Parenting Pointers: Back-to-School Organizing Tips

Back-to-School Organizing Straight from the Students!

It’s Back-to-School time! The stores are brimming with notebooks, files, binders, paper in every color and size.  How do you even begin to know what is the best tools to help your busy student stay organized. Who better to offer their “go-tos” then the students themselves? I polled all my students as to what their MUSTS are for staying organized in school. Hope you will try them out and let me know what your think! Who knows? You might even find that some of them work for YOU!

Reinforced paper. How can something so simple be so life changing? Yes, it costs a little bit more than the regular kind but it will not disappoint. It is virtually indestructible and remember, if the paper stays in the binder your student is organized without even trying. Pure genius.

Delta planner vinyl student sleeves. What? Yes, I hear you but trust me on this one. I am taking up a petition to get this product in stores. They are large CLEAR vinyl sleeves that can hold whatever your student needs for each subject. They fit in the locker, the knapsack and most importantly give that homeless piece of paper a "home" until your student has a moment to put it in its place. What could be better than that? Extra tip? Put a big label (or color code) on the top of each one so your student can identify each subject quickly.

Nack it's. Don't walk; run to get these. They are labels that are interchangeable. My students put these everywhere.  On binders, planners, folders, lockers, even pinned to a knapsack. Heck, if I could, I would stick these on the student! Remember this is the population that if they don't see it, it doesn't exist. Your student needs to remember to date their pages? They can leave themselves a reminder? Turn in a permission slip? Can do the same. Extra tip? Keep additional 3x5 index cards around to write new notes.

Music. Yes it is true.  Music helps your brain focus. Think about it.  How many of you need to listen to music when you work or flip on the TV when you walk in the house. Why should your student be any different? But here’s the catch. It can't be a free for all. Have your student prepare a 30 minute playlist. No more, no less and this is the ONLY music they listen to when they study. When the thirty minutes are up and they have more studying to do, they just start again. You’ll see that not only does it help the focusing and concentrating BUT it helps with the initiating.  xtra bonus? It’s portable. Download to the IPod and they can take it on the bus, doctor’s office, even Grandma’s 80^th birthday party!

Academic planner. What can I say that I haven't already said? You can check out the video on mysite to hear me shout from the roof top how necessary a planner is for academic success. BUT even as good as my planner is, not every student wants to use a paper planner. So for those techie students, they love and use Skoach. Skoach is a wonderful electronic organizer geared to students with ADHD and other organizing challenges. You can add subjects, after school activities, color code and plan ahead. Extra bonus? You can also send alerts to you phone for reminders.

By Leslie Josel, ADHD coach and CPO, Order Out of Chaos