This coaching consultation case study is designed to demonstrate the potential discussion, ideas and impact of a coaching consultation and what actually happened in the family. It describes a real child and family, but the names have been changed*. Naturally, a consultation varies greatly depending on the individual and it would expand on the details to include specifics.
Tom*
Tom had developed slowly as a young child and always struggled at school. Ailsa*, his mother, was keen to support her son in primary school, but unsure about how best to do this.
Ailsa and her partner, Nick*, devised a routine to ensure that Tom had regular reading opportunities and listening opportunities. They actively agreed on what they wanted to get out of “reading time” and how they would handle it differently but consistently. They also ensured there was the right kind and range of reading material available at home.
Ailsa also used some of the “reading for meaning” strategies available and a workbook to support this. This helped boost Tom’s comprehension.
Ailsa and Nick drew up a list of ideas to refresh reading time when it started to becoming boring or difficult at home. The list included interactive games as well as different ways to read.
Some of Tom’s struggles were rooted in anxiety, so they devised a strategy to boost his self-esteem and manage his anxiety. This involved liaison with school and wider family and had a big impact.
Tom’s writing was weak at school so Ailsa and Nick sought advice and bought some pencil grips to try out at home. It made writing less tiring for Tom. They also tried to do some physical exercises to boost his fine motor skills.
In the holidays, Ailsa planned ahead a little to ensure there were light-touch writing opportunities through the holidays. This meant Tom didn’t slip back during holiday time.
The result
Tom progressed extremely well. Perhaps most importantly, he now has an appetite for learning and his reading and writing skills have opened up opportunities rather than held him back.
In this coaching consultation case study…
In a coaching consultation based on a child like Tom, you could expect to discuss
- Appropriate liaison with school / health professionals
- Specific ideas for reading and books
- Specific writing materials and resources
- Reading for meaning strategies (some of which are available here)
- Specialist workbooks and resources
- Ideas around routines and supporting adults
- Ideas around motivation and praise
- External sources of information