The Organized Student
Help your
child with ADHD build organization skills
that will bring success at school.
Donna
Goldberg
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.
3 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.
This article was reprinted with permission
from ADDitude Magazine.
