Tips to help your child get organized for school

It’s more important than ever to make sure your child is ready for school — regardless of the format. Whether learning from home, learning from a school building, or some combination of the two, helping kids get and stay organized is key to a successful and productive year. 1. l Insist that your child use a daily planner. The planner should go to every class with your child with the purpose being to write down each assignment and due date. You and your child should review the planner each evening. Creating and checking off lists may sound like an easy thing to do, but many kids struggle with this task that often requires positive and continual reinforcement. If you find that your child is not writing in the planner in class, ask the teacher if they would be willing to check it each day. 2. l Help your child prioritize homework. “There’s so much to do and I don’t know where to start.” We’ve all experienced the tears that go along with this scene. Sit with your child and help them divide homework into manageable chunks. If it’s a long-term project, help them map out the various stages and assign dates to each stage. Make sure they understand the requirements of every assignment and reach out to the teacher if anything is unclear to you. 3. l Help your child get organized. Begin by creating a dedicated space for them to do their school work. Also, label books and folders by colorcoding subjects. Devise a system with your child so he or she knows where to put new homework and completed homework. If your child is completing

assignments but not turning them in the next day, figure out some type of prompt they can use at school to serve as a reminder to hand in work. 4. Reward your child’s effort. l Consider a positive reward system for young kids. This doesn’t have to be expensive or even have any monetary value at all. Perhaps your child could get a small sticker on his or her folder for completing his or her homework. Or maybe they could play a video game for a certain amount of time on a certain day if all assignments are handed in on time that week. 5. Encourage good study skills. l Some kids work really well right after school, while others need downtime to calm or recharge their bodies and minds before tackling more work. Make sure your child is not hungry when working and be firm about removing any distractions. Allow a reasonable amount of breaks to keep down their stress level. The place at which your child decides to work should be a comfortable space, but his or her bed should be reserved for sleep, which is essential for good school performance. 6. Track your child’s progress. l Most schools today use some type of online parent portal that allows parents to keep track of their child’s grades between report cards. Because teachers don’t always hand back tests or assignments, there can be a disconnect for students who may not be getting feedback in a timely manner. Give your child praise for doing well and discuss things they could do to improve performance in the future. 7. Hold your child accountable. l Kids don’t need to be perfect, but they do need to understand responsibility and be held accountable for their actions (or lack of action). If you know your child has a big project due, make a clear agreement with them at the beginning. Let your child know what privilege will be taken away if the project isn’t completed on time. Again, consider rewarding him or her for a job well done. 8. Stay in touch with your l child’s teachers. Attend parentteacher conferences and always raise questions or concerns about your child via email or phone calls. The more informed you are about your child’s performance or behavior at school, the better able you’ll be to help them meet teachers’ expectations. 9. Make time to talk about l school with your child. Let them know everything they do at school is important to you. By keeping your child engaged and talking about school, you’ll have a better understanding of what challenges they may be experiencing. 10. Encourage help-seeking l behavior. It’s not uncommon for students to avoid asking teachers for help. Teachers often are willing to work with students before and after school or during their planning periods to help their students understand the material or improve their skills. Schools also have intervention specialists to support students who do not have formal learning plans. Older peer tutors also may be available at your child’s school.

If you have any questions about this article or about executive functioning skills for children with learning differences, visit juliebilliartschools.org.