Are you trying to find ways to help messy kids organize their schoolwork? If so, keep reading.
- Create a routine (schedule) to be followed for organization and appropriate use of work learning materials. Give the student their routine (schedule) in writing and review it often.
- Designate the student’s organizational duties in the classroom (e.g., equipment, software learning materials, etc.).
- Create classroom rules: • Get appropriate learning materials. • Complete every assignment. • Complete assignments quietly. • Remain in your seat. • Finish tasks. • Meet task expectations. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.
- Assess the appropriateness of the task to ascertain (a) if the task is too easy, (b) if the task is too complicated, and (c) if the duration of time scheduled to finish the task is sufficient.
- Support the student in organizing learning materials. As the student shows success, slowly decrease the assistance you provide and require the student to assume more responsibility for organization independently.
- Provide the student one task to perform at a time. Present the next task after the student has finished the prior task in an organized way.
- Get the student to gather all the learning materials appropriate to work on a project, task, etc., to lessen the need to search for learning materials.
- Make sure the student knows that work that was not finished because appropriate learning materials were not brought to a specific learning experience will need to be finished during leisure or break time.
- Get the student to discard things/paperwork that have no future use.
- Minimize the number of learning materials for which the student is responsible. As the student shows appropriate responsibility for learning materials, increase the number of learning materials for which the student is responsible.
- Do not give the student additional learning materials if they fail to care for learning materials properly.
- Get the student to create a routine (schedule) to follow before coming to class (e.g., check what learning experience is next, determine what learning materials are appropriate, collect learning materials, etc.).
- Get the student to select a peer, friend, etc., who exhibits the capacity and ability to organize a task prior to beginning it. Get the student to observe that person and try to model the behaviors they use to organize tasks.
- Get the student to tag all personal items with their name.
- Urge the student to develop an understanding of the consequences of their behavior by writing down or talking through problems that may happen due to disorganization (e.g., missed tasks, unfinished projects, misplaced textbooks, etc.).
- Make sure that failure to have appropriate learning materials results in loss of opportunity to participate in learning activities or a failing grade for that day’s learning experience (e.g., art, home economics, industrial arts, physical education, etc.).
- Get the student to create a list of learning materials appropriate for each class (e.g., band instrument, gym clothes, calculator, etc.).
- Get the student to organize significant tasks/projects by dividing them into small segments. Establish deadlines and reward the student after finishing each segment of the task.
- Get the student to perform one task or step of a significant project at a time.
- Get the student to question any instructions or expectations they do not understand.
- Consider using an education app to help the student sharpen their organizational skills. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
21 Ways Help Learners Get Organized
Do you need advice on helping your students get organized? If so, keep reading.
- Embody being prepared/organized for specific learning activities.
- Select a peer to model who is organized/prepared for specific learning activities for the student.
- Train the student to carry essential things in a backpack or binder.
- Get the student to create a routine (schedule) and utilize a weekly schedule. Get the student to create an organizational chart for daily tasks to be finished.
- Talk regularly with the student to encourage organizational skills and appropriate use of learning materials.
- Get the student to create a routine (schedule) to follow before changing learning activities (e.g., put away learning materials, gather learning materials for the next learning experience, make a list of what learning materials need to be replenished, etc.).
- Restrict the student’s freedom to use school property if they are unable to remember to return borrowed things.
- Restrict the student’s access to learning materials (i.e., give the student only those learning materials appropriate at any given time).
- Make sure that all personal items are tagged with the student’s name.
- Get the student to organize their book bag every day before going home. Put paperwork in folders, prioritize the next day’s tasks, and update their calendar.
- Make sure the student knows that they must replace things that are lost.
- Limit learning materials needed for specific learning activities.
- Observe the student’s performance in learning activities or tasks to make sure the student begins, works on, and finishes a task promptly so that they can go to the next learning experience in their routine (schedule).
- Give a color-coded organizational system (e.g., notebook, folders, etc.).
- Teach the student to take care of personal items and school learning materials (e.g., keep property with him/her, know where the property is at all times, secure property in lockers, leave the valuable property at home, etc.).
- Give sufficient time for the conclusion of learning activities.
- Give an organizer for learning materials to be kept inside the student’s desk.
- Require that lost or damaged property be replaced by the student. If the student cannot replace the property, compensation can be made by working at school.
- Give the student a container in which to carry the appropriate learning materials for specific learning activities (e.g., backpack, book bag, briefcase, etc.).
- Give the student a list of appropriate learning materials for each learning experience of the day.
- Consider using an education app to help the student sharpen their organizational skills. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
