Organizing the School Year
Well the summer has flown by and it is hard to believe that it is already almost September and almost time for the kids to go back to school! Many parents are busy with such preparations, buying school supplies and uniforms, organizing school lunches and all of the myriad tasks required for kids to be ready for the first day of school. But what about the rest of the school year? Are there things that parents can do to help maintain relative harmony throughout the school year while helping their child to have a successful school year? The folks at FamilyEducation.com believe that organization is the key and have some tips for helping kids (and Mom and Dad) to stay organized throughout the year. The best part is that your child will learn valuable life / self-management skills, which will serve them well in college and beyond.
I have summarized these tips below, please see the link below for the full article:
Checklists: Encourage your child to keep a ‘to-do” list of assignments, household chores, class materials etc. and to keep a separate homework book to track homework assignments.
Prioritizing homework assignments, in the order in which they should be done. For example by numbering them.
Set up a quiet, convenient and dedicated study area, with a designated study time – encourage good study habits.
Have an easy system for organizing notebooks and class materials, consider using color coded notebooks or binders and encourage your child to clean out and organized their back pack and papers every week.
Develop a household routine that ensures regular meals and a regular bedtime for your child. They need nutritious ‘fuel’ and lots of sleep to learn well.
A central family calendar is invaluable for helping everyone to stay on track and helps kids and parents to plan for the day and to minimize stress arising from last minute, frantic searching for homework, gym shoes, clean leotard, etc. Moms, you know exactly what I’m talking about! In fact, encourage your kids to layout their clothes/ uniforms and to pack all the items needed for the next day from the night before.
http://life.familyeducation.com/parenting/organization/36373.html
-Laura