates in a planner or calendar, making your personal due date 3 days prior to the actual due dates to allow a buffer to deal with setbacks, etc.

6. Assign dates to complete each step in a planner or calendar agenda, allocating weekend time if necessary

7. As each step is completed, check it off on the assignment sheet

Pro Tip 10💡 Do not hand in a project unless all components are completed and checked off.

EIGHT: Study/Review for Tests Effectively

Cramming is not typically the best strategy for preparing for tests, yet it seems like a popular one! Knowing the important role long-term memory plays in recalling information and making connections should motivate students to space out their review/studying to prepare for tests. Effective preparation for tests includes the use of strategic, multi-sensory study actions deployed in a timely manner. While study actions can include flash cards, reading material aloud, summarizing notes, and other muti-sensory approaches to learning and retaining information, an effective study plan includes making a concrete plan, studying over several days, specific study actions, repetition, and self-testing.

NINE: Test Analysis

Even when students put in the time and effort to prepare for tests, the results may not be what was hoped for. Helping students understand that how they do on a test is not a measure of their value, that making mistakes is human, and that mistakes are an inevitable part of growth are essential components of becoming successful, healthy students. Test analysis is a safe, simple, and action-oriented way to learn from results. It includes asking questions such as, “What worked?” “What didn’t work?” “Why?”  “How should I adjust?” and “What adjustments need to be made?”

Pro Tip 11💡 Test analysis is NOT emotional, punitive, lengthy, or complicated.

TEN: Work to Overcome Test Anxiety

Many students struggle with test anxiety, which can make it difficult to focus and showcase their true knowledge during assessments. This anxiety can also harm self-esteem and affect academic self-image. One effective strategy to combat test anxiety is to remind oneself of all the steps taken to prepare and write down reasons to feel confident about an upcoming test. Reviewing these reasons just before a test helps maintain a sense of objectivity. In theory, students who have prepared thoroughly should feel more confident and, as a result, less anxious.

ELEVEN: Create and Practice Effective Habits

Ultimately, everything listed above is contingent upon students taking the time to build and practice effective habits. Building positive study habits makes it less likely that students will slip into bad habits such as procrastination or time mismanagement. 

By building healthy study habits, students take control of their academics and time. Importantly, healthy and effective habits alleviate anxiety and give students something positive to work toward rather than the negative emotions associated with failing to study well and feeling out of control and overwhelmed.

In conclusion, developing strong executive functioning skills is vital for students striving to excel in today’s fast-paced, distraction-heavy environment. By implementing strategies such as effective time management, SMART goal setting, and creating positive study habits, students can gain greater control over their workload, reduce stress, and boost academic performance. These skills not only help students succeed in school but also prepare them for the demands of college and future careers. While the process of building and mastering these skills takes time, the long-term benefits are invaluable, fostering independence, confidence, and resilience in all areas of life.

TWELVE: Know When to Hire an Expert

Executive functions can be effectively taught by a qualified and experienced coach. However, since the academic coaching industry is largely unregulated, it's crucial to conduct thorough due diligence before hiring someone for this role. When seeking an executive function coach, prioritize those with professional credentials and relevant experience. The role of an executive function coach goes beyond guidance and making sure a planner is filled out—they must teach explicit skills, model effective behaviors, provide accountability, and help students become independent learners. Therefore, it’s important they use a structured, research-based curriculum and have a clear exit plan. An effective coach should help develop a student’s prefrontal cortex, not act as a replacement for it.

Pro Tip 12💡Click HERE to learn more about hiring a qualified executive function coach.

For more information on teaching students executive function skills, read the articles below. To determine if executive function deficits exist and or/to arrange executive function coaching, please contact us at kathy@fineeducationalsolutions.com.

Helpful Resources

Executive Functioning: What it is and Why it Matters

Teaching Executive Function Skills at Home

How to Stop Procrastinating Homework

What Is an Executive Functioning Coach?

Understanding Academic Support Programs

Communicating with Your Student About School