Does your child lose papers, forget to turn in their homework, or wait until the last minute to start a project? If so, they may have weak executive functioning skills. Many students are bright and capable but struggle with organization, time management, planning, and following through on tasks. As academic demands increase, these skills become just as important as subject knowledge for success in school. By teaching your child strategies for building these skills now, you can help set them up for long-term success.

What Are Executive Functioning Skills?

Executive functioning skills enable students to plan, organize, regulate their behavior, and achieve goals. They help students learn and recall information, solve problems, and self-monitor their actions.

As schoolwork becomes more demanding, developing these skills can help your child become more confident, independent, and successful both in and out of the classroom.

What are Some Executive Functioning Strategies You Can Teach Your Child?

Time Management

Many students struggle with predicting how long they think an assignment will take to complete, often underestimating the required time commitment. They might think a book report can be completed the night before it’s due or assume a math sheet will only take ten minutes to finish when it actually requires an hour.

One technique you can teach your child is the ET vs. AT, or Estimated Time versus Actual Time strategy. To use this strategy, your child should select an assignment they need to complete and predict how much time they think it will take to finish that assignment. They should write down the ET, or estimated time. Then they should track how long the assignment actually takes to complete and write down the AT, or actual time. When students first use this strategy, there is often a significant discrepancy between the ET and AT. However, the more they practice the strategy, the more realistic they become about estimating their time, and the more their time management skills improve.

Organization

Many students struggle with their organizational skills and have difficulty managing their belongings, including their papers, digital files, and homework assignments. Teach your child this 3-tier organizational system to help them improve their organizational skills:

Tier 1 is the binder or folders/notebooks they take to school on a regular basis. They should designate one day per week to clean out their folders, notebooks, and backpack (perhaps every Friday or another day during the week), removing the papers and materials they no longer need to be carrying with them on a regular basis. They can either toss what they don’t need or file the papers they want to keep into Tier 2, which is an accordion file they keep at home. This accordion file should have three sections for each class: homework, notes, and test/quizzes. For example, they might have sections for math homework, math notes, math quizzes; social studies homework, social studies notes, and social studies tests/quizzes; and so on. When they clean out their backpack and notebooks, they should file the papers into the appropriate section of the accordion file and refer to them when it’s time for midterms or finals, or when they need to reference them for a project or assignment. Tier 3 is a filing drawer where they can put projects or assignments they are proud of and want to keep for the long run.

Planning and Prioritization

As students move through school, assignments typically become longer and more complex. Instead of having one homework sheet to complete per night, for example, they may need to juggle several long-term projects, homework assignments, and exams.

Help your child with planning and prioritizing these tasks by asking questions like:

• Which assignment do you need to complete first?
• Which task will likely take the longest?
• Which deadlines are coming up first?
• How can I break down this project into smaller steps?

Encourage your child to create simple checklists and come up with 1-2 priorities each day to help them feel less overwhelmed with their workload and more on top of what they need to get done.

Attention and Focus

In our current tech-filled world, it’s easy for students to become distracted, especially when working on their school assignments. One strategy they can use at home to help maintain focus and avoid distractions is called the Pomodoro Technique. To use this strategy, rather than trying to complete all their homework in one sitting, students can break down their work into timed segments, as follows:

They should start by setting a timer for 20 minutes and should work on their assignments for this time period, without taking any breaks and trying to avoid all distractions. Then, when the timer goes off, they should take a 5-minute break. This 25-minute window is called one Pomodoro Cycle. They should then set their timer again for 20 minutes, work for that time period, then take another 5-minute break. Once they have completed four Pomodoro Cycles, they should take a longer, 30-minute or so break.

If 20 minutes of work time is too long for your child initially, have them start with a shorter work period followed by a slightly longer break, with the goal being to ultimately reach the 20 minutes on, 5 minutes off work cycle. This will help them complete their schoolwork more efficiently and effectively.

Self-Monitoring

Many students rush to complete assignments and then submit them without taking time to review their work. Self-checking is an important executive functioning skill that helps students identify careless mistakes, correct their errors, and make sure they have completed all parts of their assignments.

Teach your child to self-monitor by asking questions like:

• Did I follow the instructions correctly?
• Did I answer all the questions?
• Did I make any careless errors?
• Do I need to revise my work?

Teaching your child to pause, review, and reflect on their work can help them minimize careless mistakes and become stronger, more independent students.

Closing Thoughts

Executive functioning skills play a role in essentially every subject. As students move through school, they are expected to organize their materials, manage their time, plan ahead, solve increasingly complex problems, and balance the demands of multiple classes and activities.

By teaching your child strategies to build their executive functioning skills, you can help them become more organized, confident, and independent students.

EBL Coaching specializes in one-on-one in person and virtual tutoring for students in grades pre-K-12 with specialized learning needs. They use research-based, multi-sensory techniques, including the Orton Gillingham method, to develop students’ reading, writing, math, note taking, test taking, and executive functioning skills. Each student is evaluated and then receives an individualized learning plan to address their specific academic needs. Learn more at http://www.eblcoaching.com/. Dr. Emily Levy, Founder & Director, is happy to hear from anyone who is in need for their child. You may reach her thru her website, and mention you heard of her thru MotherhoodLater.

