Why is strategy instruction particularly helpful for students with executive function difficulties? It frees up working memory. When a student is able to use a strategy fluently, they no longer have to use their working memory to recall the steps of the strategy at the same time they are processing the information being learned. It builds working memory capacity. As students learn the steps to a strategy, their working memory capabilities expand to hold more information. It improves metacognitive performance. Students who can analyze their own performance in real-time can alter the trajectory of their engagement to meet the demands of the lesson. It compensates for deficits in executive function performance. Learning strategies remove the need for executive function skills, providing the student with improved capacity to learn the academic content