Tips to Getting Your Child Organized for School
August 22, 2008
Today’s children have the overflowing paperwork and bulging day planners of pint-sized CEOs. And organizing those activities and assignments takes capable assistants: Mom and Dad.
“Without parental intervention, virtually all elementary school children, and many middle and high school youths, will be unable to manage the flow of information from school to home and back again,” said Dr. Anne Rambo, associate professor of family therapy at Nova Southeastern University in Florida and author of the book “I Know My Child Can Do Better!”
Institute a daily backpackunpacking ritual, she advises. Sit down with the child after school and sort through all the contents, putting them in one of six piles: trash, supplies, books, things to keep such as graded papers, longterm assignments such as instructions for a book report due next month, and shortterm assignments such as homework due the next day.
“After you’ve thrown out the trash, put the books back, and saved what you wanted to keep, you’re left with short and longterm assignments. Designate a folder that returns to school, for homework, permission slips and everything else that should go back the next day,” Rambo said.
Keep a second folder for longterm projects at home. “Assignment sheets for reports due later, information about upcoming field trips, and the like stay in this folder,” said Rambo.
“Organization is a skill your child needs for future academic success,” Rambo said. “A teacher doesn’t have time to teach your child this. The task is up to you.”
This story is provided by State Point Media.
Who has this time? I cannot imagine my parents sitting me down every night and helping me go through my backpack. Is Ms. Rambo insane? Who has that time? I’d say once a week is plenty. It might be smarter to get some sort of velcro pouch or something to store important documents and the child can learn how to do it themselves in an organic fashion. But you know, kids have a way of solving this problem themselves. A few misplaced papers will teach them to be consistent without this kind of handholding, at least in my opinion.
Argh.
John
John Trosko’s last blog post..Organize.com Names John Trosko A “Favorite Organizer”
Maybe for first grade, just to help them get in the habit, and then they can handle it from there?
It is really tough to dedicate that amount of time, but it is well worth it. I would agree that once the habit is formed, it gets easier, but the workload increases and so do the needs of the habits… in short… I think that parents need to know that this is just another sacrifice that they have to make.
Hi
I like your website but I think you tips of getting organized just for kids.