Develop a Homework Routine

Routine is defined as the usual sequence of a set of activities. Having an after school routine that includes a homework time benefits children and parents. When a predictable pattern of activities occurs, children know what is expected. Once the child recognizes that during this time, this activity will always occur, there is less resistance.
First, make a list of your child's after school and evening activities. This list may include: snack, "down time", physical activity, homework, sports, clubs, supper, chores.
Next, determine when your child is the most focused. Some children are ready to do homework immediately, while they are still in the school mode. Others need to eat something, run off some energy, or just relax a bit before they can hit the books. When is your child most ready for homework?
Develop the sequence of activities that works for your child and roughly assign a time to them. (ie. Snack, chores, play time, supper, homework, soccer, relax time, bedtime.) The order is more important that the time. If you child knows homework comes right after supper, for example, he/she expects to do homework during that time. Of course, if homework is after a less structured activity such as play time, a time would need to be specified.
Be prepared for homework time. See http://simplespacesorg.blogspot.com/2009/03/create-portable-homework-station.html for ideas on a homework station.
Children and adults thrive on structure. Having a predictable routine that includes homework will make the school year go more smoothly for everyone. Happy studying!

Beginning of Summer “To Do” List (for families with children)

Start the summer off by doing some planning and organizing.

1. With your family, make a list of "Family Activities" you would like to do this summer, for example: ride bikes to park, have a picnic, visit grandma... Schedule these events now. By planning ahead, you will get to do more of the activities you'd like to do.
   


2. Sort & purge all the papers your child/ren have brought home from school. Save a few samples of written work and a few pieces of art work – fewer than ten total. Write the child's name, grade, and year on each selection. Store in a bin, labeled with the child's name. See http://simplespacesorg.blogspot.com/2008/05/end-of-school-year.html for more ideas for memorabilia.
   


3. Toss school supplies that can't be reused and store the rest in a container labeled "school supplies." Next school year you'll have those supplies ready to go.
   


4. Make an Indoors "Unbored" List and an Outdoors "Unbored" List – for each, list at least 20 activities your child/ren enjoy doing. Have your children help brainstorm ideas. When your child says he/she is bored, suggest he/she check the list for some ideas. Really, this works!
   


5. Sort through toys. Toss any that are broken and donate or sell any that your child/ren have outgrown or no longer play with.
   


6. Sort through each child's closet. Toss, donate, or sell any clothing & shoes that they've outgrown or no longer wear.

Plan, declutter, then enjoy your summer!

Organizing a Student Desk

Students have a lot of items to store in their desks. Having a well organized desk will make finding school work and needed supplies much easier. Better yet, being organized may improve academic performance.

1. Use Folders: Teachers often have specific folder categories they encourage students to use. Find out what your child's teacher recommends and reinforce those. These are commonly used categories:

• Homework Folder – mark one side "To Do" and one side "To Turn In". This folder is for school work that the student needs to take home, complete and return to school. Throughout the school day, when a student has unfinished work, put it in this folder. If he/she has time later in the school day, the work can be taken out of the homework folder and worked on. If not, it's ready to go home at the end of the day. When arriving at school, the "To Turn In" work can easily be located.


• Stay Home Folder – completed and corrected work that is no longer needed at school. Fliers for parents can be put in this folder as soon as they are received.


• Blank Paper Folder – paper student will need for his/her work.


• Subject Folders – assign one subject per folder – store all handouts for that subject.


• No loose paper in the desk. Every paper should fit in one of the assigned folder categories.


• Label each folder.

2. Use a supply bag or box for pencils, crayons, erasers, ruler, and scissors. Use the pencil tray for only a few pencils and an eraser. All other small items ought to be containerized, so they are easy to find.

3. Keep only needed items in the desk:

• Put garbage in the trash as soon as possible.


• Toys take up valuable space. If students are allowed to bring toys for recess, store them in the child's locker.


• Keep excess supplies at home or in your locker until needed.

4. Put items in the same spot in the desk every time they are put away. You'll know right where to look for needed supplies.

5. Organize the desk weekly to maintain order.

Talk with your child about ways to keep his/her desk organized. Ask to see the homework folder daily and the Stay Home Folder daily or weekly, depending on the teacher's schedule. Discuss any concerns with your child and your child's teacher. Encourage your child's efforts to become more organized.

