Middle school:Helping children learn organizational skills

October 6, 4:38 PMDC Family ExaminerRisa Sanders

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•  If your child isn't already wearing a watch, encourage one. Help your child learn to budget time at home by helping cue them in to the clock and the passage of time. Use timers if necessary. Time management is essential for success in school and in life.
• Encourage your child to sort their homework and get it into their backpack and binders before they go to bed to avoid a frenzy in the morning. Have them check printers to make sure homework has been retrieved, and have a checklist if necessary. Get them accustomed to doing a "pre-flight" check before they go to bed.
• Make sure your child has adequate binders, dividers and folders to keep their work organized. Color code them if that helps.
• Sit down with your child every week or so to encourage them to sort out trash and junk from their backpack and binders. Have a place to save and store old quizzes and tests which will be used for end of year exams or SOL review, Ensure that good notes are being kept, and that papers can be easily located.
• If your child is anxious about finding their way around new places, go together after school to walk around.
• Practice using a combination lock at home if your child has trouble remembering their combination.
• Good note-taking is an art. Provide your child with resources to take better notes.
• Keep a large calendar of project and assessment due dates. Make sure it's visible. Have your child learn to estimate/plan time requirements and to make lists of supplies/materials needed.
• Don't let your child become overscheduled. It's easy in this highly ambitious and driven community to allow family time to evaporate, along with time to simply recharge, savor a book, enage in creative outlets, allow for simple pleasures like a walk and playing with the dog. Don't let your child become so hurried that they miss their childhood.
• Some middle school teachers insist that the student be the one to email them with questions. The desire to foster independence and self-advocacy are excellent goals, and kids generally feel proud when they can manage this on their own. However, kids mature at different times and in stages. Allow your child to develop these skills, and provide guidance where needed. Think of yourself as the coach during this stage and engage in teamwork. But, remain watchful and be prepared to step in if your child is too anxious/bashful to self-advocate, or you discern the teacher is truly unfair, inaccurate, or disrespectful to your child.

Part 2 of this series addresses Social Factors. If you'd like to know more, please see Middle school: helping your child succeed socially.

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 Note: None of the foregoing is intended as professional advice, and is for informational purposes only.