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Getting Kids Organized For School
“Getting organized” is more than eliminating clutter
and creating neat storage systems. One of the most
important areas of organizing is task management.
It’s never too early (or too late) to teach kids how
to get and stay organized with schoolwork. The
skills they learn now will carry over into high
school, college, and ultimately, their careers and
home management as adults.
• Establish a great homework routine. With
your child, determine the best time for daily school
work and stick with it. For some kids, it will be
right after school. Others may need some downtime to
play, and then it’s time to hit the books. The most
important thing is to stick to the schedule so your
child knows what’s expected.
• Set up the space. Have a designated study
area, such as the kitchen table. But for unique
assignments, allow for some flexibility such as
moving to a rocking chair for reading chapter books.
Create a school supply box and keep it well stocked
with supplies (paper, pens, pencils, crayons,
scissors, glue, ruler, sticky notes, calculator,
etc.) so kids don’t have an excuse to get up.
• Make sure you know what’s going on at school.
Instruct children to unload their backpacks as soon
as they come home. Have them hang up their bags in a
designated area (try a coat rack, pegs on the wall,
or a wicker laundry basket near the front door).
This allows for easy access the next day. They
should bring homework to the designated study area.
Check in each day so you’re aware of their workload
and take special care when they seem overwhelmed.
• Encourage the use of lists and planners.
The older kids get, the more homework and activities
they’ll have. Teach them to manage their tasks with
the use of simple lists or a planner/calendar of
some sort. Office supply stores sell ones with cute
kid-friendly designs, or use computer lists (or even
PDAs) for techie kids. When they learn of upcoming
assignments, tests, or events, they should write
them down in their planners.
• Encourage color coding. Color affects our
mood and memory. Let kids pick the colors of their
folders and notebooks to correspond to different
classes. If green reminds them of science, then
they’ll know instantly to grab the green notebook
when looking for their science notes.
© 2006 Articles on Demand™
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