The post Executive Functioning Skills Every Student Needs This School Year appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Missing two or three topics, in math especially, creates a chain of gaps that quietly builds into a significant lag. Kids rarely confess they need help. Fortunately, there are subtle “litmus tests” or signs that your kid needs tutoring that show up long before the report card does. Here are seven worth paying attention to.

Sign 1: Grades Are Slipping Despite Real Effort

Sometimes you can clearly see that your child is really trying to learn, but the test grades or the report card show the opposite — that’s a sign of hidden barriers to learning. The reason may be a temporary struggle or a real skill gap. How to recognize it?

Temporary Struggle

• Triggered by a specific event: illness, family stress, etc.

• Bounces back within 1-2 weeks.

• Child performs well once they’re fee-ling better.

• Errors are different each time.

• Mood improves after a break or extra support.

Real Skill Gap

• Persists for weeks regardless of how much effort the child puts in.

• The same type of mistake keeps re-peating.

• Child struggles even when genuinely trying.

• Homework takes longer than it should.

• Avoiding certain subjects.

If the second column feels closer to home, don’t ignore it. Here is what Dr. Emily Levy, expert Learning Specialist, Founder and Director of EBL Coaching, says about the lack of knowledge:

“The child struggles to learn new concepts because they have gaps in their foundational skills.”

There are signs that may indicate that the child has a real skills gap. The child struggles to learn new concepts because they have gaps in their foundational skills. For example, if a child never mastered addition facts, they will likely have difficulty solving double-digit, multi-step addition problems.

Sign 2: Homework Takes Much Longer Than It Should

According to homework researcher Harris Cooper from Duke University, the “10-minute rule” is the guideline for how much time kids should spend on their homework: 10 minutes of homework per grade level, per night. That is, if a child is in the 5th grade, this is 50 minutes per day, for the 2nd grader, it is only 20 minutes.

Becky Ward, Education Experience Specialist at Tutor Doctor, emphasizes that how your child works is as important as what they know:

“Effort without progress is the signal to look closer.”

A temporary struggle usually has an obvious cause and a quick recovery. A real skill gap looks different. It persists across weeks, it shows up even when your child is trying. The biggest tell is in subjects like math that build on themselves, where today’s lesson depends on last month’s foundation. If ‘I just don’t get it’ is replacing specific confusion, or your child is spending far longer on homework with little to show, that’s usually a gap, not a bad week.

More often than not, these are the first signs a child needs a reading tutor or math tutor.

Sign 3: The Same Gaps Keep Showing Up

The other marker is the fact that the same mistakes come up again and again. On the one hand, the kid is studying; on the other hand, they keep getting the same things wrong on tests and exams.

These repeated “holes” usually point to a gap in the foundation. The child simply has nothing to build a new topic on. If addition didn’t stick, subtraction and multiplication will fall apart. If sounding out syllables is hard, reading difficulties can snowball, and then understanding a textbook paragraph becomes a whole other difficulty. That’s why it’s worth figuring out which topics are weak and fixing them.

Sign 4: Your Child Suddenly Doesn’t Like School

Have you ever heard something like “I don’t want to go to school, it’s boring”, “I’m not doing my homework”, “I don’t care about lessons”? That “boredom” often implies gaps in knowledge. The child sees that things aren’t working out and makes the most logical move: avoids whatever makes them uncomfortable.

When a child is consistently lost in class, every single day becomes a bit stressful. It’s easier to say that school is bad than to admit that they haven’t understood the last few topics, and asking feels embarrassing. So treat a sudden dislike of school as a signal to ask yourself: does my child need extra help with school?

Note: If your child doesn’t want to go to school, first make sure it’s not because of conflicts with classmates or teachers!

Sign 5: Frustration or Tears During Homework

Frequent homework tears or anger are a clear signal that the material exceeds your child’s current skill level. Surely, it’s completely normal when something doesn’t click the first time, but if you stepped in (e.g., caught up on the topics together, took a break, gave them a little push) and it has worked out, it’s a perfect sign.

But if homework sessions regularly end in tears or anger, that’s a red flag. For many children, especially neurodivergent learners (those with ADHD, autism, or dyslexia), emotions are not just a reaction. This is a signal that the load is too high, and the material hasn’t caught up with their skills yet.

In that case, broader academic support is needed. It’s worth learning more about ADHD and reading challenges, as well as the ADHD and math relation, and looking into the best reading programs for dyslexia support. On our end, Brighterly’s dyslexia tutors work with kids who struggle with focus, making sure lessons are genuinely engaging, informative, and above all, at the kids’ own pace.

Sign 6: Low Confidence in One Subject Specifically

Pay attention to whether your child says something like “I’m bad at math”, “I hate reading”, etc. Listen for that shift as Claire Smizer, Brighterly Educational Advisor, says:

“A child who’s started narrating themselves as someone who can’t is in a different kind of trouble than one who’s behind a unit or two.”

