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The Organized Student Help your ADHD youth and teen through building organizational skills that will bring success at school.
Dr.Anders Osborne Ph.D.
TIME MANAGEMENT - how your child keeps up with homework assignments, activities, and appointments.
PAPER FLOW AND MANAGEMENT - how papers move to and from school and what your child does with these papers now and later.
Because time management is the more challenging, especially for a child with ADHD, that's where we'll start. ON TIME
In
my 15 years as an organizational coach, I've learned that understanding
and managing time is a huge part of being organized. The concept of
time is difficult for children to master, especially in our digital
world.
Schools and parents teach kids how to use a calendar and
read a clock, but by fourth, fifth, and even sixth grade, some children
still haven't mastered these skills. Older elementary-school students
are expected to be somewhat independent and manage a large school
workload, long-term assignments, and extended projects -
next-to-impossible tasks for a child who doesn't grasp time.
Understanding sequence
Children
learn about time from an early age. Initially, toddlers are exposed to
sequence and routine: First you have a bath, then you have a story,
then you go to sleep. Eventually, sequences include the concept of
before and after: Before dinner you will take a bath; after a story,
you will go to sleep. In kindergarten and first grade, the teacher puts
up a daily schedule and uses words and pictures to review it. The
concept of time expands to include days of the week, months, and
seasons.
By second grade, students are introduced to the clock
and are taught to tell time. The clock is reviewed again in third grade
- and then time education comes to an end. At this point we expect
children to infer that calendars and clocks can be used to determine
the sequence of events and create routines. We also expect that
children will translate their understanding of time into responsible
planning. Unfortunately, many kids, particularly those with ADHD, do
not make these leaps and are lost in school because of it.
You
can help your child by reinforcing these concepts at home. Make
sequence clear to him by giving specific verbal cues - first, next,
then, before, after - as you develop a routine. Ask questions: What
comes next? Do you remember what you did first? Reinforce sequence
comprehension by giving a series of directions using these verbal cues.
Make it fun ("First do ten jumping jacks, then write your name
backwards") and have your child give you directions as well. Tell him
that you are doing this to help him learn how to listen carefully and
pick up on important words that tell us what order to do things in. Ask
him to point out words that are related to time. A child who masters
the concept of sequence will be better able to organize and prioritize
tasks. Concepts of before and after eventually develop into yesterday,
today, and tomorrow, and develop further into past, present, and
future. Again, as your child learns these concepts, support them at
home. Talk about future vacation plans or reminisce about his last
birthday party.
I also suggest using a weekly calendar to help
children learn the days of the week as well as the concepts of
yesterday, tomorrow, and so on. The weekly format works best because
children tend to live in the present. A monthly calendar is equivalent
to informational overload, but a week's view is easier to grasp and can
still be used to teach larger concepts.
Fill in the dates on the
calendar at the beginning of each week. At the top write the month in
name and its number (October = 10th month). Next to each day, write the
numerical month and day (Monday, 10/24). You want your child to make
associations quickly and not have to count 10 months from January on
his fingers.
The calendar offers a multisensory learning
opportunity: It is a visual record of activities, it works
kinesthetically as you and your child write down and cross off
activities, and it prompts auditory reinforcement as you talk about the
day's events. One person should write everyone's (parents' and
children's) schedule each week - appointments, dinners, soccer
practice, and so on. At the end of each day, have your child cross off
completed activities as you say, "Today is over." Then discuss the next
day's activities as you emphasize, "This is what we'll do tomorrow,
Friday."
By the end of first grade, your child should know the
names and sequence of the days of the week. He should also know what
days come before and after any day you name. As your child grows, the
calendar will help him develop other skills, like accountability. He
can see when you will or will not be available to help with a project,
and can plan accordingly and assume responsibility for himself.
Watch the clock
In
addition to calendar time, children must understand clock time. Digital
clocks present time as a static present-tense thing, greatly affecting
kids' ability to conceive of and gauge time. Analog clocks show that
time moves - and let a child know where she stands in relation to the
rest of the hour or the rest of the day. We need to reintroduce analog
clocks so children can "see" time and learn to place events in context.
