With the start of school only a week away for many students, it’s time to think about how to get kids and parents organized for the new school year. Jodie Watson, founder and president of Supreme Organization and the organization expert from TLC’s “Real Simple. Real Life,” has developed easy-to-implement tips that are sure to interest you. Watson says that helping your child develop an organizational system with the right school supplies before the year starts, and then assisting them in maintaining that system will help your child be less stressed and more successful in school. By being organized, they’ll waste less time looking for misplaced papers and more time getting their assignments done well and in a timely fashion..
Watson’s tips are below. Even if your children have started school, the first month of classes is often when organizational/homework problems arise ““ so this is a great time to share the tips with them, as well.
Back To School Organizing Tips
- Get your child involved as your prepare for them for the new school year and have them work with you to create systems to help them get organized. The more involved they are in the process, the more they will want to stick with it.
- Create a binder to hold all of your child’s class work as they go through the year or individual binders for each class they will be taking. Use durable or heavy duty binders so they will withstand the wear and tear throughout the year.
- Color-code the binders. Use a different color for each subject so your child can easily find the one they need in a hurry.
- Use a template and label the front cover and spine of your child’s binder with their name, year and semester. Also label the inside of your child’s binder with their name and a contact number in case the binders gets lost or left at school.
- Create a fully personalized, unique binder with Avery Signature Binders. This is a great way to get your child to be enthusiastic about their binder which will help them to continue using it to keep their work organized throughout the year.
- Use insert tab dividers to create separate sections for each course or class or to create separate sections within each class, such as: notes, assignments, handouts, etc. Label each divider with a permanent marker or print labels on your computer so you can clearly see which section is which.
- Insert a copy of your child’s class schedule into a sheet protector and place at the front of the binder.
- For each class make a cover sheet with the class name, teacher, room number, location, days/times of classes. Place the class info cover sheets into sheet protectors and insert into the binder at the front of the section for that particular class.
- Have your child update and organize their binder each evening as part of their homework so they are ready and prepped for the following day.
- Encourage your child to use a highlighter to empathize important content while taking class notes or on handouts. This will help them to find relevant content later when they are studying.
- Place a dry erase monthly calendar in your child’s room or study area at home. Use dry erase markers to note days/times of classes, when assignments or papers are due. Use a different color marker for each class to easily differentiate which is which and to give a good overview of your child’s schedule and work deadlines.
- Create a desktop file system in your child’s study area at home. Color-code file folders for each subject to match the color-coding system they have in their binder(s). Make file folder labels on the computer or using a permanent marker so each folder can be easily indentified.
BENEFITS OF BEING ORGANIZED FOR SCHOOL YEAR
- Will help child be less stressed and anxious ““ they will know where their work is and will be able to find what they need when they need it.
- Will help child be more successful in school ““ organizing their stuff, helps them to organize their mind to be better able to focus on their work.
- Will help child utilize his/her time better ““ when they don’t have to spend hours searching for lost notes, assignments etc they will have more time to actually get the work done that they need to in a timely fashion.