Confidence and competence move together — when one slips, the other follows. And the worst thing a well-meaning adult can do here is agree: ‘I wasn’t good at math either.’ That hands the kid permission to quit.

What’s even more important is that the feeling that something is beyond their abilities can actually shape low self-esteem, both within school walls and throughout life. And that will affect how a pupil performs in other subjects as well. So if your child is struggling with one subject, stay careful, maybe that’s exactly why your child needs extra help in school.

Sign 7: You Keep Thinking “They’ll Catch Up on Their Own”

No, most likely your child won’t catch up on their own. Especially if the learning gaps happened in foundational knowledge, particularly in math and reading. These subjects get harder practically every week and are built on what kids have already learned. To avoid a snowball effect, the wiser move, and honestly, the cheaper one is extra support.

Spotted the first warning signs? That’s exactly when to get a tutor for your child.

What to Do When You Spot These Signs

Talk to the Teacher First

Your child’s teacher is your ally. It’s worth sitting down with them and asking what they’ve noticed that’s working, where the struggles are, which subject has taken a hit, and how your child feels during lessons. Are they engaged or checked out? Teachers notice patterns parents don’t always see at home. This conversation alone can help you figure out what to do next.

Don’t Wait for the Next Report Card

It’s tempting to hope that the next semester will just go better on its own. But it’s still smarter to act now and actually see the results in the next report card. Otherwise, there’s a real risk that school performance will only keep sliding.

What to Look for in a Tutor

One solid solution is to find a professional tutor who knows each pitfall of the school curriculum. If you already have someone in mind, great. If not, our reading tutoring and math tutoring are here.

A few things that make Brighterly work:

• Our one-on-one tutoring puts all the attention exactly where it should be — on your child.
• Math and reading require a sharper eye than most subjects, and that’s exactly where we focus.
• We know the methods, and we’ll find the right fit for your child from K-12 grades.

Conclusion: How Do I Know if My Child Needs a Tutor?

The warning signs from this article don’t appear for no reason. If you’ve noticed something from this list, then keep your finger on the pulse. And when it’s no longer just one or two bells ringing, the best thing you can do is accept the situation and fix it as quickly as possible for your child’s peace of mind and confidence.

If “does my child need a tutor” keeps coming back to you, Brighterly is at your service. You’re welcome to book a free lesson and get to know us.

Frequently Asked Questions  

Does Tutoring Help Kids with Dyslexia or Reading Difficulties?
Absolutely! Individual tutoring is one of the major ways to help kids with dyslexia specifically. It works because a dyslexia reading tutor works with the child at their own pace, ensuring the child gradually masters phonics, decoding, and fluency without pressure or comparisons to others. However, it’s important for the teacher to be qualified and understand the specifics of dyslexia and reading challenges.

What Are the Signs My Middle Schooler Needs a Tutor?
In the case of middle school, the most revealing signal is low grades, especially when they drop suddenly in one specific subject. Add to that a child who refuses to do homework, avoids a particular class, or starts comparing themselves to classmates (“everyone gets it but me”), and that’s a clear sign it’s time to look closer.

Does My Elementary Child Need a Math Tutor?
Here it’s necessary to check whether your explanations help and your child isn’t falling behind at school curriculum. If you notice that new topics are weighing on them, it’s better not to wait for better and react quickly. Elementary school is exactly where the foundation is built, the one that every new arithmetic rule gets layered onto later.

At What Grade Level Should You Start Thinking About a Tutor?
There’s no particular rule about what grade you can start hiring a tutor for; teachers work with kids from K through 12. What matters more is tuning into how your child is feeling: are they managing school tasks on their own, or is it already getting hard without extra help?

Can Online Tutoring Work as Well as In-Person for Kids Who Are Struggling?
Whatever the format, the key thing is to check whether teaching is of high quality and the teacher is seasoned. The in-person format has many advantages. However, online lessons can keep a child engaged through animated exercises and a more dynamic pace. On top of that, it’s more convenient, especially for families who don’t have the time or ability to drop off and pick up their child. Bonus is the schedule, which is flexible too.

The post 7 Signs Your Child Needs a Tutor: How to Know When to Get Help appeared first on EBL Coaching.

If you’re searching for the best summer tutoring programs in NYC for kids with learning disabilities, you’re on the right track. Many students with dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning challenges experience significant learning loss over the summer. The right tutoring program can help your child maintain their academic skills, close learning gaps, and build confidence before the new school year.

Why summer tutoring is important for students with learning disabilities

As students move through school, the academic demands increase rapidly, and for children with learning differences such as dyslexia, ADHD, or executive functioning challenges, the difficulties can be even greater.

During the summer, students with learning disabilities:

• Often lose important reading, writing, and math skills
• Experience widening learning gaps
• Show decreased confidence

That is why many families in Manhattan, the Upper East Side, and across NYC turn to specialized summer tutoring programs that offer intensive, individualized instruction using research-based techniques designed for students with learning disabilities.

What are the best summer tutoring programs in NYC for learning disabilities?