Practice
telling time with your child at home. Ask her for a different way to
say 6:45 (a quarter to seven). Point out that the clock numbers 12 to 6
relate to after the hour, while 6 to 12 relate to before. Reinforce
ideas like this over and over so your child can gain ownership of clock
time.
Plan by the book
Another
essential time-management tool is a plan book. Just like adults,
children need a place to keep track of deadlines, appointments, and
other information. A planner will help your child manage all she has to
remember - assignments, team practice, birthday parties - and also
enter her class schedule, a friend's number to call for homework
clarification, and a detailed description of homework and due dates.
The most effective book will have the same format as the teacher's
planner. Help your child go over her planner regularly. With guidance,
she can learn to write down all homework deadlines and avoid
last-minute cramming and unpleasant surprises.
Time for assignments
Schools
assume that by fourth grade a child's understanding of time and
sequencing has translated into the ability to manage a daily schedule
and homework. Yet it's not realistic to expect a child with ADHD to go
to her room, sit at her desk, and do all of her homework. So help her
practice prioritizing. Figure out together how many assignments she has
tonight, which are due tomorrow, and which of those is most
challenging. Encourage her to start the most difficult homework first,
when she's fresh and energetic. Consistent use of the planner will help
your child learn how to prioritize and manage assignments.
GO WITH THE PAPER FLOW
Students
need a system for carrying assignments and other materials to and from
school. Teachers often start the year by asking students to use a
particular method, such as folders. Allow time to see if your child
understands that method. If he doesn't, rescue him sooner rather than
later. Most teachers are amenable to a revised paper-flow system. Help
your child figure out what's best for him. It will take time and
experimentation, but keep trying, and listen to your child. Kids often
come up with their own good ideas.
Perfect folders
For
younger students (K through three), paper flow is about where to put
loose papers like permission slips, handouts, and simple homework
assignments. I've found that three clear pocket-type folders in a
binder work best for organizing such papers. Label the pockets
"Homework to Do," "Homework Done," and "Notices." Your child should
come home with all assignments in the "To Do" pocket and notes to
parents in the "Notices" pocket. After completing homework, he should
transfer it to the "Done" pocket to go back to school. The next day,
when your child can see through his "Done" pocket, he'll know he's
turned in all of his assignments.
Cue with color
As
students get older, they have more materials to manage - which can be
utterly confusing to an ADHD child. What works best is to gather all
items into one container, so the child has a better chance of getting
home with everything she needs, finding it, and then getting it back to
school. One container to try: a three-ring binder with color-coded tabs
to section off each subject. Ask your child which colors she associates
with which subjects. For example, she might say red for science (for
blood) or green for nature. Color-coding by association offers visual
cues for quick access to materials. The clear pocket folders
recommended for younger kids can also work well for older students, who
may need to see paperwork to be reminded to attend to it.
If
your student crams papers and has trouble with binders, try an
accordion file instead. Again, make a section for each subject so that
your child has a specific place for loose papers.
Paper transfer
Once
a unit of study is finished, the materials need to be moved out of the
traveling folder. Set up a desktop file box with hanging folders by
subject, and encourage your child to regularly transfer her finished
projects here. With this system, if she needs to look something up or
find a paper later on, it will be close at hand and neatly organized by
subject.
Learning to be organized is a process for your child,
one that calls for your patience and consistency. If she doesn't
understand right away, or at all, don't be discouraged. Over time,
she'll incorporate one or two of the skills she's learned. She may
still forget her jacket on the bus, but at least she'll remember to
write her assignments down! Emphasize accomplishments and successes and
praise your child as you continue to work with her on new skills. A
parent's support and perseverance help make organizing a positive and
effective experience for a child, one that will prove to be a lifetime
asset.
I Teach To Reach is a Non- Profit Organization
Dr.Anders Osborne Ph.D.
10700 Pendragon Pl.
Raleigh,NC .27614
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