SCHOOL NOTES
you can try helping set up their backpack so
that it permanently holds all of the supplies
they’ll need to do their homework regularly
at any point during their day.

5. Get everything ready
the night before
A lot of energy during the school week is
spent during the mornings, making sure that
everybody is ready to go and out the door on
time. But a truly productive morning starts
the night before.

A great way to stay organized is to do
things like making lunches or packing back-
packs the night before, making sure that all
assignments are in there and ready to go. You
can even put it all together into a basket or
in a specific spot next to the door each time.

Additionally, you can have your kids set
aside outfits for the next day. Say hello to
less stressful school mornings.

ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS/STUDIO LIGHT AND SHADE
6. Improve the sleep schedule
A big part of staying organized is having
enough focus during the day to remember
assignments and have the ability to sit down
without distraction and study or do home-
work on time. And probably the number one
contributing factor to that is getting enough
sleep at night.

Making sure your child is getting to bed at
the same time consistently will help improve
their level of focus throughout the day. A
great way to do this is to set an electronics
curfew and enforce an hour of quiet time
before bed for winding down. This may not
be a popular decision, especially if you have
kids who are older and in high school, but
they’ll thank you when they’re not dragging
when they get out of bed the next morning.

7. Use color-coding
A great way to make organization fun, espe-
cially for younger kids, is to use color-coding.

Now that’s not to say it can’t be helpful for
older students as well, because some research
does show that it can help with visual mem-
ory. But, figuring out how to get your kids
engaged in the organizing process can be
difficult, and this is one way to let them have
some say over how they want to do it.

You can have them organize their note-
books and binders by color (e.g. math is
green, science is red, etc.) or even go as far
as using specific colored pens and pencils
for either different types of assignments
or different subjects. And let’s face it, who
doesn’t love going to Target or Walmart to
pick out some new stuff?
8. Label and organize
binders and notebooks
Once you have some initial color coding in
place, you can further organize all of your
notebooks and binders by adding in some
labeling. Not only can you have a binder for
a specific subject or subjects but you can
also designate certain sections within them
for notes, homework assignments, study
materials for tests, etc. You can also create
labels for things like papers that need to be
signed and returned to the teacher, returned
assignments that are already graded and
any longer-term homework or projects that
aren’t due right away.

Again, this is a great way to get your child
engaged in the process by allowing them to
figure out what organization method works
best and to run with it. So put out the sug-
gestion, and then let them determine how to
get it implemented.

Encourage your child to fill it out with what
homework is due, what tests are coming up,
projects or after-school activities and any-
thing else that’s important to remember
each day.

Once it’s down on paper, it’s going to be
easier for your son or daughter to figure
out how to schedule time to complete their
assignments based on when they’re due and
their importance.

12. Create a calendar for
extracurricular activities
Finally, creating a calendar for extracurricu-
lar activities is a great way to get the entire
family on the same page. Getting everyone’s
after-school schedules on a calendar that the
whole family can see will help everyone stay
informed. You can even take a step further
and give every person a different color to
stay even more organized!
Although these are just a few organization
techniques that you can apply to your kids’
9. Schedule a weekly
schoolwork and other activities, they can have
“Clean Sweep”
Even the most organized among us tend to a huge impact if used regularly. Use it as a
build up clutter over time, no matter how hard starting point, then experiment and customize
we try. A great way to combat this is to sched- for what makes sense for your family. ■
ule a 20-minute pre-arranged session each
week where everyone in the house drops what Ann Dolin is a former Fairfax County
teacher and current founder and presi-
they’re doing to clean and get organized.

Not only will this help your kids stay on dent of Educational Connections Tutoring,
track with their school organization efforts, serving the D.C. area.

but it will also help foster a sense of family
involvement so that it’s not just that your
child is being singled out.

10. Archive old assignments
Your kids are also going to have a buildup
of old papers and assignments that aren’t
necessarily relevant to what they’re doing
in school right now. Archiving and properly
treating (i.e. not throwing them out too
soon) all assignments should be a regular
part of your organization routine.

A great rule of thumb is to make sure that
you’re keeping old tests and quizzes and then
tossing everything else. That way, if there are
any cumulative tests throughout the year,
your child will be able to reference back to
previous questions to study and will know
which areas they need to work on where they
may have gotten marked off previously.

11. Use an agenda book
It’s incredible the impact just getting some-
thing down on paper can have. For students
in middle and high school, an agenda book
(or something like it) should be the offi-
cial holding place of all things important.

A great way to make
organization fun,
especially for
younger kids, is to
use color-coding.

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