By Michelle Cooper, CPO® and Michelle Grey, CPO®
Staying organized is hard enough, but for children with learning differences, managing time, homework and activities can seem impossible. Two professional organizers offer timely tips and encouragement to parents who are struggling to help their children get organized.
The culture of chaos
Why is it so hard for students to stay organized these days? The cultural shifts described below have made it harder for today’s students to manage time, than those in school a few decades ago.
- Technology: When most of us were growing up, we had just a handful of TV and radio channels. Now kids can choose from hundreds of cable and satellite channels, computer gaming, portable music and the Internet, as well as the communication options of cell phones, texting and electronic social networking. Technology can be a time consuming distraction and presents the possibility of addiction.
- Greater academic challenges: College’s require much more out of their applicants than they did in the past. Students feel pressure to not only excel in academics, but to also shine in leadership, sports, music and standardized testing. All these activities fragment a student’s already decreasing amount of study time.
- Time: We learned to tell time on “old-fashioned” analog clocks. Now the digital time is always displayed before us on electronic media we use everyday, all day long. Kids today miss out on the visual cue of the “movement” of time (the hands on the clock). Therefore, they lose the visual aspect of time and how it’s passing.
Help for parents
Before parents can help their children get organized, they need to know how their children learn. Are they auditory, visual or kinesthetic learners? Some children need silence while studying; others need some background noise. Take the time to really understand your child’s learning and studying style, as well as help your child recognize why they have trouble remembering certain tasks. Do they struggle with telling time? What are their greatest distractions? Once you and your child know what works and what doesn’t, then it’s easier to discover ways to get organized.
- Set up the most effective tools for your child, keeping in mind his response to different colors and possible visual distractions. Is one notebook containing all subjects better than five individual color-coded notebooks? Does he lose all track of time? Make sure he has a timer. What’s the best type of paper storage system? Locate paper storage near your child’s homework area.
- Honor the unique abilities and qualities of your children. Recognize that one may not be as productive at the same time or place as a sibling. Auditory learners and social butterflies don’t learn best in total silence and isolation.
- All students need a planner! If your school does not provide these books, then locate one at any office supply store. Even kindergarten and first grade students can be introduced to the basic concepts of recording homework assignments. Make sure the planner is well-suited to your child’s particular needs and likes. Have them include extracurricular activities, doctor appointments, therapy sessions and family commitments so they see their schedule as a whole, not just the school activities.
- Have regular weekly organizing sessions and make them fun! Teach your children that all items need to be taken care of and put back where they belong. Turn on some music and see who can do the best job of cleaning out a backpack, purse or briefcase.
- Stop doing your children’s work! They need to start taking responsibility for their own deadlines. This is truly the only way they can learn to do it on their own.
- Establish evening routines and designate specific storage places in your home. Make sure your child knows where to put his backpack, jacket and lunchbox when he gets home. Where are extra school supplies stored? What is the schedule for activities, homework, dinner and bedtime? How much TV/computer/phone time is allowed on a school night? Does your child need written checklists to help remind him of all they need to remember? Yes, it may mean more structure, but it has been proven that kids do benefit from these expectations.
Bring in the pros
Sometimes consulting a professional is just what a family needs to get everyone organized. Consider the following scenarios in which simple and practical solutions are applied and struggles with time, deadlines and paperwork are overcome.
Johnny was in middle school, could not keep his papers organized and his backpack was a disaster. He did not turn in his homework on time and he was not able to keep up with his extracurricular activities including music, drama and competitive swimming. Using educational testing results and questionnaire answers, a certified professional organizer designed a custom-made planner, which focused on Johnny’s input as to how he felt he could best stay organized. He went from a single notebook to a separate color-coded notebook for each subject. Now he was better able to find and file his papers and homework. The professional organizer spent several sessions with Johnny, explaining how to use the planner. From these sessions he learned to look ahead and plan for deadlines, as well as where he had to be and when. Both his parents and teachers were very pleased with how much Johnny had improved.
Sarah was a bright fifth-grader but struggled to keep up with all her homework assignments and papers. Her parents consulted a certified professional organizer, who created a simple “back and forth” folder for Sarah in which she could place her assignments and notes from teachers. While teaching Sarah how to properly use her new folder, the professional organizer realized that Sarah could not tell time! Once she learned to read the hands of an analog clock, Sarah’s time management skills improved by leaps and bounds.
Some kids are just more naturally organized and motivated than others. However, even those students who struggle with learning differences can realize success with the proper systems and routines in place. By recognizing their children’s patterns of learning and studying, parents can help their students manage their time and activities. And then “get organized” won’t have to be a resolution again next year!
