Organizational Skills to Succeed at School

Color-coded folders are good for school organization.

Organizational skills must be developed beginning at an early age and with consistency throughout a student's educational career. The main habits to assume are cleanliness and communication. This affects how a student prepares, pays attention in class, studies, does homework and completes projects. Jody Johnston Pawel, author of educational resources for parents, summarizes by saying, "An organizational system must meet the needs of parents, teachers and children, but be easily adaptable to a child or teacher's particular needs."

Supplies

Make sure the student has the right supplies to stay organized. Getting color-coded folders for each subject helps students learn to file assignments correctly and ensures they will be handed in on time. School supply manufacturers specialize in producing these organizational tools. Buy folders with reference materials printed in them.

Home Organization and Work Space

Establish a regular homework time to produce consistent results. Find a clear space and consider creating a homework station designed by the child. Include at the work station paper, pens and pencils, and references such as a dictionary, thesaurus and a calculator. Remove distracting items from this environment such as cell phones, TVs and video games. Check your Internet service provider's parental controls to block distracting materials. If the student prefers to be away from parental supervision while organizing and studying, grant them that freedom, but check in on them periodically. Have a dry erase board at home to list activities, the time they should be done and important reminders such as due assignments. Check responsibilities off as they are finished. Create a time estimate table based on how long it takes them to do homework over the course of a week, so that they can plan accurately when they will do future assignments.

Processing Paperwork

Emphasize collecting homework and putting it in folders or binders the night before to avoid a chaotic search in the morning. Designate a folder or binder at home to keep old quizzes, tests and review sheets that might be needed in finals or chapter tests. Have children regularly clean out all trash and excess material from their folders, binders and backpacks.

Notes, Reviews and Big Assignments

Make sure your child is developing good note-taking skills and keeps those notes organized. Have the child plan times he will work on big assignments and study for tests. Have him review assignments carefully and make sure he has paid attention to every aspect of instruction, including purchasing the required materials for projects. Be sure he is coordinating efficiently with other students on group assignments.

Time Management

For middle school students having to switch classrooms for the first time, invest in a watch and help cultivate time-management skills.

Vacations

Maintain these skills during the summer and vacations by having children stick to a schedule, including reading assignments, household chores and visits with friends.

References

• ParentSchoolShop: Organizational Skills
• Ahwatukee: Organizational Skills All Year Long
• KidsHealth: Help Teens with Homework