Posted March 24, 2025 in Articles
Amy Sheeler, Lawrence School’s Director of Student Advocacy and Support Services
Imagine a bright, capable teenager who consistently struggles with everyday tasks like staying organized, remembering deadlines, and managing time effectively. Maybe you’ve seen this firsthand in your own child. This isn't a lack of motivation or intelligence; it often stems from challenges with executive function.
Executive function refers to a set of cognitive skills that help us engage in goal-oriented action, such as organizing and prioritizing tasks, following instructions, managing time, and controlling emotions.
Although not technically considered a learning difference, executive function challenges are common in individuals with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and ADHD.
“For kids with learning differences, executive function skills tend to be negatively impacted, and so it takes them longer to develop,” explains Amy Sheeler, Lawrence School’s Director of Student Advocacy and Support Services. “They typically will need more practice with those skills, and they need those skills to be directly and explicitly instructed. Most schools don’t do that. A benefit of being at Lawrence is that we do provide direct instruction in those skills.”
Lawrence recognizes that many of our students struggle with executive functions and designed a curriculum that specifically addresses them.
In every Lawrence classroom at every grade level, teachers integrate executive function coaching into their instructional approach. The entire school day is organized to help students build these skills—from visual cues to consistent routines to metacognitive language. Every faculty member is trained to provide direct instruction, frequent reassurance, and consistent feedback. Skill building looks different depending on the age of the student.
“The part of my job I find most rewarding is working with a team of dedicated professionals to ensure the best possible programming for our students,” Sheeler said.
Executive function challenges begin developing in early childhood and continue well into adulthood, but deficits are typically identified when the school environment becomes more challenging and the academic expectations increase.
A key objective of Lawrence’s Middle School programming is to strengthen the executive functioning that allows students to gain ownership of their academics. This includes the ability to manage time, remember instructions, juggle tasks, self-advocate, and stay organized. Students are supported every step of the way as Lawrence builds these important skills through explicit coaching, consistent routines, clear expectations, and a gradual increase in responsibility.
“We understand that all students, not just those with learning differences, benefit from specific classroom practices grounded in research and neurobiology,” said Director of Middle School Douglas Emancipator. “By implementing these fundamental practices, we foster a learning environment that enhances students’ focus, learning, and overall academic success.”
This year, the Middle School implemented an Intervention and Executive Function class at the end of the day that’s modeled after the successful High School program. This new class offers seventh and eighth grade students the opportunity to develop essential executive function skills. Guided by full-time faculty members, they establish goals to address their assigned work and learn to self-evaluate their progress.
The period begins with students listing and prioritizing their homework tasks. Assignments are ranked daily by estimated completion time and level of importance (due tomorrow, due next week, etc.). Once the work that needs completing is identified, students set a timer to track the actual minutes they spend on each task. Upon completion, they log the time spent next to their estimate so they can compare how long they thought it would take versus the actual completion time. This daily exercise greatly improves their ability to prioritize and accurately track time.
At the end of each day, students learn how to prioritize their tasks, create a clear plan of action, and then work on their assignments in a structured and supportive environment.
“Executive function is a huge component of what we do, but it’s not isolated in this specific class. It’s done in every class, every day,” Emancipator said.
Faculty members model organization in their own behavior to structure classrooms in a consistent, understandable way. Students benefit greatly from constant, direct teaching of organizational strategies which help them to transfer these skills independently into everyday life.
Ultimately, helping children grow up to become independent and successful adults in executive function skills is an important goal before they leave Lawrence.
“After years of struggle, it’s pretty amazing to see that look of accomplishment, and that’s the result of their own hard work,” Sheeler said.
If you're seeing these executive function challenges in your child and want to learn more about how Lawrence School can help, we invite you to explore our programs. Contact our admissions team today at 440.526.0717 to schedule a visit and see our unique approach in action.