The best summer tutoring programs in NYC for students with learning disabilities offer one-on-one instruction, use multi-sensory teaching methods, and provide individualized tutoring plans. These programs help prevent summer learning loss while improving reading, writing, math, and executive functioning skills.

What makes the best summer tutoring programs in NYC effective?

Not all tutoring programs are effective for students with learning disabilities or ADHD. In a place like NYC, where there are many summer tutoring options, it’s important to find the right option for your child.

Learn how to prevent summer learning loss in children with dyslexia at Summer Tutoring for Students with Dyslexia: How to Prevent Learning Loss.

Individualized one-on-one tutoring

The most effective summer tutoring programs individualize the instruction to meet your child’s specific needs. Each student should receive an initial assessment, and then a custom tutoring plan should be developed based on their unique profile.

Multi-sensory teaching methods

Students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities benefit from structured, multi-sensory tutoring. Effective programs should use research-based techniques that engage the visual, auditory, and tactile/kinesthetic modalities.

Consistent, intensive sessions

Most students with learning disabilities benefit from intensive, consistent tutoring sessions. Summer is a great time to focus on more rigorous skills building, when the academic demands of school lighten. Students with learning challenges typically benefit from:

• One-on-one instruction
• Multiple sessions per week
• Structured, multi-sensory tutoring lessons
• Communication with parents regarding progress

Specialized expertise

When seeking the right summer tutoring program for your child, look for a program that specializes in:

• Learning disabilities, including dyslexia
• ADHD
• Autism
• Reading intervention
• Writing remediation
• Multi-sensory math instruction
• Executive functioning coaching

Learn how to find the best tutor for your child in NYC at How to Find the Best Tutor for Your Child in NYC – EBL Coaching.

Types of summer tutoring programs in Manhattan for learning disabilities

1. One-on-One tutoring
One-on-one tutoring offers the greatest level of individualized instruction and is the most effective option for students with learning disabilities.

2. Specialized learning centers
Manhattan has many different learning centers and NYC private tutoring centers, but not all of them specialize in helping students with learning disabilities and ADHD.
An effective summer tutoring program for learning disabilities should specialize in:

• Dyslexia
• Dysgraphia
• Dyscalculia
• ADHD
• Autism
• Executive functioning skills
• Reading, writing, and math challenges

When searching for a summer tutoring program, focus on providers that specialize in dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning challenges and offer structured, individualized tutoring.

3. Virtual summer tutoring
For many NYC families, virtual tutoring offers flexibility while still maintaining high quality instruction.
Virtual summer tutoring sessions allow students to receive expert specialized instruction from home.

How to choose the best summer tutoring program in NYC for your child

When looking for the best summer tutoring program in NYC, make sure you ask the right questions. Some questions you may want to ask include:

• Do you offer one-on-one tutoring?
• Do tutors specialize in working with students with learning disabilities using research-based methods?
• Do you use a multi-sensory approach?
• Can tutoring sessions take place at my home?
• Do you offer Upper East Side tutoring?
• Do you offer virtual tutoring sessions?
• Do you help with reading, writing, math, and executive functioning skills using specialized techniques?

Learn about finding a dyslexia tutor in NYC at What to Look for in a Dyslexia Tutor | NYC East Macaroni Kid.

Are you looking for a summer tutor for your child with a learning disability?

EBL Coaching can help! We specialize in providing one-on-one tutoring using research-based, multi-sensory techniques to students with specialized learning needs at your home, at our learning center, or virtually. Contact us now to see how we can help your child with our individualized summer tutoring programs.
Our NYC learning center is located at 17 East 89th Street, Suite 1D, New York, NY 10128 and our New Jersey learning center is located at 50 East Palisade Avenue, Suite 201, Englewood, NJ 07631.

We provide in-home summer tutoring throughout NYC and its surrounding areas, and we also provide in-home summer tutoring in Bergen County and surrounding areas in New Jersey.

Why summer is the best time to catch up

Summer is an ideal time to focus on building foundational skills and filling in any learning gaps.

• With the right summer tutoring program, students can:
• Strengthen their reading, writing, and math skills
• Improve their executive functioning skills
• Fill in learning gaps
• Build self-confidence before starting the new school year

Many NYC students who receive summer tutoring from programs start the new school year feeling confident and prepared.

Closing thoughts

The best summer tutoring programs for students with learning disabilities in NYC:

• Offer one-on-one instruction
• Use evidence-based, multi-sensory techniques
• Are individualized to the specific needs of each student
• Provide a consistent tutoring schedule
• Specialize in helping students with learning disabilities and ADHD

For many students, EBL Coaching offers an ideal summer tutoring plan, with one-on-one instruction that is evidence-based and customized to the unique needs of each student.

FAQs about summer tutoring for students with learning disabilities

Does my child need summer tutoring?
If your child is struggling with reading, writing, math, or executive functioning skills, summer is an ideal time for one-on-one tutoring. Summer tutoring can help build foundational skills, fill in learning gaps, and prevent academic regression.

How often should my child attend tutoring?
The frequency of summer tutoring varies based on the needs of each student. Some students only need 1-2 sessions per week, while others, especially those with more profound learning needs, benefit from more intensive sessions.

