How to Turn Your Children into Organized Students

Whether you are a parent of a child or an educator in charge of 30 children, you have probably realized that organizational skills just don’t happen overnight. Plus, reminding the children over and over again (they may call it nagging) to be more properly organized does not always help and it is beyond frustrating for everyone involved. Wouldn’t it be great to have Mary Poppins come floating down with her umbrella and whipping the kids into shape? Unfortunately, that probably isn’t happening anytime soon. Instead, here are a few tips on how to take the messiest of kids and make them into structured children.

Create a Checklist

A carefully comprised checklist can act as a daily to-do list for children. You can either tape it on to their desk at school or post it on the fridge at home. This will give them a constant reminder of everything they are to do. Once they are finished with a certain task, they must check it off so both you and them know for sure they have completed it. This style of the checklist will allow you to save your breath and time by simply asking one question: Is everything finished completely on the checklist today?

Provide Them a Mentor

Children and adults could use a mentor for a variety of reasons. It could be for getting into better shape, staying financially responsible, or becoming more organized in life. The great thing is that children love to help out other children. It provides them extra responsibility which they usually crave. Furthermore, if you look hard enough, you will come across a child that could be a perfect organizational role model for your kid. Plus, in return, maybe your child could be a mentor for that child in some other category. It is just a way to pay it forward for all involved.

Have a Monthly Calendar in Place

Children often are busier than their parents nowadays. There are so many before and after school activities, it can be easy to lose track. A calendar could help with this. In addition, all tests and quizzes can be written down on the corresponding days so the child is never surprised by an exam again. Kids will be using calendars as they become older anyway, so you might as well get them used to it now.

Containers for Everything

If your child suffers from an unhealthy untidiness, provide them containers so everything will be properly in its place. It does not matter if it is for pencils, toys, socks, or books, by giving them storage options to sort all of their things, they will become more uncluttered over time.

Create a Daily Routine

As adults, there is a very good chance we follow daily routines almost all the time. We wake up in the morning, take a shower, brush our teeth, get dressed, grab some breakfast, and then head out the door. However, children can get confused unless they are led through this daily routine early and often. They may wake up in the morning, go eat breakfast, watch tv for a bit, brush their teeth, go back to watching tv, and then head out the door forgetting their bookbag and lunch. Of course, this isn’t going to be a successful routine, so a little guidance from a parent can work wonders. The same can be done in the classroom as well!

Provide Time During the Week to Clean

Rather than expect the child to get everything completed at their own leisure, you may set specific times for cleaning every week. For instance, in the classroom, by Friday there is a very good chance that a student’s desk could look like a tornado hit it. At the end of the day, provide 30 minutes of free reading time in the classroom. However, the children must have a completely neat desk before they are allowed to read. This will allow for the organized students to go straight into reading and the students with the disheveled desks will have some work to do first.

If you are a parent or educator and could use even more tips on how to increase children’s organizational skills, iAchieve has your back. We can take even the most disorganized kid and assist them in changing their ways!

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