When did these organization skills get taught?
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Anonymous
| I remember when I was in school turning in my notes for a class and got a participation grade based on how thorough and neat they were. Also, having to organize binders by subject. This was all in Middle School. My DD who is now in 8th still hasn't learned any of this. My dd is in AOB schools if anyone has specific comments but, I am curious if they even teach this anymore. |
Anonymous
| I never had that. There was never any explicit executive function-type instruction in MS or HS. You sometimes had long-term things you turned in, like a notebook with all the vocabulary words or something, but you weren't graded on your note-taking or required to organize binders in any particular way as a general matter. |
Anonymous
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I taught these skills to my kids when they started school.
I was sitting every evening with them for homework, tutoring, enriching, accelerating them from K-5. I did not see the schools commenting or teaching them anything about organizational skills or even neatness of their work. Even the concept of Math Hygiene in worksheets was never taught here, but that was such an important concept for the kids. My kids were in public schools so I do not know if these concepts are taught in private schools. |
Anonymous
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Our elementary school was great with this. K-5 Arlington. The kids were well prepared for middle school. Their middle school outlined what kind of binders and dividers to have and handed out planners and how to use them.
My sons were 100% self-sufficient by the time they hit 6th grade. We never used Canvas/parentvue since that day. They are in high school now. I have had zero idea of their assignments or homework...I merely have always said 'have you gotten your hw done, did you study', if they want to go to school and club practice the same night. "How to study" was something that wasn't taught, however. I gave them tips about writing things down on paper, making rhymes, repetitive quizzing, etc.. I also stressed the importance of looking at the 'big picture', e.g., if they will be busy with a sports trip or other activity--look at your schedule and work ahead., etc. IF you have a study period, get your work done in there so there is less to do at night. They seem to have avoided the dreaded procrastination that has plagued me since high school  .
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Anonymous
| Burke has an executive skills course in their summer school; we were on the waiting list but never got in. What you describe in your original post is how I operated in college, and how my niece works in her private high school; she had a class that taught such methods -- I think similar to what Burke offers their students. I've had to teach my son the methods I used; his school has not yet taught or required it, and I don't think they will. |
Anonymous
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Kids today don't learn it and it's a joke!
I'm not that old - I'm 42 - and so many of the mid-to-late 20-somethings in my office don't have these skills either. Not sure when the skills stopped being taught in schools. We hired an executive functioning/skills coach for the kid we struggled with the most and it was the best money we've ever spent on that kid! We were able to teach the skills to our other kids without issue, but this one was more resistant. He happily listened to what the coach said and implemented her tips & tricks without any pushback (much of the same stuff we'd preached). He was a low B-C-low C student before learning the skills and an A-B student afterward. He wasn't studying effectively and didn't have the proper organization (lots of doing the work but forgetting to take it to turn it or taking it to turn in but not turning it in, arrrgh!) Kids need those skills more than they need the stupid cursive, which there's such a big push to bring back. I have 3 kids now in college and all 3 have encountered professors who insist on hand-written notes instead of typed notes because the professors find the typing distracting. My oldest said she couldn't believe the deer-in-headlights look some classmates had because they hadn't taken handwritten notes in so long. |
Anonymous
| My DC went to St. Andrew's Episcopal School and learned these skills in middle school. She's in college now and they've served her well. |
Anonymous
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Taking notes!!?!
Study methods and skill!!? Math facts!!!? Spelling and grammar rules!!? That’s not fun or DEI enough for DC independent schools to spend time in. Pay a tutor or kumon or relive k-8 with your kids whilst paying $50k a year per kid. Enjoy! Oh, here a fun one: does your kid know what number corresponds to which month? |
Anonymous
| They teach it in the Fairfax public school my niece and nephew attend. |
Anonymous
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I taught it to my kids.
When I was in school a friend taught it to me, I taught her math. |
Anonymous
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Definitely middle school at our k-8
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Anonymous
| Woods upper school (starting in 5th) uses and teaches a lot of these organization methods. |
Anonymous
| River School teaches executive functioning |
Anonymous
| It’s time for parents to also teach their children. Schools cannot DO IT ALL. Teachers welcome the partnership with parents on the foundational skills that all of you are saying is missing in independent schools. We are selecting independent schools because (let’s be honest, we don’t want a DCPS school) of the rigor with the content, the novels read, the labs they explore, and the way they push our children to think independently. Schools do provide a foundation and how to be a good person and how to attain content knowledge, however parents partnering with the schools and filling in the gaps is the magic key. |
Anonymous
What happens to the kids who have aptitude but not parents who have time or energy or aptitude to help? |