Michelle Cooper and Michelle Grey are the founders of Student Organizers of Atlanta and design organizational systems for students, families and teachers. Both are certified professional organizers and members of the National Association of Professional Organizers. For more information, visit www.thestudentorganizers.com.
Michelle Cooper can be reached at mcooper@thestudentorganizers.com and Michelle Grey can be reached at mgrey@thestudentorganizers.com.
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do you have any tips for getting my 4th grader to stay on task while doing homework. she wants a break when she comes from school but difficult to get her started and stay on task. any suggestions?
Comment by Julie Corsini — January 15, 2010 #
This is a common problem yet it is difficult to answer. Each child is so different that I can only offer what works for my 4th grade daughter.
Like your child, she needs a break after school. I make sure this break has a definite end time so she knows ahead of time when she needs to start her homework. A short break is best so she does not get too involved in another more enjoyable activity. I usually give her a healthy snack and let her watch one 1/2 hour television program.
Before she starts her homework I have her tell me what she has to do. This gives her a chance to think through what is ahead and which she wants to tackle first. We also talk about what she wants to do when she finishes so she has something to look forward to.
4th grade was a huge adjustment for us. This is the first year that she switches classes, has 3 teachers and much more homework. We began the year with many meltdowns and tears shed. Once she realized that homework was a reality that she had to face and that play afterwards was still possible, our days became much more peaceful.
Establishing a routine and a reward system has been my solution. Many children find security and are more focused once they have set times and places in which they can work.
Comment by Montie Stone — January 17, 2010 #
Julie, I wanted to take a moment to answer your excellent question. I do agree that everyone needs a break after working so hard to focus and “get through the day” of school. Having a good, nutritional snack (apple w/peanut butter, a turkey roll-up) will be important and then give her a set, timed amount to do something enjoyable. So that it does not fall on you as the “bad guy” telling her fun is over, set a timer. When it goes off, homework begins. BUT, she gets to have a plan of what she’ll get to do (she chooses within your guidelines) when the “Homework Harry alarm/timer” goes off. There is a reward or break for her for staying on task and getting something done! Another thought is to have an open discussion as to WHY she has a hard time getting started and staying on task w/work. There may actually be a physical reason that needs attention. Getting to the bottom of the “problem” may require testing and even looking at her vision and visual processing, and possibly looking into some training (I highly recommend Learning Rx program). I hope this feedback is helpful! I wish you success with this process!
Comment by Amy B. Sherman, SLP — January 17, 2010 #
Julie,
For children such as your daughter, timers are a must! You and she need to first come up with an agreed upon time frame for how long of a break she gets when she comes home. If she needs breaks while doing her homework, that’s fine. Some kids need that break and then are able to refocus back on their studies to be more productive. Set a rule that she will study for 20 minutes, then gets a 10 minute break – or whatever the 2 of you agree upon. Set the timer for the start of each period, including the breaks! When the timer goes off, it’s time for the next segment. Reward her for following these guidelines and respecting the timer. Good luck!
Michelle Cooper
Comment by Michelle Cooper — January 18, 2010 #
Students NEED a break after school. I suggest setting an after school schedule and following it, e.g.
4:00-5:00 break
5:00-6:00 Homework *If your child has difficulty staying on tasks, she may need to work for 15-20 minutes…take a 7 minute break….and come back to it.
Students often can attend for 15-20 minutes at a time, but need the 7 min. break, and then can resume. In the long run it doesn’t take that much longer and is MUCH more pleasant than trying to force them to maintain a steady stream of attention to task.
6:00-6:45 Dinner
6:45-7:30 homework (hopefully she doesn’t have more than an hour or 1 1/2 hr. of HW in the 4th grade.
Let her check off her daily schedule.
Before beginning HW…take a look at the HW she has written in her agenda.
Help your child learn to “guesstimate” how long each assignment will take. Write the guesstimated time at the top of the paper. See if she can “beat the clock”. You will need to use a silent timer for this.
Do the assignments that are easiest first and get them out of the way.
Set up a reward chart for following through with HW for the week. Agree on
what the reward will be. You must include your child on this…she will only work for something that she cares about. This should be something like
having a friend over on Satuday or a trip to Brusters…NOT big rewards.
I hope this helps!
Gayle Born
Comment by Gayle Born, M.Ed. — January 19, 2010 #
Hi Julie,
Most kids usually need a break to unwind after the school day. Have you considered using a timer to provide a short 30-45 minute unwinding break? Another option is making a schedule of the homework that needs to be completed and the approximate amount of time that each assignment will require. By visually looking at a schedule, you and your daughter can prioritize how much time will be required to complete the homework. I find to do lists and schedules work really well to help kids stay on task.
Sincerely,
Shahnoor Dharamsi MS, OTR/L
Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Comment by Shahnoor Dharamsi MS, OTR/L — January 24, 2010 #