SCHOOL NOTES
A+ School Year
12 Planning Tips for Student Success
BY ANN DOLIN
here’s that famous quote that holds
true in almost every area in life: “Eighty
percent of success is showing up.”
For school purposes though, let’s amend
it slightly: Eighty percent of school success
is showing up and staying organized.

It’s organization that usually makes or
breaks students’ level of success in school
because it’s one of those “cornerstone” hab-
its that impacts almost every other area in
their academic lives.

Whether your child is in elementary
school and just starting to get the school
routine down, in middle school and figuring
out how to manage an increased class work-
load or in high school and getting prepared
for upper-level courses and SAT’s, these 12
organizing tips below will help students of
all ages start off the year strong.

Before you jump
in, spend a little
time to think and
determine what level
of involvement you’re
going to have with
homework, grades
and other aspects of
their academics.

1. Set up a regular
school “check-in” time
First up is a common cliché in parenting:
Get involved. Unfortunately, just “getting
involved” in your child’s schoolwork isn’t
quite the right approach, because more is
not always better, and sometimes you can
create an even bigger issue than you started
with in the first place by being nitpicky or
overbearing. So before you jump in, spend a little time
to think and determine what level of involve-
ment you’re going to have with homework,
grades and other aspects of their academ-
ics. This way you have a good idea of what
you need to discuss with them before you
start. Then, set up a regular meeting time
with your son or daughter to talk each week
about assignments, what’s going on in class,
upcoming tests and any other concerns they
might have.

2. Don’t nag
Now that you’ve established a line of com-
munication with your child, it’s extremely
important to then give them the space they
need to get organized and figure out how
to manage their schoolwork in a way that
works for them.

Kids may not immediately see the benefits
of staying organized, but constant reminders
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SEPTEMBER 2019
are the last thing they want to hear. When
you are helping them get organized this year,
make it clear that you don’t want to nag, you
just want to set them up for success.

Then, because you have a regular meeting
time set up to discuss school together, use that
time to suggest changes, voice your concerns
and make sure that they’re staying on track.

3. Set up a homework routine
Making the best use of time after school can
be a big struggle, especially for busy fami-
lies. Your kids just finished sitting in class all
day, and the last thing that they want to be
thinking about is studying and homework.

That’s why this is one of those times that
can benefit tremendously from setting up
a routine that you hold to, especially for
elementary and middle school students.

First, set a regular start time to help avoid
the “I’ll do it later” syndrome. This could be
right after school, after a 30-minute break,
before dinner or right before bedtime. And
consider scheduling in some downtime after
school or other activities to give younger
students a break.

For high schoolers, it’s hard to tell them
exactly when they have to start, but using one
of those “blocks” as a general rule can help
curb the late-night stress of realizing it’s time
for bed and their homework isn’t done.

4. Keep homework
contained (but mobile)
Another problem that crops up during home-
work time is the seeming explosion of papers
and books and binders all across the house.

Some studies are now showing that kids
are more productive when they vary where
they do their homework. But that being said,
it can be hard to stay organized when they’re
constantly shifting spots.

So first off, make sure you’ve designated
at least three spots that homework can be
completed and try to stick to them. This
will help eliminate some of the clutter if you
have a space cleared off already.

Then, for younger students, you can try
putting together a mobile organizer for all
their school supplies that they can take with
them from spot to spot. For older students,
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