Organization Skills for High School
The most difficult part of high school is not always the coursework. Poor organization causes many otherwise competent students to do poorly in class. Don't let your high schooler fail English because she lost her term paper somewhere in her locker. Teach her some basic but important organization skills so she can get a grip on her grades, her time and her future success -- not just in high school but beyond.
Other People Are Reading
-
Organizing Paperwork
-
Keeping track of paperwork can be one of the most challenging aspects of organization for a high school student. To help your teen keep his papers from migrating to the bottom of his backpack, purchase an accordion folder and label a section for each class. When he gets homework, test review information or returned assignments, he can immediately file them in the accordion folder. This is much quicker than using a three-ring binder and punching holes in papers, and therefore, he will be more likely to use this system. Encourage him to go through his accordion folder every Friday and get rid of papers that are no longer relevant.
Managing Assignments
-
Most high school students have had the experience of suddenly realizing that a complex assignment is due the night before it must be turned in. Put a stop to panicked procrastination by teaching your high schooler to use a calendar to keep track of her assignments. She can use the digital calendar available on her phone -- if the school allows phones -- or a printed calendar. Ask her to write down when the assignment is due, as well as reminders to complete the requirements for it at key dates prior to the due date.
-
Organizing Information
-
During a typical class, students are presented with a great deal of information. One chapter of a textbook may have 5,000 words. Knowing which information is important is crucial to your teen's success. He can take notes effectively by drawing a vertical line down the middle of a sheet of notebook paper. As he listens to his teacher explain concepts, he can write down the main ideas in the first column and the details in the second. If he misses some of the details, he will know what to study or clarify with the teacher.
Creating Checklists
-
It is frustrating for a student when she starts her entire day on the wrong note because she left an assignment or even her entire backpack at home. To prevent this from happening, help her to create a checklist and hang it on her bathroom mirror or another convenient place. Encourage her to check her list every morning, 10 minutes before she leaves the house, to make sure that she has remembered everything important. Put reminders on her list of things that she tends to forget. Her list might include items such as "get papers signed," "check to make sure homework is in backpack" and "pack lunch."
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