Teaching 2nd Graders Organizing Skills

As you may know, January is GO (Get Organized) Month. To promote awareness of what professional organizers do, I brought NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) in the Schools, an organizing program, to Salem Grade School in Salem, WI. I visited five classrooms and talked with second and third graders about the challenges a student faces when he/she is disorganized. Students were amazingly attentive. They brainstormed ideas on how to get more organized. They recognized that being organized will help school performance and allow more time for play. Smart students!!!

To learn more about the NAPO in the Schools program go to http://www.napo.net/who/involvement/naposchools.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

I enjoyed presenting the program, teachers appreciated the message, and the students seemed to love it. What a fun way to start the year!

Time Management is for Kids, Too

Adults often have many obligations – work commitments, family life, volunteer activities, and the list goes on. Children are also balancing more and more activities – school, sports, clubs, etc. As a new school year begins, talk with your child about managing his/her time. Together with your child, determine an appropriate amount of involvement based on the child’s age, personality, and needs.

1. How much time each week will the child participate in after school and/or evening activities? *What activities are required? *What optional activities is he/she interested in?


2. How much time is needed daily for homework?


3. How much “down-time” does your child need to function at his/her best?


4. When is family-time?


5. When will the child take care of his/her chores?

Discuss these questions with your child and help him/her set priorities. Together plan a daily routine that includes the child’s priorities, homework, chores, and time to relax. Then, enjoy a balanced and productive school year!

Prepare for Back to School

Another school year is upon us! The older my kids get, the faster the summers go! Planning ahead will help to make the transition to school days go more smoothly. Here are a few things you can do to prepare.

Command Center - Ready
The command center is the information hub. Include a family calendar with everyone’s schedules marked. Update this as soon as a new event is planned. Designate a specific spot for children to put all the papers they bring home from school. Have files for scheduled events, phone numbers, school information, etc. Spend 10 minutes daily keeping this area current.

Determine how school memorabilia will be handled. See my blog, "End of School Year," May 28, 2008 for ideas.

Homework Station - Set
Make a homework area. Include typical homework supplies – paper, pencils, eraser, etc. See my blog, “Create a Portable Homework Station”, March 3, 2009 for more ideas.

Go Shopping

• School Supplies – Check the list of items required for your student. Make sure you have what is needed and get extra of items that will need to be replaced throughout the year.
• Clothes – Go through closets; remove clothing that is too small, worn out, or your child doesn’t wear. Shop for any needed items.

The beginning of a new school year is exciting! It can also be quite hectic, until a routine is developed. Get a jump-start by making some preparations ahead of time! Then enjoy the last days of summer and the start of the school year.

Back to School Shopping

Yes, it’s that time again. Today I took my three boys shopping for school supplies. Here’s our routine. At the end of last school year, we received a list of required school supplies. I filed these in our “School” file.

This morning, I took out the lists along with all our school supplies left over from last year. Each of my children took his list and marked off items we already had. Of course, for younger children, parents will need to help.

Then we went to the store. Each of the boys picked out his supplies and checked them off the list as the items were put in the shopping cart. (One of my boys even took a clipboard so checking off each item was easier!)

I always buy extra of items that need to be replenished - paper, glue, folders, and pencils. Prices are great during back to school sales and having the supplies at home is so convenient during the school year.

When we got home, we spread everything out on the floor. The boys picked out their items, labeled everything, and put their supplies in their backpacks and a storage bin. I made a list of a few additional items the boys wanted. Then, we stored the bins.

We’re ready for school to start! What routines have you found that are helpful as you get ready for school days?

School Memorabilia

Throughout the school year, when my kids bring home a particularly special work of art or written work, I put their creation in a tote to save for them. Everything else goes in their drawer. Today I made a deal with my kids, ages, 12, 12, and 10. I’d do their chores, if they’d go through their drawer of school papers from the past year and pick out which they’d like to keep.

First, let me explain our tote concept. Each child has a tote labeled “Name’s Memorabilia”. This is for all their memorabilia for all of their school years. Their only guideline is they can’t keep more than can fit in the tote. We have gone through the totes once removing some items to make more room. Now they have gotten the idea of saving a few memorable pieces and tossing the rest.

