Academic and Writing Skills Coaching Program
Writing Challenges
Writing is a complex task that combines many language skills, from phonemic awareness and handwriting to idea generation, planning, organization, and critical thinking.
Despite their intelligence, students with dysgraphia, executive function deficits, processing speed issues, attention difficulties, or learning disabilities in written expression can struggle significantly. Anxiety disorders and ADHD affect up to 60% of these students, worsening academic performance and increasing avoidance of writing tasks.
Students who struggle with written expression often produce work that is too short, disorganized, and filled with errors, despite having strong ideas. The process feels laborious, and rushing to meet deadlines leads to stress and low self-esteem. Research shows that targeted strategy instruction and assistive technology can meaningfully improve writing performance and self-confidence when skills are taught explicitly.
Introduction to Evoke’s Academic and Writing Skills Coaching Program
Evokeʼs Academic and Writing Skills Coaching program is designed for students in Grades 7–12 who face challenges with academic writing while managing stress, anxiety, depression, self-regulation difficulties, executive functioning challenges, emotional dysregulation, or ADHD. Our program offers a unique combination of academic and social-emotional support, providing personalized guidance, counselling, direct instruction, and strategies to help students reach their full potential.
Who Is a Candidate for the Academic and Writing Skills Coaching Program?
The program is available for students in Grades 7–12. It is particularly beneficial for neurodivergent students (e.g., those with ADHD, learning disabilities, ASD, and anxiety) who need extra support with writing and related challenges such as emotional regulation, task avoidance, motivation, and procrastination.
How Does the Program Help?
The program uses research-informed strategies to assist students in the following areas:
- 01 Enhancing Academic Performance: We equip students with research-informed tools and strategies to improve academic outcomes. This includes developing effective study routines; planning and prioritizing assignments; breaking tasks into manageable steps; using active study strategies; improving note-taking and reading comprehension; preparing for tests and exams; and building the self-monitoring skills needed to study more independently over time.
- 02 Developing Writing and Executive Function Skills: Our coaching builds research-informed writing strategies alongside the executive function skills needed to manage the writing process from start to finish. Students learn to interpret assignment expectations, generate and organize ideas, create outlines, initiate and sustain multi-step assignments, and revise effectively, developing the independence and efficiency to apply these skills across subject areas.
- 03 Applying Executive Function Strategies: We focus on the practical application of executive function skills in real academic contexts, so students can effectively transfer these skills to their schoolwork.
- 04 Utilizing Assistive Technology: We provide direct instruction to guide students in using assistive technology effectively for reading, writing, note-taking, studying, and organization, improving their academic performance and productivity.
- 05 Supporting Social-Emotional Well-Being: By integrating coaching and counselling, we address the studentʼs social-emotional challenges, helping them overcome barriers such as anxiety, stress, perfectionism, emotional and self-regulation deficits, and learned helplessness.
- 06 Promoting Self-Advocacy: We equip students with the skills to advocate for their needs, enabling them to articulate what support and accommodations are necessary for their success.
- 07 Fostering Confidence and Independence: We focus on building self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-efficacy, encouraging a sense of empowerment and promoting independent learning.
What Makes Evoke’s Academic and Writing Skills Coaching Program Unique?
Evokeʼs program integrates cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) principles, research-based writing strategies, and effective academic coaching. We set personalized goals, create actionable plans, address obstacles, and teach problem-solving strategies, all within a holistic framework that includes social-emotional learning for each studentʼs comprehensive development.
Program Commitment and Getting Started
We begin with a student intake session to gather essential background information, identify strengths and challenges, and set personalized goals. This enables us to tailor the coaching experience to each studentʼs unique needs, which is documented in an individualized service plan. Sessions are conducted online with our academic and writing strategy coaches for added flexibility. We require a minimum commitment of two 45-minute sessions per week (six hours per month) to ensure consistency and meaningful progress. Additional sessions can be scheduled as needed.
Let’s Talk
For more information or to schedule an intake session, please email us at [email protected]. We look forward to supporting your family!