Organization is a challenge for many people – students and adults alike. Helping your student to become more efficient in managing their tasks is about building a system that works for them. Creating systems is an executive functioning skill that will serve kids well throughout their entire lives. Finding what works can be easier said than done.

One way to begin might be sharing your own systems and struggles. Have a sit down and talk about how finding your special system is important and you would like to help them find theirs. Research shows that systems that are just given to kids are rarely effective. You need to get their buy in on the process and let them lead the way. Set up a weekly meeting to go over homework and continue to develop organized thinking. That means lots of good questions, like, “I have showed you how I approach tasks. Can you share with me how you go about planning a task?” This opens the dialogue to ask further questions, like,” What else might you add to make sure you are on track?” or, “Tell me more about why you think that.” It forces them to think through the process. This is also a good time to share a time when your system did not work, and what you wound up doing to fix it. Kids need to know that it is OK to mess up.  It is just as important to know how to rethink and solve a problem a new way.

Once you have an idea of the system you child thinks will work for them. Give them tools to make it work. Perhaps they want a planner they can write in. Maybe color-coded sticky notes or files would help. It could be that they are tech savvy and online tools like Asana or an online calendar would work for them. Remember, we are building skills which will take them beyond school and into the workplace. Attention span is often tough, especially for adolescents. Electronic reminders or acting as an accountability partner could be a powerful part of an effective system for your student.

Now that you have a system and tools to manage it, you can turn to tasks and how to manage them. Many students face overwhelm when presented with a big task. Working on breaking the task into manageable chunks can really help. This also helps to beat the procrastination monster. Talk through and document what sequential steps need to happen for this task to get done. Plan small goals and help to celebrate when those milestones are achieved. To a great extent, you are teaching them how to think through any task they might undertake.

Success will take time and you may need to pivot and try new methods. Remember, you are empowering your child for future success. Education Moms offers a wide array of courses to explore, and our tutors and mentors are available to help. Read more about organizing your student at the links below.

https://www.understood.org/articles/en/10-tips-to-help-get-your-child-organized

https://www.edutopia.org/article/organizing-students-learning

https://www.verywellfamily.com/help-high-school-student-get-organized-3545335