How to Maximize Your Child's Success in School This Year

As families everywhere are getting ready for the back to school rush, I am reminded of the many ways that parents can really help their kids get a head start on school organization. I work in a busy middle school and I see so many kids struggle with the basics of organization.

Many parents just can’t understand why after so many years in school, their kids are suddenly struggling. As kids get older they have more and more responsibility in school. When they are younger, kids have one or two teachers the entire day. As they enter middle school they suddenly have seven or eight teachers every day. Teachers may no longer have set systems in the classroom to help kids stay organized.

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Now kids need to keep track of handouts, homework, and tests assigned by many teachers throughout the day. This is extremely overwhelming for kids who are not naturally organized.

Parents can help kids to reduce the overwhelm by thinking ahead now for some of the solution s that can help their children in the first few months of school. Once kids are guided and assisted over the first hump, they generally do well as long as someone is checking in every once in a while.

It can be frustrating for parents to see other kids that just “get it.” Some kids naturally manage and are able to navigate the many demands of school with ease. If you have one or more children that don’t fit into this category, here are some ideas to help.

In addition, if your child is experiencing undue anxiety as he/she is thinking about school, read about the many tips that you can implement here.

New Skills Are Needed for the Higher Grades

Children making the jump to middle school this year or even higher elementary grades, will have to learn new skills. You can help to prepare your child by talking to him/her about the challenges that he/she may face. Let him/her know that there will be more papers to keep track of, nightly assignments in different subjects and deadlines to meet.

Explain that there are many ways that can help him/her to stay organized and here are some options:

I have found that kids who struggle with organization, can truly benefit from having a few important tools in their arsenal.

A Good Daily Planner to Keep School Assignments Organized

Even a good tool is only effective when used consistently and the user learns how to use it well. A planner is essential for all kids, not just those that struggle with organization.

Some teachers have the wonderful practice of having the homework on the board before class starts. Teach your child to write the homework in his planner as s/he comes into class. S/he will be ahead of the game and will not risk forgetting to write down assignments.

Other teachers assign homework at the end of class. Kids who struggle with organization find this very difficult. As the bell rings, kids get up to leave and it is confusing for them when teachers assign homework at the end of class. Teach your child to make sure that he has written the homework in his planner and to write “no homework” or NH even if there is no homework assigned.

Train Your Child to Use Tools Efficiently

Show your child how to write assignments down in the planner. S/he can write the assignments for each subject on each day of the week according to the date. A good planner has a monthly calendar as well as a section for each day of the month. The example above shows how to write homework down each day.

You can get a planner that many parents are happy with here. This planner has the advantage of having holes punched through the entire planner and can be secured in the loose leaf binder rings. It also has a place to write each of the core subjects and a place to write the homework next to each subject daily. Included in the planner are planning stickers to help your child mark additional information. It includes a ruler and other useful information for students in the back.

Train your child to bring his binder home every night. Because the planner is secured in the binder, it never gets lost or left in school. Establish a routine so that s/he puts his/her binder in his/her backpack when s/he had completed homework each evening.

Teach your child to load his backpack with all of his homework before he goes to sleep. Have him check his/her planner once again and place his backpack where it is easy to grab in the morning. I always bought the Jansport backpacks for my kids because they are easy to load, have strong zippers and were able to withstand the beatings that my kids dealt them.

The school binder is another important element that helps kids stay organized. Take the time to help your child set up a binder with dividers for each subject. Binders that have zippers like this are helpful for kids that need that extra protection to keep things in order. Papers can become loose over time and a zippered binder keeps them from falling out. Make sure to send a supply of page reinforcement labels to school to repair torn looseleaf pages.

The Accordion Folder

Probably the most valuable tool for kids that struggle with organization, is the accordion folder. I have recommended this to parents again and again and it has literally worked miracles in helping kids stay organized. I actually use one of these folders for my mail center. These folders are great when students have to keep track of many different worksheets and handouts from different subjects. Here is a picture of what an accordion file looks like on the inside.

Most accordion files have enough pockets for every subject as well as sections to hold forms to sign etc. It has pockets for any other category that your child might need. Some folders come with pre-printed tabs (below). Each tab can be labeled (like dividers in a binder) for each subject. I made my own tabs to suit my needs with a label maker like this. Show your child how you are labeling each section and that all loose papers and handouts that s/he receives should be placed in the appropriate section.

Maintaining the System

Set a time once a month to remind your child to empty out all the school papers that s/he no longer needs. This will ensure that the system runs efficiently. It is a great tool, but monitor your child for the first couple of months to make sure that s/he is actually following through. Parents that take the time to make sure that kids are using the system, will see success.

Here is an accordion file like the one above that is padded to hold up to the wear and tear of the school year. This one tool has kept many children organized and on top of their game because it has a place for any paper that they need to keep track of. The binder is used exclusively for note taking and the accordion folder holds any handouts, loose papers or homework sheets.

Monitor Your Child Until S/he is Comfortable with the Routine

All of the above tools will go a long way toward helping your child stay organized. Monitor your child during the first months of school until your child is familiar with his new routines and systems. The beginning of middle school can be overwhelming for all kids and even more so for those who struggle with organization. This system is suitable for all children in any grade.`<!–more

Locker Organization

Many children have difficulty with locker organization. Books, folders, water bottles and food become a messy array, and important papers become lost in the jumble. I have helped many kids dig themselves out of an avalanche of stuff in their lockers.

Schools often request an entire year’s list of supplies and parents send them all to school on the first day. Don’t! This is setting your child up for disaster. In addition to books, folders, and personal items, a child has to navigate 100 pencils, 15 glue sticks and a myriad of additional items that he doesn’t need now. Keep the supplies at home, and check in with your child once a month to see what s/he may be missing.

Locker organizers also help keep books and supplies in order. Sturdy magazines holders like this can keep books in order in the locker. You can also maximize space by using shelves that double locker storage. Some kids will need help with this system, so try to stop in to school every few months to reorganize as needed.

Set Homework Time

Probably the most helpful tips for keeping your child organized is to set a time for homework each night. When kids come home from school they need time to relax, eat dinner and bathe and it is essential to fix a time for homework each night. Having a set time for homework before dinner or after, will avoid breakdowns and keep your child on top of the game.

Some kids have games or activities after school and this can be a challenge. Perhaps your child can do homework in the 20-minute break between the end of school and the game. The important thing is to sit down with your child, let him know that homework is a priority and together find the time that works with your child’s schedule.

Implementing these tips may take time but, with perseverance, you will see a more organized and productive school year for your child. Keep checking in with your child until you feel that s/he has developed these habits.

Organization is a skill that you can teach your child! You may find that the child who you thought was so disorganized will one day surprise you with his/her amazing organizational skills.

Wishing you and your children a successful organized school year! I hope that you have found these tips helpful. Please comment below about any challenges you have with keeping your kids organized and I will try to address them. Please like and share with your friends.