Blog

How to Change Habits
I know, I know, another post about habits. We are firm believers in habits and routines for success at school and beyond. Habits form the

The Five Minute Prep
Too often, struggling students focus on the wrong problem and thus arrive at the wrong solution. Like most human beings, students mistake busyness with productivity,

How to Increase Willpower
Students are bombarded with distractions and decisions all day, at school and at home. Although we frequently prefer systems to plain, old willpower, sometimes the

The Feynman Technique
Simplicity is underrated. Albert Einstein once said, “if you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” True mastery of a concept requires

Three Overlooked Steps in Creating a Winning Workspace
We are big organization people, here at Staying Ahead of the Game. From binders to backpacks, calendars to planners, and everything in between, we understand

The Pomodoro Technique
Students often tell us that they have a hard time motivating themselves to start studying. Once they get rolling, they are fine, but the genesis

Self-Evaluation: A Guide
Measuring progress is one of the essential steps in building academic momentum. We often use the analogy of a long-road trip to convey the necessary

Should My Student Use Flashcards?
Unfortunately, most students mock the mere suggestion of using flashcards to study. Seeing this academic staple as some outdated deterrent to progress, these students instead

A Productive Tool for Busy Students
A dean at a highly competitive Houston high school once told me, “students should expect three to four hours per night, including studying for tests

On Self-Awareness
What distinguishes our unique executive functioning skills program from traditional tutoring companies is our focus on impression management in addition to organization, time management, and

Practical Ideas for Chaotic Moments
As much as we love planners, binders, and other EF-driven systems, they are not perfect. Inevitably, something slips through the cracks or breaks the system.

Boosting Creativity and Executive Function on Vacation
As the world slowly returns to normal, many families are eager to travel after eighteen months of COVID complications. Vacations and family trips are a

Summer Reading Tips for Kids Who Don’t Love to Read
Parents and students alike often dread the mere mention of summer reading. For students, the topic is but a painful reminder of the inevitable return

Your In-Depth Guide to Conquering the ISEE
Few standardized tests are as mysterious as the ISEE. Almost every parent has some knowledge of the SAT or the ACT, but the ISEE is

The Changing Landscape of College Admissions
Although the classroom COVID-19 policies are lessening, the long-term effects are just now coming to the surface. Along with rampant learning loss, the world of

Improving Executive Function Through Athletics
First, a belabored but critical point, executive functioning (EF) skills are the primary determinant of success in school and life. Countless psychological studies confirm this

Evening Routines: An Often Overlooked Tool of Effective Students
It is crucial to remember that success at school has a lot to do with what happens outside of the August to May, Monday to

The Secret to Improving Your Student’s Confidence and Network
The gleaming lights of the Apple store cascade above all other stores. The promise of cutting-edge tech and a near cult-following give Apple an advantage,

Teaching Kids to Love Reading
Remember when your child begged for a bedtime story every night? Remember when birthday gifts consisted of classic stories like The Giving Tree and Where

How Posture Affects Learning
“Sit still” is by far one of my least favorite teacher instructions. It’s almost as anemic as “just focus,” as we discussed in a recent

Help Your Child Become a Single Tasker
Single-taskers will soon rule the world. Multitaskers simply cannot compete with the power of intense concentration. Although multitasking gives the illusion of productivity, it is

Spaced Repetition
Learning how to learn is the hallmark of our unique academic coaching program. While we are perfectly capable of traditional subject tutoring or test prep,

How to Work on Writing over the Summer
Parents always ask us what their students should be working on over the summer. Particularly with the dangers of COVID-19 learning loss, summer remediation and

Inside the Mind of A Student with ADHD
A modern-day classrooms use a one-size-fits-all approach. Unfortunately, this leaves students with learning differences on the fringes, unable to receive the support they need to