For students who struggle with executive functioning, writing can be a difficult and often overwhelming task. Executive functions such as organization, planning, attention, and self-regulation are all necessary for success with the writing process. For students with challenges in these areas, the task of producing high-quality written work can feel insurmountable. Fortunately, WritingKey breaks the process down into shorter, more manageable tasks that can transform the entire writing process for these students.

Overcoming the Overwhelm: Breaking Down Assignments

More often than not, students with executive functioning difficulties feel like they don't know where to start when it comes to longer, multi-step assignments and projects. As a result, they can end up sitting in front of an assignment for extended periods of time without moving forward at all. Parents may come into the room only to find their student has not made any progress at all. This is in large part due to the feeling of being overwhelmed with the project as a whole. Students have trouble seeing how they can break the overall assignment down into simpler tasks that can be much simpler and far more manageable. WritingKey has been shown to help students who fit this profile by giving them a method that they can use no matter the type of writing required of them. They can go into assignments feeling confident they will be able to apply the process they have learned and find success like they never have before.

Short, Targeted Lessons That Boost Engagement

The format of the WritingKey videos also lends itself to promoting retention in students who struggle with executive functioning. Because they are short and to the point, students who might otherwise procrastinate sitting down and learning something new that will ultimately improve their writing can motivate themselves to do just that. Each lesson was specifically designed to be long enough to convey the information needed, but not so long as to lose the attention of students and cause them to dread each time they go on to a new lesson.

Addressing Working Memory Challenges

Working memory is another aspect of the learning profile of students diagnosed with executive functioning difficulties that can cause them great difficulty. Their difficulties with holding and manipulating information in their minds make it more difficult to keep track of multiple ideas, use those ideas to form sentences, and organize information into sections to enhance readability. Having a visual aid that they can come back to repeatedly allows them to focus their mental energies on one idea at a time. They no longer have to hold all the components in their minds at the same time.

WritingKey does exactly that. Students learn a process that allows them to compartmentalize the various ideas they have, allowing them to focus on only one idea at a time. With this increased focus on just one idea, they can dig deeper into the topic and develop richer, more mature analyses of topics.

Building Confidence and Success with WritingKey

By giving students a clear, repeatable process, WritingKey empowers them to tackle any type of writing with greater organization and clarity. This structured approach reduces the feeling of overwhelm, boosts confidence, and ultimately leads to higher-quality writing. Students who once struggled to get started can now approach assignments knowing exactly how to break them down and progress step by step, fostering academic success and a stronger sense of self-efficacy.

How WritingKey Helps Students with ADHD

• Breaks Down Complex Tasks
  Turns the writing process into short, achievable steps so students never feel overwhelmed.
• Offers Structured Visual Aids
  Provides clear, repeatable frameworks that free up working memory and help students organize their thoughts.
• Encourages Focus and Motivation
  Short, targeted lessons are more engaging for students who struggle with sustaining attention, reducing procrastination.
• Builds Self-Confidence
  Gives students a clear path to follow, reducing anxiety and boosting their belief in their own abilities.
• Promotes Better Organization
  Teaches practical methods for brainstorming, structuring paragraphs, and refining ideas so students can tackle writing systematically.
• Enhances Editing Skills
  Guides students through a streamlined process to check their work for errors, reducing frustration and improving final results.
• Allows for Consistent Progress
  By applying the same core strategies to various types of writing, students see ongoing, measurable improvement over time.