Teaching Organization

[mytwomonkeys]

My son is 13 & is returning to homeschooling (we are finishing up 7th grade in public school now).

 

One thing I'd really like to work on with my son is organization. My objective is to prepare him for future college courses and keeping up with his assignments. In our state he will be able to dual enroll in 10th grade.

 

If you have any kind of system that helps teach your child organization with their school work, I'd love to read about it.

 

My son makes good grades at school, but I can't tell you how many times we've had to write a to-do list on his hand in sharpie (he would lose the paper).

[MerryAtHope]

Workboxes worked here. You could also try a white board system (hang it on the wall--can't lose it!)

[shadah]

White board worked best here. We keep all books in a bin. I have, at times, put sticky notes on each book, stacked their books at the table and said have at it. When they are done, they go back on the bin. Both are visual ways to track assignments.

[mytwomonkeys]

Thank you!!

[coastalfam]

When I think of teaching how to be organized, I automatically thing iPhone. It think it is best to use whatever modality is going to be the path of least resistance. Kids don't want to loose their phone, they don't want to leave it at home, it's a fantastic tool. I personally won't be getting all my kids phones when they are teens--probably just one to share, but you can accomplish the same tasks with an iPod or a tablet of some kind. Another fantastic tool, which is of course accessible from an iPhone, etc., but also on the computer if you don't want to go to personal electronic devices yet is using Google Calendar. My husband works at a State University, and that is the tool used for scheduling even at that level. These are all tools he will have in college.

 

ETA: I don't have teens yet, but we are working on this with my 11 year old who has Down syndrome. An iPhone is a vital tool he will always have with him as an adult.

Edited May 16, 2017 by coastalfam

[OneStepAtATime]

We use a sort of workbox approach here but I suggest you also read things like Smart but Scattered.  It really helped me to understand getting organized from inside my brain and that of my kids.  There is a lot to staying organized.  A LOT.  This book helped me recognize where we were missing the boat.  :)

 

https://www.amazon.com/Smart-but-Scattered-Revolutionary-Executive/dp/1593854455/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1494899625&sr=1-1&keywords=smart+but+scattered

 

One thing I did was buy colored latchable workboxes and DD puts material from each subject in a different colored box.  For instance, she likes that at the end of the day she can toss all her art supplies and Art History notebook into the Art History box, ready to go for the next day.   Her math box has her zipper pouch with a compass, a protractor, a ruler, mechanical pencils, etc. along with her math reference notebook she has been keeping and adding to for a few years.  When she is done with math she just tosses it all back in.  Because each box is a different color she can glance at each one and know exactly which one is for which subject.  She can just grab whatever workbox she wants to tackle next.  They stack so she just stacks them out of the way at the end of the day.  They are ready to go for the next day.

 

She also has a 4 shelf small bookcase with books organized by subject.  All the books go back on the shelf after she has finished using them.

 

What I found was that DD really needed a lot of modeling and consistency, while still giving her a lot of autonomy and decision making on how she organizes and what subject she flows to next.  Working collaboratively has gotten more buy in from her than just telling her what to do while still giving her the support and scaffolding she needed to get better at organizing.

 

Have you seen the Great Courses Course "How to be a Superstar Student"?  I haven't used it but I have had many recommend it.

[mytwomonkeys]

Coastalfam my son does have a phone. We definitely will include using a calendar & reminders (I personally would forget everything without my daily schedule on my phone). At school they can't have phones & in middle school the teachers don't communicate to the parents. It has been a challenge to help my son stay on top of his schoolwork (that he is totally capable of - it's just the remembering part that's hard). Thank God his teachers allow him to turn things in late!

 

Onestepatatime... that book looks amazing! I just ordered it (teen edition) and I can't wait to read it! I just finished the preview at Amazon. It really describes my son. He is genuinely such a smart kid, but oh my goodness, this child is disorganized!

 

I love the idea of workboxes. We used them when my children were in elementary school. I think that alongside a daily calendar will work perfectly.

 

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful replies!

Edited May 16, 2017 by mytwomonkeys