How to Help Your Elementary School Child Improve Organizational Skills
The ability to get and stay organized is an important life skill that every child should learn. It can help children succeed in school and ensure success later in life when they need to manage their own professions and families. Starting them off early with some activities to increase organizational skills will significantly increase their chances of being organized adults.
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Use lists. Creating checklists with your child for school work and household chores is a good way to help him keep track of tasks he has completed and tasks he still needs to complete. Checklists can also help your child plan for a particular project and better organize his time.
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Early preparation. Teach your child to prepare for things ahead of time by setting a good example. Have clothes set out and lunches packed the night before; begin school projects early, rather than waiting for the last minute; and be mindful of how your own time-management skills are setting an example.
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Create a family calendar. Keep track of individual and family events and responsibilities by using a shared calendar in a clearly visible location. Have your child keep track of her own schedule and encourage her to be diligent about marking tasks and appointments. Go over the calendar as a family at least once a week to compare and align schedules.
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Assign sorting or organization chores. Help your child practice his new skills by giving him chores around the house that involve sorting or organizing. Folding or sorting laundry, organizing or cleaning closets and emptying the dishwasher are all good examples of chores that require organizational adeptness.
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Stick to a routine. Daily routines help instill a sense of orderliness and organization in children and encourage them to maintain a routine of their own later in life. Establishing a daily routine of bed times and waking times, meal times, homework times and recreation times is a good way to help your child stay organized.
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Keep an organized home. If your home is well organized, your child will learn to operate in an organized environment and staying organized will become habit. Have a place for everything and everything in its place, and help your child to understand that concept. Use closet organizers and containers to sort toys or other objects in the child's room as well as in common areas. Have a pick-up time each day for her to reorganize her room or another area of the house.
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