Root, Reflect, Rise, Reach: The Oak & Ivy Approach to Executive Function Coaching

At Oak & Ivy, we don’t just support students—we partner with them on a journey of self-awareness, skill-building, and purposeful growth. That journey is guided by our signature framework: Root, Reflect, Rise, and Reach.

This four-part model isn't just a clever mnemonic. It’s grounded in research on executive functioning, motivational theory, and real-world coaching experience with hundreds of neurodiverse learners.

Let’s break it down.

Root: Build the Foundation

Executive functioning begins here—with the cognitive processes that help us plan, prioritize, initiate, and follow through.

Research from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University emphasizes that executive functions are like air traffic control for the brain—crucial for managing time, staying focused, and switching tasks effectively.

In this domain, we help students:

• Create systems for organizing materials and assignments

• Use time-management strategies like backward planning and visual schedules

• Improve sustained attention and task initiation

We anchor students in concrete habits and systems, helping them feel more in control—because no one can grow if their academic foundation is crumbling.

Reflect: Understand and Regulate

Once rooted, we ask students to Reflect. This domain focuses on emotional regulation and social insight, both critical for executive functioning success.

According to Dr. Adele Diamond, a leading cognitive neuroscientist, emotional control is interdependent with executive function—stress, anxiety, and frustration impair working memory and impulse control.

In Reflect, students:

• Learn to notice their own emotional states without judgment

• Develop strategies for handling frustration, procrastination, or anxiety

• Explore how social dynamics impact their learning and motivation

It’s not therapy. But it is therapeutic. Students learn how their minds and moods work—and how to respond with more awareness.

Rise: Advocate and Own the Process

Rise is where students begin to take flight.

We focus on self-advocacy, metacognition, and agency—what researchers like Zimmerman (2002) refer to as self-regulated learning. These are the skills that help students own their experience, rather than react to it.

In Rise, we help students:

• Identify their learning needs and communicate them clearly

• Develop confidence to ask for support

• Begin to monitor their own progress and adjust strategies

Whether a student needs accommodations or simply needs a voice, Rise is where they find it.

Reach: Set Goals and Move Forward

The final domain, Reach, helps students look ahead—to college, careers, passions, and purpose.

We integrate goal-setting theory (Locke & Latham, 2002) and future-oriented planning into coaching, supporting students in:

• Setting short- and long-term goals

• Connecting daily habits to future aspirations

• Exploring interests that fuel intrinsic motivation

This is where it all clicks—when a student understands not just how to function better, but why it matters.

Why It Works

Our model reflects what the science—and experience—tells us:

• Executive functioning is multi-dimensional

• Students thrive when coaching addresses both skill and identity

• Growth is strongest when rooted in self-understanding and connection

That’s why we don’t just tutor. We guide, reflect, challenge, and celebrate. Because lasting change isn’t just about turning in homework—it’s about turning a corner.