Organization for LD Learners

Organization for LD Learners
by Stephanie Tracy

We’ve all been there, struggling with a child whose homework isn’t done, their backpack is always a mess, projects are turned in a few days late, and everyone is in a state of constant frustration. For a lot of families, this is a reality for most of the school year. While frustrating, it doesn’t have to stay that way. It has been my experience that often, with a few consistent tricks, kids and their parents can find peace and plenty of organizational success.

Motivation
Kids need to be motivated to WANT to stay organized. We can only tell them for so long (or so loud) that they need to straighten up their act. When I sit with kids, I try to explain how staying organized will actually save them time and energy and in turn make them happier, more successful students. We talk about breaking bigger tasks into smaller chunks, making calendars to see when bigger projects need to be finished and how to break them down, and the joy they will experience when they can fill a week with proud parents and teachers as a result of their timely work. As these and other organizational tricks start to take effect in their lives, students begin to understand that staying organized is something they CAN do, and it does make school and home more enjoyable.

Organization
Teaching kids HOW to use their planners and holding them accountable is very important. At first, there has to be consistent accountability until they start to see the benefits and then they will want to continue more on their own. Routine and simple structure is also vital. Depending on the grade of the child, set up a system where the same folders are used for the same purpose. Red is always math, green is always writing, etc. I often hear, “Oh, I will just put that in my folder later” as it is being shoved in their backpack. Take a moment to teach them that those few extra seconds now can save hours later. Clean stuff out! Have a system in place for finished work. Only presently active work should be in their binders. Make Fridays a day to flush out the binder so it is ready for the next week.

Celebration
Take time to celebrate with your child when he or she consistently stays organized! After the binder clean-out on Friday, everyone gets to have ice cream! EVERYONE celebrates because we all know that consistency and accountability take time and effort on our parts as well as the kids.

Overall, it is such a joy to see kids start to own their own organizational system and take pride in their ability to successfully manage themselves, both at school and at home. With a few systems and tools in place and with consistent follow through on all ends, kids, parents and teachers, we can start to see assignments turned in, backpacks clean, and smiles all around.
 

Stephanie Tracy is a lower school educator at Groves Academy and works with students on organizational skills.