Note:  This is the next installment in a series based on the book, Organizing The Disorganized Child:  Simple Strategies To Succeed In School by Martin L. Kutscher and Marcella Moran.

Following the paper trail once you have your child’s supplies and study space at home in new order is next on the list.  With the basics in place, all that is really left is the actual work…thus, the paper trail begins!

The paper trail starts with getting the correct assignments and materials or resources home first.  It continues with the child planning and doing the work and ends with the work being returned to school or filed for later.  As with missing socks in my washer and dryer at home, this begs the question:  “Where exactly DO all those papers go that never seem to make it safely from school to home and back again?”

If you’re like me, you’ve tried multiple methods to secure items for travel.  The authors talk about a basic game plan (or what I call the Baker’s 1/2 Dozen) as you follow the mysterious paper trail:

1. Have your child write down the assignment using a planner, post-it note wallet (clever idea), or electronic device document; this reminds the child what to do and puts the responsibility on her–now she knows what to do.
2. Have the child double-check the assignment by asking the teacher or a study-buddy peer to check what was written down.  Now he really knows what to do.
3. The child should place all materials touched that day in the Take-Home section of the folder or binder.  Now the correct materials are ready to be used at home.
4. Daily, papers from the Take-Home section are filed or put into the day’s work pile.  Now she knows where her papers are, especially if this is done under the watchful parent eye (at least at the beginning and then spot-checked periodically).
5. Have your child plan out projects on a calendar, marking completion dates for each step of the process.  Doing this visually assists the child in chunking the work into a series of little projects and keeps it from being completely overwhelming!
6. When work is completed, it goes immediately into the Take-To-School side of the folder with a parent checking this step (at least at first and periodically afterwards).
7. Weekly, the backpack and binders (known previously as “the black holes”) are purged of papers and items no longer needed at school or home.  This helps keeps backpacks lighter and study notes or papers are filed for any future tests.

There…we just reduced 33 pages of the book concisely into a few sentences!  WHEW!  This is actually a technique the authors share in the next chapter for reducing information to the key concepts of reading, note-taking, and studying methods…but we’ll save this for Part VI next week.  🙂

Note:  We had another smooth day of state assessment testing in our building; thanks for everyone’s continued patience!

Note:  This is next in a series from the book Organizing the Disorganized Child…Simple Strategies to Succeed in School by Martin L. Kutscher and Marcella Moran.

So now that you know your child’s organizational style, it time to roll up the sleeves and get moving.  There are two parts to this next phase:  getting supplies and setting up a workspace for success.

Choosing the supplies to meet your child’s organizational style is critical now.  While you may have a shopping list and several aisles of options, control your urge to revert back to your own organizational style…I’ll warn you now…this requires great will power!  🙂  The authors provide a basic list of useful tools and items, but once again, pay attention to what works best for your child.

For example, the dreaded backpack can turn into the “black hole of nothingness.”  It’s important to go through the current backpack and noticed your child’s way of setting up items.  Limited outside pockets = less places to lose items!  Visual organizers prefer colorful backpacks where Spatial organizers want the backpack to feel good, especially when they move their arms while wearing it.  Chronological organizers prefer a backpack with inside compartments to store specific items in specific places.

Planners are another issue, however, we provide one here at Miller for all students, even though some view planners as instruments of torture.  🙂  Binders, folders, paper, pencils, pens, and other tools are also important to consider when looking at the child’s organizational style.

Setting up the study area or workspace is the second important step on this journey.  While the use of a desk or table area is the most obvious space to start, consider other factors.  For example, visual organizers will find anything but a desk or table too distracting while spatial organizers love the comfortable feel of their bed and large area to spread out their work.  Chronological organizers want their workspace to contain their favorite electronic devices–especially music (but no TV).  Younger children like to work in the kitchen area while older children will work on the floor or bed easier.

One final note:  a healthy snack fuels the brain.  Hungry learners tend to focus on their hunger and waste time rather than tackle the challenge of school work.

Once you have the supplies and workspace decided, the basics are in place!  What about the paper trail, getting the work done, and returning the work?  We will save this for our next installment.  In the meantime, just remember that you are working with your child on his or her level of organization (and not your own); take a deep breath…you’re doing GREAT!  🙂