Teaching kids organization

[Anonymous]

What are you doing to teach your kids organization?

In middle school, we have found brilliant and disorganized gets much lower grades than smart enough but organized.

[Anonymous]

I have wondered about this myself. My daughter is 7 and I know she will probably fall into the brilliant but disorganized categories because she is kind of already there.

Its not been an issue with grades at this point.

Im assuming you are meaning all kind of organizing, from items to homework/study skills? And of course there is organizing one's thoughts as needed to...appear more organized to the powers that decide things like grades? And how to do that without damping enthusiasm...

[Anonymous]

I would suggest this book: " Get Organized Without Losing It (Laugh & Learn)" by Janet S. Fox, I've seen it in the Scholastic flyers the kids bring home, as well as the usual online sources and bookstores (at bookstores you may need to order it).

Even though it looks like a book for little kids, the middle schoolers appreciate the humor and maybe the book will teach them some useful skills. It's great for younger kids too.

[Anonymous]

You need to have weekly meetings with calendars (online or paper) and list all to-dos, short, medium and long term goals. This is easily a couple hours long meeting the very first time, but it becomes better.

This is the first essential step.

Have a daily routine calendar and also a work calendar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to have weekly meetings with calendars (online or paper) and list all to-dos, short, medium and long term goals. This is easily a couple hours long meeting the very first time, but it becomes better.

This is the first essential step.

Have a daily routine calendar and also a work calendar.


It is so true! It is the MOST important skill to develop in kids. Come high school, it really doesn't matter if they have done A quality work if they don't have a system for handing it in!

We have already seen in middle school -- brilliant children of brilliant parents -- pulling C's or worse!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would suggest this book: " Get Organized Without Losing It (Laugh & Learn)" by Janet S. Fox, I've seen it in the Scholastic flyers the kids bring home, as well as the usual online sources and bookstores (at bookstores you may need to order it).

Even though it looks like a book for little kids, the middle schoolers appreciate the humor and maybe the book will teach them some useful skills. It's great for younger kids too.

I like Smart but Scattered too!

[Anonymous]

I also think that working on the binder can be huge. Helping children understand which papers to keep and which papers to toss. Going through Edline and making sure that papers are turned in. We tell students to check out their grades, but then don't really tell them the next step - see what you are missing, check if you have the paper, turn it in.

[Anonymous]

Well, what do you do when your kid (5th grade) fights and refuses to let you go through binder? Says he has it under control but you know he doesn't? My mother never went through my stuff, so I understand where he's coming from…but I've seen middle school organization sessions they should be teaching in the lower grades!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, what do you do when your kid (5th grade) fights and refuses to let you go through binder? Says he has it under control but you know he doesn't? My mother never went through my stuff, so I understand where he's coming from…but I've seen middle school organization sessions they should be teaching in the lower grades!

This fight will be hard in fifth but impossible in 10th. Teach it NOW before it is too late.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also think that working on the binder can be huge. Helping children understand which papers to keep and which papers to toss. Going through Edline and making sure that papers are turned in. We tell students to check out their grades, but then don't really tell them the next step - see what you are missing, check if you have the paper, turn it in.

+1!!