Study Skills vs. Executive Function Coaching: Why Your Child Actually Needs Both

Just like breakfast needs both cereal and milk, your child’s success needs both study skills and executive function coaching—not one or the other.

So, you’re standing in Target’s cereal aisle, overwhelmed by 47 different breakfast options, when your neurodivergent kiddo asks, “Mom, should I get Cheerios OR milk?” You’d probably look at them like they’d grown a second head, right? Because obviously, you need BOTH to make breakfast work.

Welcome to the world of educational support, where parents are too often convinced that study skills tutoring and executive function coaching are two separate choices. Spoiler alert: they’re not.

Hey there, fellow parent-warrior 👋

If you’ve landed here, chances are you’re drowning in educational jargon and wondering whether your amazing (but struggling) kiddo needs study skills help or executive function coaching. I’m here to tell you something that might blow your mind: you’re asking the wrong question entirely.

The Costly Myth: Study Skills vs. Executive Function Coaching

Here’s what happens in offices and tutoring programs across the country:

• Executive function coaches are teaching kids how to use planners—but don’t know how to help them study for that biology test.

• Study skills tutors are drilling flashcards—but ignoring the fact that your ADHD child’s working memory can’t hold onto three facts at once.

It’s like hiring a mechanic who fixes the engine but refuses to touch the transmission. Sure, the car might start—but it’s not going anywhere.

The Fruit Basket Revelation (AKA Why I'm Passionate About This)

Comparing study skills to executive function coaching is like comparing apples to the entire fruit basket. Study skills—note-taking strategies, test prep techniques, organization systems—should naturally live inside comprehensive executive function support, not compete with it for your attention and wallet.

Think about it: Executive function is your child's cognitive operating system. It includes planning, organization, time management, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. Study skills? They're just really important apps that need to run on that operating system to work properly.

When I work with a student who has dyscalculia, I'm not just teaching them math strategies (though we definitely do that). I'm also helping them understand that their brain needs visual organizers, that they process information better with movement breaks, and that their working memory needs extra support. That's integrated support in action.

Why Cookie-Cutter Study Skills Classes Fail Neurodivergent Kids

Some parents dismiss study skills classes as cookie-cutter approaches, and honestly? Sometimes they're right. But here's the thing—quality study skills instruction doesn't have to be generic any more than executive function coaching has to ignore academic strategies.

The magic happens when a professional understands that your dyslexic child needs audio recording tools AND the executive function skills to remember to use them. Or that your ADHD kiddo benefits from color-coding systems AND the self-regulation strategies to implement them consistently.

I've spent years collecting certifications and training in both areas because—plot twist—they're not separate things!

The Integration Gap: Why Kids Bounce Between Tutors and Coaches

Real success happens when you have a professional that will integrate study skills and executive function skills into your child's sessions.

Here's what keeps me up at night: too many well-meaning professionals are creating artificial silos.

• Executive function coach who have no idea how to teach students to study (since no one else has, someone has to), and

• Study skills tutors who have no training in ADHD or working memory challenges.

Your neurodivergent child doesn't have the luxury of compartmentalized support. Their dyscalculia doesn't pause during planning time, and their ADHD doesn't disappear when they're trying to memorize vocabulary words.

Real talk: I've seen kids bounce between three different specialists, making minimal progress, when what they really needed was ONE person who understood how all the pieces fit together.

The Real Question Parents Should Be Asking

Instead of:

❌ “Should my child work with a study skills tutor or an executive function coach?”

Ask this:

✅ “Is this professional equipped to support both academic skills AND executive function in an integrated way?”

Because here’s the truth bomb: executive function skills are life skills. They’re the abilities your child will carry into adulthood. And study skills? They’re part of that same equation—not separate.

The Parent’s Checklist for Finding the Right Support

Here’s what to ask when you’re interviewing potential tutors or coaches:

✅ "How do you integrate study skills into executive function support?" (If they look confused, run.)

✅ "Can you help my child with test anxiety AND actual test-taking strategies?" (Both are needed!)

✅ "What's your training background?" (Look for multiple certifications and ongoing professional development.)

✅ "How do you adapt strategies for different learning profiles?" (One size fits none in our world.)

At MindBridge Math Mastery, I pull from educational therapy training, executive function coaching, multisensory math instruction, study skills coaching and specialized certifications. Not because I'm a show off (okay, maybe a little 😅)—but because your child deserves support that connects ALL the dots.

Why Integrated Support Builds Lasting Confidence

Success isn’t about choosing between study skills or executive function—it’s about bringing them together so your child can thrive.

Your incredible, neurodivergent child doesn’t need to choose between learning how to study and building executive function skills. They need both—woven together—delivered by someone who understands that academic success and life skills go hand in hand.

Stop settling for fragmented support. Your child deserves a professional who sees the whole picture—not just their specialty slice.

👉 Ready to explore integrated support that actually makes sense? Book your free 15-minute consultation and let’s figure out how to help your amazing kiddo thrive—in school and in life.

📞 Call 1-877-757-MIND (6463) or email info@mindbridgemath.com

Because at MindBridge Math Mastery, we believe in building bridges, not walls. And yes, sometimes that means calling out educational myths that aren’t serving our families.

P.S. Yes, I really did spend my Friday night writing about cereal and educational pet peeves. This is what happens when you're passionate about helping kids succeed. No regrets. 😊

Ms. Susan Math & Dyscalculia Specialist/Executive Function & Study Skills Coach

About the Author

Ms. Susan Ardila is the founder of MindBridge Math Mastery, where she blends over a decade of teaching experience, a Master’s in Math Education, and specialized training in executive function coaching and educational therapy. She’s passionate about helping neurodivergent students—especially those with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia—gain both the academic skills and the life skills they need to thrive. When she’s not busting educational myths with cereal aisle analogies, you’ll find her creating bold, research-based strategies that turn struggling students into confident learners.