Is online tutoring effective for students with learning disabilities?
Yes!  High-quality online tutoring programs can be very effective for students with learning disabilities. They generally offer more flexible scheduling and access to tutors who may not be available in your local area.

What makes EBL Coaching’s summer tutoring different?
EBL Coaching specializes in individualized, multi-sensory instruction for students with learning disabilities, helping children build their reading, writing, math, and executive functioning skills and thrive academically.

Can summer tutoring help my child catch up?
Absolutely. With consistent, targeted instruction, many students make significant academic gains over the summer.

Dr. Emily Levy, the founder and director of EBL Coaching, holds her Doctorate Degree in Education and her Master’s Degree in Special Education. She has helped thousands of students with learning disabilities for over twenty years. She is also the author of the Strategies for Study Success student workbook series, the Flags and Stars Orton Gillingham student workbook program, and the Flags and Stars Multi-Sensory Math program, used by students and schools nationwide.

The post Best Summer Tutoring Programs in NYC for Kids with Learning Disabilities appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Your child may excel in certain academic skills but struggle with others. Some students, for example, do well in math, but have difficulty with reading and writing. Others might have strong academic skills but need help with their executive functioning skills, like planning, organization, and time management. You may know that your child needs a tutor, but how can you find a good tutor for your child in Manhattan?

Start with a tutoring evaluation 

When seeking a tutor in NYC for your child, it’s important to start with a tutoring evaluation. You may know your child is struggling with a skill, such as reading, but you might not know the specific aspects of reading they need tutoring in. For example, they might have difficulty decoding consonant-vowel-consonant words, words with blends, consonant digraphs, or vowel digraphs, or multi-syllabic word patterns. They may struggle with reading comprehension, including identifying important details, synthesizing the main idea, or making inferences. Before beginning a tutoring program in NYC, your child should start with an initial evaluation. This tutoring evaluation will help determine their specific areas of need in order to come up with an effective tutoring plan.

Choose a tutor who specializes in your child’s needs

It’s important that your child works with a tutor in NYC who specializes in the skills they need help with. For example, if your child has writing challenges, you wouldn’t want them to work with a math specialist. If your child has dyslexia, they would likely benefit from Orton Gillingham tutoring in NYC to effectively remediate their reading skills. When using a tutoring service, after receiving an evaluation, your child should be matched with a tutor in Manhattan who specializes in what they need the most help with, including specific techniques and methodologies.

Learn more about reading tutoring in NYC at
https://eblcoaching.com/what-to-look-for-in-a-reading-specialist-in-nyc/

Find a tutor that uses a structured plan in tutoring sessions

Before your child starts a tutoring program in NYC, a structured plan should be in place to specifically address their areas of need. The tutoring should follow a systematic approach, beginning with your child’s levels and areas of weakness and moving upwards as they progress with their skills. For example, if your child has a learning disability or reading challenges and struggles to read consonant-vowel-consonant words, like mug, pat, or sit, they might benefit from a structured Orton Gillingham tutoring plan. This tutoring plan may begin with teaching your child individual letters and their corresponding sounds, and how to blend those sounds together to form words using a multi-sensory approach. The Orton Gillingham lessons might include tools such as colored sand, magnetic tiles, and a mini whiteboard, all as part of the structured lesson plan. Once your child is effectively able to read consonant-vowel-consonant words, the tutor can move onto words containing blends, consonant digraphs, vowel digraphs, silent e patterns, multi-syllabic word patterns, and so on, all following a structured, systematic approach.

Look for a tutor that has a personality connection with your child

While it’s important that your child works with a tutor in NYC or tutoring service in Manhattan that specializes in the skills they need help with, it’s also important that your child feels a strong connection with the tutor. The right personality match is key and is important in helping your child feel open and receptive to new ideas and strategies that the tutor will teach them. Many children don’t respond as well to tutoring from someone they don’t feel a strong connection to. When using a tutoring service in NYC, after the evaluation, your child should be matched with a tutor who both specializes in the areas they need help with and who is a good personality fit for your child.

Learn more about tutoring and executive functioning coaching in NYC for your child at https://eblcoaching.com/can-executive-functioning-coaching-help-my-child/
Finding the right tutor in NYC can be a game changer for your child. Follow these ideas to identify a great tutor and help your child thrive in school.

Is your child struggling in school? Learn how EBL Coaching can help them with reading remediation, writing tutoring, math tutoring, executive functioning coaching, and Orton Gillingham tutoring at www.eblcoaching.com. At EBL Coaching, we have helped hundreds students in Manhattan strengthen their reading, writing, math, and executive functioning skills through individualized one-on-one instruction.

Frequently asked questions

What are some signs your child may need a tutor?
If you notice that your child is struggling with an academic skill or set of skills at school; avoids homework; struggles to stay organized or manage their time; or has grades that are falling, you may want to consider a one-on-one tutor for them.

When should my child start tutoring?
If you see your child struggling in school or has declining self-esteem, don’t wait! It’s better to be proactive in seeking academic remediation for them than waiting until the struggles become greater.

