HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD GET – AND STAY – ORGANIZED AT HOME AND AT SCHOOL

4-minute read

As we look around our center, we notice that some students seem to have inherited the coveted ‘organization’ gene, while others struggle with keeping their schoolwork straight. Why? Problems with organization could be due to any number of reasons, including issues with executive functioning, attention, vision, fine motor skills, learning challenges, the list goes on.

But is it all up to chance or can these skills be learned? At Tutoring Club of McLean, we believe the latter to be true — and the earlier you start, the better. Parents, you can play an integral role in helping your student develop organizational skills and strategies that they will carry with them through their academic careers and lives. We have come up with the following tried and tested approach to get your child organized at home and at school.

Let’s dive in.

Tips For Helping Your Child Get Organized At Home

Use Storage To Keep Track Of Belongings

How a student behaves at home mirrors how they behave at school. That’s why we must start here when it comes to learning positive organizational skills. First things first, it is important that your child keeps a tidy room. This can be achieved simply and cheaply by using various storage bins, under-bed storage, and closet organizers. Pinterest is ripe with ideas that include DIY projects, color coding, and more!

Create A Cleaning Routine

Rather than doing the tidying for them, help your student develop a cleaning and decluttering routine. You can show them how to determine what items are important to keep handy, what can be stored away, and what they can toss. We suggest designating a specific day of the week for this — Sunday is always a good choice as it ensures they start the week with a clean living space, but it really depends on your family’s schedule. We also recommend getting your child into the habit of making their bed every morning, which is proven to boost productivity, happiness, and enhance sleep.

Set A Designated Workspace

Next, you’ll want to ensure they have a designated workspace that stays uncluttered. This could be a permanent place such as a desk in their room or somewhere they convert into their workspace daily such as the kitchen table. Either way, when they get to work it should be free from mess, and their homework essentials should be in reach.

Pack For School In The Evening

A great way to stay one step ahead is to have your child pack their backpack the night before. Remember to have them utilize those handy compartments for things like their calculator, writing utensils, etc. That way, they aren’t scrambling to remember and gather everything that they need in the morning. We’ve seen this technique reduce forgotten homework exponentially! If you want to go a step further, have them lay out their clothes for the next day, too.

Keep A Master Calendar

A large wall-sized calendar listing your family’s commitments, extracurricular activities, holidays, and days off from school makes it easy for your student to remember any upcoming major events. A pro tip for families with multiple kiddos is to color code by student and add in any big exams or project due dates. This will help keep your student(s) accountable and make them aware of things going on for the entire family and not just themselves.

Tips For Helping Your Child Get Organized At School

Provide Them With The Essentials

Set your student up for success by providing them with everything they might need throughout their school day. If you’ve followed our previous advice and your student is waking up in the mornings with their backpack packed and ready to go, you’re already halfway there. The second half of the equation is to ensure that they stay organized once they get to school. Keeping a tidy desk and/or locker is vital to achieving this.

Use Storage To Keep Their Desk/Locker Tidy

If your student has a designated desk at school, dividers can be a helpful way to keep various assignments and notes organized by subject or importance. Pencil cases and other containers can be used to hold writing utensils, scissors, glue, a ruler, and any other materials they might need.

Similarly, setting up extra shelves or a container system in their locker is a fantastic way to help your student stay organized at school. When all else fails, ziplock bags are a cheap and easy way to achieve this. The older your student gets, the likelier it is that they will require more, thicker, and heavier books. If possible, it is ideal for students to have two sets of books; one for school and one to keep at home.

Just like with their room, it’s a good idea to encourage your student to clean out these spaces as needed and take stock of what might be missing, broken, and needs replacing.

Keep Calm and Carry On!

Remember, habits don’t change overnight, and reengineering any bad ones into good ones takes time, patience, and a whole lot of positivity. Nagging and yelling at your student to pick up after themselves or quit forgetting their homework is not only upsetting to a child but is generally ineffective. Instead, try using firm but pleasant requests and positive reinforcement when they’ve done something well.

For more advice on parenting, education, and student life, please visit our blog. Could your child use additional assistance outside of the classroom? Contact Tutoring Club of McLean today to see how we can assist and put them on a path toward a brighter future!

Michelle Scott
Owner/Director
Tutoring Club of McLean
703.237.TUTOR (8886)
Email:McLeanVA@tutoringclub.com