Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) Lab at Utah State University
– Concerns and Strategies –
Organization
Organizing
Problems with a child's skills at organizing materials or time is one of the most recurring concerns we hear when working with bright and gifted students. Some bright or gifted kids have minds that are always racing to the next thing and have not developed the self-discipline of thought necessary to organize. Some of the parents with whom we collaborate have already tried a number of strategies recommended by teachers, experts, counselors, books, or online resources, all to no avail. In our experience, students who need to improve organization skills fall into different groups.
Students who did not Need to Learn Organization Skills When Younger
Some bright or gifted students simply have not developed the positive habits necessary for organization because they have not needed them. These students do not learn to organize when they are young because they are able to get good grades even when their materials are scattered and they complete assignments at the last minute. If they are motivated to become more organized, these students need a good strategy, ongoing practice, and regular feedback. They may have been taught a strategy be a teacher a year or more earlier, but that does not mean they can use the strategy. Research has shown that people hold on to strategies if they learn them when they need them. It's like learning a software program but then not using it for two years. You will probably need a refresher or maybe even learn a different software program to accomplish the same thing.
Some students are resistant to thinking strategically about their study skills because they have always believed the work should come easily to them, that they can pull it out in the end because they are bright. Or, they just give up and invent an excuse like, "I'm just not good at this." If this is the case with your child, you may want to start your efforts by reviewing the information and tools on the Mindset for Accomplishment website. This site discusses students in this situation in more detail. You can return to this site to do the strategic planning after the discussion about how his or her mindset is impacting performance.
– Concerns and Strategies –
Organization
Organizing
Problems with a child's skills at organizing materials or time is one of the most recurring concerns we hear when working with bright and gifted students. Some bright or gifted kids have minds that are always racing to the next thing and have not developed the self-discipline of thought necessary to organize. Some of the parents with whom we collaborate have already tried a number of strategies recommended by teachers, experts, counselors, books, or online resources, all to no avail. In our experience, students who need to improve organization skills fall into different groups.
Students who did not Need to Learn Organization Skills When Younger
Some bright or gifted students simply have not developed the positive habits necessary for organization because they have not needed them. These students do not learn to organize when they are young because they are able to get good grades even when their materials are scattered and they complete assignments at the last minute. If they are motivated to become more organized, these students need a good strategy, ongoing practice, and regular feedback. They may have been taught a strategy be a teacher a year or more earlier, but that does not mean they can use the strategy. Research has shown that people hold on to strategies if they learn them when they need them. It's like learning a software program but then not using it for two years. You will probably need a refresher or maybe even learn a different software program to accomplish the same thing.
Some students are resistant to thinking strategically about their study skills because they have always believed the work should come easily to them, that they can pull it out in the end because they are bright. Or, they just give up and invent an excuse like, "I'm just not good at this." If this is the case with your child, you may want to start your efforts by reviewing the information and tools on the Mindset for Accomplishment website. This site discusses students in this situation in more detail. You can return to this site to do the strategic planning after the discussion about how his or her mindset is impacting performance.
Students With Undisciplined and Racing Minds
Other bright or gifted students love to learn, generate ideas, research topics of interest on their own, and master the nuances of a concept. But, they may not want to be bothered with organizing their thinking in order to complete an assignment, create a report, or develop a presentation. Once a concept is mastered and they understand the big idea behind it, they may eschew learning the details necessary for doing well on a test. For these students to be successful, they must learn to think in a disciplined way while they are acquiring the organization skills. That is, they must learn to value the importance of disciplined thinking while they are learning techniques to meet the organizational demands of school.
Have conversations with your child about the importance of disciplined thought. The difference between being able to generate ideas or gain insights on one hand and create high quality products on the other is the difference between learning to kick a ball and learning to play soccer, or the difference between plunking out cute melodies on the piano and playing a concerto. Disciplined thinking skills are not about replacing creativity, insight, or making connections. When developed well, disciplined thinking skills can be used to refine and enhance our creativity, insight and connections.
When Something More is Going On.
Another group of students are those who have an entrenched emotional or medical factor that contributes to their disorganization, such as students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Usually, appropriate support for these students involves professional diagnosis and analysis. Medication or ongoing counseling may or may not be appropriate. That is a conversation to have between you and your doctor.
Strategies to Support Organization
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Obtain organizational aids: homework folder, binders, accordion folders etc...
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Make organization a part of daily routines: Re-organize folders, backpacks, desks, etc... on a daily basis until good organizational skills become a regular habit.
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Develop a checklist of important materials. Check off the items as they are packed into one's backpack before leaving school and while packing up for school. Have the teacher and parent sign the form to help the student be sure that they are packing the necessary items. The document link below takes you to an example of a checklist that can be used as a tool to help your child packs everything he should into his backpack.
the_backpack_check-list.docx
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Avoid the "Mad Dash." Things tend to get lost, misplaced, or forgotten when you are in a rush. Avoid this experience by packing up your belongings before going to bed at night rather than when you are rushing to get out the door in the morning.
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Establish a specific place for each important item.
example: My math homework goes in this yellow folder, my nintendo DS goes in this drawer, my keys go ____________, wallet _________________ etc...
Poor Organization may Cause Other Issues as Well
Keep in mind that poor organization may be the source of many issues such as task initiation, persistence, sustained attention, etc...
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For example, students may not be able to get started on their work because they can't seem to find the materials that they need or may be delayed in starting because it takes a long time to find their materials.
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Students may struggle to persist on work because their (1) work area is so disorganized that they cannot focus
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May have trouble sustaining attention because they have dedicated insufficient resources to creating lists or to-do lists that allow them to focus on one single tasks at a time.
When the Basics are not Enough
When your child does not respond to the general organizational tactics discussed above, a more intensive response is needed. As much as teachers and parents want to be able to say that a child should be old enough to organize himself, that does not automatically make it so. Parents and teachers may provide external structure for a while by communicating with each other to help monitor a child's organization and consistency.
It may be necessary to use positive practice numerous times. This may start with organizing your child's materials with him at first. Each time you do, discuss the strategies being used and why. That is, you should be modeling and explaining organizational strategies rather than simply organizing his materials for him.
As a plan is being implemented, discuss what is working and what is not from both your perspective and your child's viewpoint. Ask your child to provide suggestions for modifying the strategy and then reach an agreement on any changes.
Let your child know that you and the teacher will monitor his organization closely at first, but the goal is for him to become more and more responsible for his own organization. Discuss this as a skill he needs to acquire, just like learning to spell irregular words or multiplying by two digit numbers.
Reflect on a weekly basis by discussing the advantages and disadvantages he has found with the strategy. Inquire as to how he rates the success or lack of success of the strategy.
Have him discuss the skills he will employ to take on more responsibility for his organization. Recognize and comment on his own use of strategic thinking for problem-solving.
Use the monitoring and reflecting strategies discussed on this website. As he becomes successful, make sure you monitor his progress from time to time. You may decide on a specific schedule or have random check-ins. But, let him know that, although he has earned the level of self-control he now enjoys, he will need to continue to demonstrate organization skills if he is to maintain that level of independence.
Make sure he knows there is no shame in asking for help and that neither you nor the teacher will be disappointed if he decides he needs some assistance. In fact, recognizing when he needs assistance and asking for it in appropriate and timely ways is an important skill that will serve him well in school and life.