What are some skills my child may learn from one-on-one tutoring?
Your child’s one-on-one tutoring sessions should be tailored to their specific challenges. If they struggle with reading and writing, for example, the tutoring sessions should remediate those skills using a structured approach that meets their needs.

Dr. Emily Levy, the founder and director of EBL Coaching, has been running a specialized tutoring program in NYC for over 20 years.

The post How to Find The Best Tutor in NYC For Your Child appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Interviewing Dr. Levy, an educational expert, business owner, public speaker and author that specialized learning needs in grades Pre-K to 12, you will sure be inspired by this short interview.

Coming from a family of educators, she finds her calling at her young age and started her teaching journey since 1993 as a speaker of an event hosted by Ministry of Education.

We journey with her on her 31 years of teaching journey to become the founder of her own education business in 2004 helping kid and young teens learn better using research based multi-sensory techniques, and here is her story.

The post Dr. Emily Levy: Founder of EBL Coaching & Expert in Student Success appeared first on EBL Coaching.

EBL Coaching Offers Specialized ADHD Tutoring To Help!

Does your child with ADHD have difficulties at school? Do they struggle with time management, organization, task initiation, note taking, or planning? If so, your child may benefit from specialized ADHD tutoring to help build these critical skills. ADHD tutoring can help your child thrive with the strategies detailed below.

Time Management

Students with ADHD often struggle to effectively manage their time. They may over or under estimate how long they think a task may take to complete. They might start working on their homework later in the day, only to find that they aren’t able to finish it or must stay up very late in order to do so. They may be tardy in turning in their homework assignments or might forget to turn them in entirely. ADHD tutoring can help your child build stronger time management skills. One strategy that may help them is the ET/AT strategy, where students are taught to predict how long they think a task might take to complete (and write down the ET, or estimated time), then compare it to the actual time it takes to complete (and write down the AT, or actual time). Students who struggle with time management typically find that there is a big discrepancy between these times when they start using this strategy but the more they practice this strategy during ADHD tutoring sessions and on their own, the more these times will start to merge.

Create a Study Space 

Students with ADHD often lose their belongings and can’t always find the supplies they need in order to complete their homework. They might sit down to start an assignment, only to find that they don’t have the necessary materials at hand and spend ample time wondering around looking for pens, pencils, paper, or highlighters. ADHD tutoring can help your child create a study space that has all of the supplies they may need to complete their homework. This space should include their computer, writing tools, paper, scissors, and so on. If you notice your child’s supplies are running low, encourage them to refill the supplies or help them do so, so they always have the supplies they need in their study space.

Prioritization 

Prioritizing tasks can be a challenge for students with ADHD. They may start a less important assignment only to find that they run out of time and aren’t able to complete a more important assignment or study for a critical upcoming test. ADHD tutoring can help your child evaluate all upcoming assignments and tests and come up with a plan for completing them, prioritizing the more important tasks first, followed by the less important ones. ADHD tutoring can also integrate the ET/AT strategy for deciding which tasks to prioritize, building time management skills along with prioritization.

Note Taking

Students with ADHD often have trouble taking effective notes. They may lose focus during a lesson and miss key elements that they needed to take down, or they might scribble down disorganized notes that they may not be able to read or understand later. ADHD tutoring can help your child develop more effective note taking skills. One strategy they may learn from ADHD tutoring is the column style method, where students learn to write the topic of the lesson on the top of their page (like “World War 1”), then divide their page into two columns: one for main ideas on the left side and one for notes on the right side. In school, they should only take notes on the right side of their page, in the notes section. Then when they get home and look at their notes, they should categorize their notes into  main ideas and write those main ideas in the left column, like “Causes of World War 1”, “Battles of World War 1”, and so on. Students can learn to effectively use this strategy with ADHD tutoring to help them become more effective note takers. 

Hire a tutor

ADHD tutoring can help your child tremendously with developing these key skills. Building stronger time management, studying, note taking, and prioritization skills with ADHD tutoring can help your child excel in school.

The post Can Tutoring Help Your Child with ADHD? appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Date published: 6/8/23

Listen to the full podcast here

In this podcast, Dr. Levy discusses ways to help children with autism do well in school.

Being a parent to a child with autism can be challenging. These children might be distractable, struggle to communicate, have behavioral challenges, or demonstrate difficulty with transitions. Yet children with autism can have many gifts too – they can be very caring individuals, can have great memories for facts, and are often good rule followers. It is important that you know your child’s strengths and weakness and always advocate to make sure that they receive the most appropriate services.

When your child starts a new school year, set up a meeting with their teacher and any service providers at the beginning of the year. Tell them about your child’s strengths and weaknesses and discuss strategies that have worked well for them and others that have not worked as well. Discuss a plan for regular communication and make it clear that you are fully vested in your child’s success and want to work as a team with them to help foster your child’s growth. Also try to notice how your child learns best. Many students with autism do well with a visual schedule of which activities to anticipate, and students with autism often learn well using a multisensory approach. Discuss the services your child will receive at school. Some students benefit from a shadow teacher to help keep them engaged in class. Others need a behavior plan with strategies in place for if and when they become overwhelmed or demonstrate behavioral challenges. For some students, having one-on-one special education tutoring to build their unique academic needs can make an immense difference in their academic performance. Read more at Organizational Tools for Academic Success – EBL Coaching.

