What are best resources to help a disorganized 6th grader remember what he needs to do & bring to school?
My son is a new student at a private school in our town. Most boys are either boarders, have been there at least a year, or have older siblings who’ve gone there. To make things worse, there’s a detour driving there (for another month or two) so the trip takes twice as long, with twice as much traffic on a two-lane road.
What webpages, experts, books, tips or groups can you tell me about that will help me (a caring, otherwise-intelligent mom with ADD) help my son set up good, motivating systems?
Thank you SO much!
I can’t help muc with the textbooks but pretty good with oraganization.
If the school alows it, get a binder. In the binder have tabs for all core classes. keep a hole punched folder inside for homework, and things to study. make sure he knows that he should put when a paper is due at the top of the paper, then highlight it. make sure the writing is in big letters. make flash cards for all tests. and if he doesn’t do this himself, help him out with it. Then once you have studided them put them in the folder. Inside the binder have a hole punched pencil pouch with 4 extra sharpened pencils. 2 highlighters, a grading pen, a blue pen (or any other color besides red) a black pen, an eraser. If he has to swith classes, get him a laminated thing. then inside slide in a shedule of each day. and always keep notebook paper with him, in the binder. ALWAYS
For me, I use one of those folder things that you open and it has like 6 pouches inside. I have two of them, one has all my classes before lunch (Chemistry, Algebra, English, US History..) and my second one has my after lunch classes in them (Bible, Computer Tech, and Art)
What I do is I give some classes one pouch and some classes two pouches depending on how hard the class is, how much homework we have, and how much notes we get/handouts. So for me, Algebra and English have two pouches as well as Bible.
Another thing I do is I put two pencils, an eraser, and a pen in each folder, so I can just pull it out and get a pencil if that’s all I have out and we need it quick. If say I’m out at lunch doing homework or I don’t have the pouch out, I also have a couple pencils in the pouch of my backpack.
Also, have a pouch dedicated to just paper. Normally I put a half of a packet in each folder, or a little more in another and a little less in the other.
And I have a mini-pocket in each. Have him fold a paper and put his homework assignments for each of those classes on it, then turn it over for the next day, etc. Or just get a planner and explain to the teachers that he has to have his planner signed every day even if there was no homework to show you, and if he doesn’t have each teacher signed, he gets a punishment.
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Try flylady.net for a free download of a student control journal.
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easy way make a checklist .
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ask him to write things down for each day.
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Help to advance his education in really cool ways so that he is comfortable going to school there, maybe even to a point that his peers look up to him. Check out MathTutorDVD.com and Brainetics.com and read the testimonials. I haven’t used Brainetics yet but I am planning on buying it for my nieces and nephews. My son used the MathTutorDVD to really advance his math. He finally got to a point where other students are coming to him for advice. It really makes him feel comfortable in his school. Good luck.
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My sister and I were the exact same way when we were younger. My dad bought us an assignment book, and we had to write our homework down (my sister’s teacher had to sign hers to make sure she wrote it all down). Then my parents would check it after I finished my homework- usually had to be done by dinner time. Then as soon as we finished we would have to put it all back in our bags and put it by the door.
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Organized college student now!
I can’t help muc with the textbooks but pretty good with oraganization.
If the school alows it, get a binder. In the binder have tabs for all core classes. keep a hole punched folder inside for homework, and things to study. make sure he knows that he should put when a paper is due at the top of the paper, then highlight it. make sure the writing is in big letters. make flash cards for all tests. and if he doesn’t do this himself, help him out with it. Then once you have studided them put them in the folder. Inside the binder have a hole punched pencil pouch with 4 extra sharpened pencils. 2 highlighters, a grading pen, a blue pen (or any other color besides red) a black pen, an eraser. If he has to swith classes, get him a laminated thing. then inside slide in a shedule of each day. and always keep notebook paper with him, in the binder. ALWAYS
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