We had a fun morning remembering events from the past year as they sorted through their drawer of papers. They each picked some items to keep and recycled the rest. The keepers then are moved to their totes and stored in the basement (humidity controlled) and their drawers are empty, ready for next school year’s work.

This is a routine we enjoy each year. It’s not only fun, it’s educational. My children are practicing decision making and learning to sort, prioritize, and set limits for themselves.

What are some ways you handle memorabilia?

Create a Portable Homework Station

Many children do their homework at the kitchen table. To be prepared, have school supplies in a portable workstation. When it’s homework time, all the needed equipment is there.

Items needed may include: pencils, pencil sharpener, eraser, paper, glue, and crayons. Older children may also need: pens, dictionary, calculator, and stapler.

A timer helps some children focus. Typically, have student work for 20 minutes; take a 5-10 minute break, then back to work for 20 minutes, etc.

Files, folders, or drawers for:
* Lined Paper
* Completed & Graded Work (to stay home) Look through these papers as
often as your child brings work home. Get rid of what is no longer wanted often. (See http://www.simplespacesorg.blogspot.com/search/label/school - End of the School Year, May 28, 2008, for ideas on saving your child’s work.)
* Important Information for parent – schedules, newsletters, field trip information
* Project Files – for projects that are to be completed over a period of time
when the majority of the work is done at home. (Have a separate file for each project.)

Younger children will need help sorting their papers. Work together, so as the child gets older, he/she is able to take responsibility for sorting papers as they are brought home.

What to use as a Portable Workstation:

- Plastic storage drawers with 3 drawers: one drawer for supplies, one for paper & projects, and one for completed work & important info, OR
- Basket: Use folders for paper items and smaller containers for supplies, OR
- Table top file: use files for paper items and containers for pencils, crayons, etc. (The containers should fit in the file so there is only one item to move when it’s work time.)

Have a storage spot close to the kitchen table for your portable workstation so set up and put away is fast and convenient.

When it’s suppertime, pack up the portable homework station and put it away. You’re got your table back for mealtime!

Family Schedules

How do you keep track of everyone’s schedules? If you have school age children, in the last few weeks your home has been flooded with important dates to remember. Add scouts/brownies, sports, and/or clubs and you’ve got schedules coming out your ears!

Get a calendar to record all these events. Use a calendar that has enough space to record all the activities your family participates in. When a notice for an event is received, mark the date with the time and any pertinent information. Use a specific color pen or highlighter to designate each family member’s activities.

Keep the notices to refer to later. You may want to have a file to keep all events notices in. Another option would be to use a binder with page protectors. Each notice can be slipped into a page protector. Divide the binder into sections, marking each family member’s name on a tab. File schedules in the appropriate person’s section for easy reference.

Keep the calendar in a convenient spot where all family members can refer to it often.

Back to School

It’s time to start planning for a new school year. Good planning can prevent lost paperwork, late assignments, and the chaos of looking for misplaced homework.

Designate a spot for:
1. Papers

*For parents to sign/fill out and return to school.

*To recycle (Keeping all papers for a few weeks will prevent assignments from accidentally being thrown away.)

*To keep (Limit this to a few special pieces.)
2. Homework
3. Backpacks
4. Library books

Allocate an area for doing homework. Stock the area with needed supplies: pencils, pencil sharpener, eraser, paper, glue, crayons, dictionary, calculator, etc.

Developing the routine of putting all school items in their assigned spots can help the school year go more smoothly.

End of the School Year

If you have school age children, you child has brought home a plethora of worksheets, papers, and art projects throughout the school year. Here are some ideas for all this paper:

• Save a limited number (less than 10) of your favorite art projects from each school year.
• Take pictures of projects then get rid of the originals.
• Mat and frame the best projects.
• Store favorite items in a storage container. When the container is full, sort through items, keeping only the best of the best. Never save more than fits in the container. (One container per child for his/her entire school career.)
• Use a scanner to store the best of the child’s written work on your computer. You’ll have the child’s handwriting and written messages without all the paper taking up space.
• Preserve your favorite samples of the child’s written work in a scrapbook.
• Use a 3-ring binder and page protectors for a fast and easy way to store some of your child’s art and written work.

After you have selected the work that is special and meaningful for you and your child, recycle the rest.