With the right support and services, students with autism have the potential to do well in school. It is important to always be your child’s best advocate and ensure that they are continuously receiving the most appropriate services, both in and out of school. 

Read more at Autism – Tips for Parents – Better Health Channel.

The post Dr. Emily Levy on the Autism Resource Podcast: Tips for Helping Students with Autism Succeed appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Date published: 5/17/23

Listen to the full podcast here

In this podcast, Dr. Levy discusses strengths and weaknesses of students with autism and how to best help them.

Students with autism have varying types of challenges. Some are nonverbal and struggle significantly to communicate, while others are fully verbal and have difficulty with skills such as social communication, abstract language, and changes to their routine. There are others that fall somewhere in the middle, in different ranges of the autism spectrum. 

Many students with autism, however, struggle with similar skills. They often have difficulty with change and benefit from being made aware of their routines and schedules ahead of time, along with any changes to these routines. They often thrive with a visual schedule that they can see, including how their day will start and what they will do throughout the day, broken down into increments. Many have trouble with language and communication and often have difficulty participating in classroom discussions. They tend to have trouble picking up on nonverbal cues and sustaining friendships. Many struggle in environments that have a lot of sensory stimuli, including loud noises and bright lights. Read more at Differentiating Between ADHD and Autism in Children.

At EBL Coaching, when we provide special education tutoring to students with autism, we take these characteristics into consideration when creating individualized learning plans for each student. We often create visual schedules for each tutoring session and limit sensory stimuli. We also target their academic needs during the tutoring using research-based techniques. For instance, many students with autism struggle with reading comprehension – especially inferencing and abstract language. They may also have difficulty expressing their thoughts on paper in an organized fashion when writing and struggle with their executive functioning skills. To remediate these challenges, we create individualized special education tutoring plans using multisensory techniques that are customized to the needs of each student. This type of instruction can truly help students with autism make significant progress with their academic and language skills.

Read more at Parenting a Child with Autism: Strategies and Support (mind-diagnostics.org).

The post Dr. Emily Levy on the Autism Live Podcast: Learning Strategies for Students with Autism appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Praise their efforts

It is important to praise your child’s efforts as much as possible.

Many children with learning disabilities work very hard on their schoolwork – often much harder than their peers – but their grades don’t reflect this effort. If your child doesn’t score well on a test or assignment but you know how hard they worked and how much time they put in, praise them! Make sure they know that you appreciate this effort, and that a strong work ethic is a skill that will ultimately help them become successful in life. The more you empower them and praise their hard work, the more confident they will become.

Play up their strengths

Children with learning disabilities may struggle with reading, writing, math, or executive functioning skills (or a combination of these skills), but they often have incredible gifts and talents. Those with dyslexia may be very creative and are talented artists. Others are fantastic actors, and many are very social with strong “people skills”. Play up these strengths with after school art classes or acting workshops – or perhaps even encourage them to babysit younger kids when they’re older to flex their great people skills. You may also want to consider Orton Gillingham tutoring if your child has dyslexia and struggles with reading. This specialized learning disability tutoring can boost your child’s academic skills and self-esteem.

Use a multi-sensory approach

Research tells us that using a multi-sensory approach when teaching children with learning disabilities is optimal for their learning. Aside from instruction at school, you can try using a multi-sensory approach at home with your child to help further develop their skills. With younger children, for instance, you can work on letter writing using colored sand or even sugar on a cookie sheet. Tell them the formation of a letter out loud (for instance “down, up, and around” for p, or “down and across” for t) and have them trace the letters in the colored sand or sugar. You can also try this activity using sand at a beach or dirt at a park. For older children, you can build reading comprehension and active reading skills by teaching them to identify three elements when reading: the topic, which is one two or three words describing the passage; the main idea, which is what the author is saying about the topic; and the important details. They can then highlight the topic in blue, main idea in green, and important details in yellow – or choose their own favorite three colors. Multi-sensory tutoring can help them immensely.

Learn more about the Orton Gillingham multi-sensory approach at The Orton Gillingham Approach – EBL Coaching.

They are not alone!

Remind your child that some of the greatest leaders and most successful people in life have a learning disability or ADHD. Tom Cruise and Whoopi Goldberg have dyslexia. Michael Phelps has ADHD. Steve Jobs had dyslexia, and Leonardo Da Vinci likely had both dyslexia and ADHD. Having a learning disability is a gift, and it certainly should not hold your child back in life.

Turn to academic tutoring if needed

Many students with learning disabilities struggle in school. They might have trouble with one skill, like reading, while others struggle with a combination of skills, like reading and math, or executive functioning skills. Some students receive enough support at school to help them thrive, and certain parents can provide extra support at home. However, if your child continues to struggle despite these efforts, you may want to consider one-on-one multi-sensory tutoring or executive functioning coaching. Make sure, however, that it is not homework help or generic tutoring, but that it is specialized tutoring, ideally using a multi-sensory approach, provided by someone with extensive experience working with children with learning disabilities.

