Blog

Understanding and Avoiding Helicopter Parenting
Nobody likes a helicopter parent, right? Most of us have heard the term used at some point, probably in a critical way, but what exactly

Executive Function & School Cell Phone Policies
Executive functioning skills are crucial for students’ academic success and personal growth. These skills fall into four main categories: organization, time management, learning skills, and

Keeping Summer Math Packets Effective
This blog post is about a controversial subject. Well, it’s a controversial subject for students, at least. As summer approaches, students eagerly anticipate a break

Introduction and Overview of Executive Function
Executive Function (EF) refers to a set of cognitive processes that help individuals manage themselves and their resources to achieve goals. These processes include working

Helping Students Achieve Peak Performance
Final exams are similar to Olympic events. Just as an athlete trains relentlessly for four years for an event that may last mere seconds, students

Between Exams & Summer Vacation
As the final exams conclude, a common scene unfolds among students: stacks of notes are discarded, textbooks close for the last time, and school-built routines

Preparing for Cumulative Exams
For better or worse, cumulative exams are a constant of academic life. Although they seem like mere elongated versions of traditional assessments, in reality, these

Three Key Principles of Student Productivity
This is usually the month when final exam preparation finally becomes tangible. For months, students and teachers discuss cumulative exams in the abstract; this is

Learning More Effectively with Secondary Sources
The classroom is where learning traditionally happens, but it’s not the only place. Yet not all students resonate with the pace or style of this

Procrastination
Introduction to SAOTG’s In-Depth Procrastination Guide Procrastination and its progeny are significant barriers to student success. This guide arms parents, teachers, and support professionals with

Embracing Constraints
When we think about learning or really any effortful activity, it’s easy to assume that more freedom, time, and resources would naturally lead to better

Some Productive Thoughts on Generative AI in Education
A year has passed since we last examined the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. As we said then, generative AI presents both opportunities

SAOTG School Supplies Items
Binder System Items: Avery Heavy-Duty D-ring Binder (2” – White) Avery Heavy-Duty D-ring Binders offer a durable organization solution for your documents with its one-touch

Attention Residue
We often tell teachers and coaches to find ways to be the most interesting thing in the room. In other words, teaching requires capturing and

Executive Function & Self-Regulation
More than Academics Students have a lot on their plate. They navigate a complex terrain, not just academically but also in their social and emotional

Teaching Students to Teach Themselves
At some point in every student’s academic career, self-reliance becomes a necessity rather than a virtue. Whether it’s the subject matter or the teaching style,

Moving the Needle While Studying
There is a difference between movement and progress. Movement is aimless action. Progress, on the other hand, is intentional action toward a clear objective. Students,

Identity-driven Goals
As the new year approaches, it’s a reasonable time for students to reflect on their past achievements and setbacks and set new objectives for their

Planning the Next Semester
As the semester draws to a close, students need to do three things. First, they need to celebrate another semester in the books. Every semester

Hemingway on Procrastination
Procrastination is a common obstacle. It’s a phenomenon that does not discriminate, affecting tasks from essay writing to complex problem-solving in mathematics or science. The

Recognition vs. Recall
Our brains don’t come with an instruction manual, unfortunately, but just imagine if they did. Students could easily flip through the pages of this manual

Music and Focus
We are constantly searching for new ways to optimize study habits and enhance the learning experience. Every year, a student or parent asks a question

Deconstruction: The Key to Acing Cumulative Exams
Mid-terms and final exams are a frequent source of anxiety and frustration. Parents know how difficult these academic tests are, but struggle to help their

Mastering In-Class Essays with Executive Function Strategies
“Write an essay analyzing the character development of Holden Caulfield throughout The Catcher in the Rye. Focus on the themes of innocence and maturity. You