Learn more at Orton Gillingham Tutors NYC and NJ – EBL Coaching.

Parents in New York City and New Jersey who are looking for specialized tutoring for dyslexia, ADHD, or executive functioning will find that their child can benefit from EBL Coaching’s research-based, multi-sensory tutoring that is individualized tailored to each child’s needs.

Individuals with learning disabilities often have so many strengths – they are typically bright, creative, and social, but they don’t always see it. Try these ideas to empower your child, build their self-esteem, and ultimately help them thrive in school and in life.

Don’t let your child continue to struggle with reading, writing, math, or executive functioning skills! EBL Coaching’s specialized one-on-one tutoring can make a significant difference in their academic skills and self-esteem. Contact us at www.eblcoaching.com to learn how our multi-sensory, individualized tutoring can help your child build their academic skills and confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do children with learning disabilities have low self-esteem?
Children with learning disabilities often struggle academically. They may notice their peers excelling in reading, writing, or math, while they demonstrate challenges with these skills. Remind your child that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Your child may be social and creative but has a harder time with reading or another academic skill. Building your child’s academic skills with specialized tutoring can also help improve their self-esteem.

How can I help my child with dyslexia feel more confident?
Remind your child about their strengths and praise their hard work and effort. Also show them any concrete progress. For example, if they were only able to write one sentence six months ago but can now write a full paragraph, show them the difference in their writing samples and encourage them to feel good about their own progress.

When should I seek tutoring for my child?
If you notice your child is struggling academically and their self-confidence is taking a toll, you may want to seek tutoring for them. The right specialized tutoring can be life-changing for a child, especially if they have a learning challenge.

Other Related Blogs:

Helping Autistic Students Build Stronger Executive Functioning Skills

Differentiating Between ADHD and Autism in Children

The post Why Does my Child with a Learning Disability Have Low Self-Esteem? appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Does your child struggle at school? Do they have difficulty sounding out new words when reading, breaking down math word problems, or expressing their thoughts on paper when writing? It can be difficult to watch your child struggle. Help your child improve their academic skills with the ideas detailed below.

Be your child’s advocate

If you notice your child is struggling, contact their teacher and set up a time to discuss what you are seeing at home. Find out if the teacher is noticing the same challenges (or others) and if so, ask for specifics. Does your child have trouble staying focused? Has the teacher noticed difficulty with reading, writing, and/or math? Try to get as much feedback as possible, and then maintain regular communication with the teacher to discuss any changes or improvements. If your child continues to struggle, you may want to find out what other resources, including extra help or tutoring, the school offers. If these challenges persist, you might want to request a full evaluation to determine if there are any learning disabilities such as dyslexia, ADHD, executive functioning deficits, or other challenges that may require more support.

Build stronger study skills

Help your child build stronger time management, organization, planning, and overall executive functioning skills. To build time management skills, for example, teach your child to estimate how long they think a task will take to complete (and write down the ET, or estimated time) then compare it to the actual amount of time the task took to complete (and write the AT, or actual time). In the beginning, there is often a large discrepancy between the ET and AT, but the more your child practices this strategy, the better their time management skills will become. You can also help your child set up a 3-tier organizational system for filing papers they don’t need to be carrying with them on a regular basis. To do so, select one day per week to be the “clean out my notebook day” and file away any old papers into an accordion file divided into 3 sections for each class: homework, notes, and tests/quizzes. If it’s challenging for you to help your child build these executive functioning skills, you may want to consider hiring an executive functioning coach.

Try using a multisensory approach

Research tells us that using a multisensory approach to help struggling learners is the way to go! For young children who are learning to read and write, try having them practice writing letters in colored sand or sugar. To do so, pour sand or sugar on a cookie tray and have them trace each letter with their finger, while saying the formation aloud, like “around, up, and down” for lowercase a, or “down, up, and around” for lowercase p. For older students, help them build their reading comprehension skills by teaching them to read a passage and then highlight the topic (1, 2, or 3 words describing the passage) in blue, the main idea (what the author is saying about the passage) in green, and the important details in yellow. The more multisensory instruction you can provide, the better!

Hire a tutor

If your child continues to struggle despite your help at home, you may want to consider hiring a tutor. There are various types of tutors who specialize in different areas; for instance if your child struggles with reading, you may want to consider Orton Gillingham tutoring. The Orton Gillingham approach can do wonders in helping your child build stronger decoding and spelling skills. If they struggle with math, you may want to consider a tutor who can use a multisensory approach and lots of manipulatives to build their math skills, or you might also consider a writing tutor or executive functioning coach. The more specialized the tutoring can be, the better!

It can be challenging to watch your child struggle in school. Yet if you advocate for them, help them at home, and possibly consider hiring a tutor, you can help them achieve academic success as they progress through school.

The post How to Help Your Struggling Learner appeared first on EBL Coaching.