Help your child to be a successful Patriot by helping them to organize their lives.
Here are a few reminders and tips for helping your child to be successful.
1: Use the planner the way it's supposed to be used.
A student planner is your child's "to do" list for each day. It should list what was done in class and what needs to be done at home whether it's study time or homework. Look over the planner starting with the first subject and work your way down checking items off as they are done. This way you don't forget what was finished and what still needs to be done.
2: Use your binder the way it's supposed to be used.
Binders are the student’s main way of transporting homework, finished assignments, class packets and parent communication. Binders should not have workbooks, tons of notebooks, toys or anything other than the assignments given to the student and the folders that hold those assignments. A "take home" folder should only have assignments that have been corrected and are ready to go home; and stay home.
Color coding your folders are a great way to stay organized and not forget where you place things.
Reading - Red
Math - Yellow
Science - Green
History/Geography - Blue
Language Arts - Purple
Electives (Foreign Language, Band/Orchestra, Health) - Orange, Black
Take Home - Manila (Beige)
Clean out your binder at the end of every week so it doesn't become over-stuffed and hard to deal with. Take the assignments that have been graded and place them in a folder at home for safe keeping until the end of that term. Although teachers are pretty amazing, they do sometimes make mistakes. It's always better to save the work and show them the graded assignment for credit, rather than do the assignment over again.
3. Keep your desk and backpack clean and clutter free Try having a "no loose papers" policy, which requires you to place papers in the right folders in your binders and keep them out of your locker or backpack. When loose papers are "floating" in a backpack, they can get torn, dirty, and lost, leaving it hard to do your homework and be successful. Check your backpack daily and remove any unnecessary items so it's easier to find what you need in the morning and when you get home from school. Using a binder as described in #2, will help eliminate clutter in both your locker and your backpack!
4. Choose an effective study area.
Choose a quiet, well-lit area for studying and doing homework. Don’t study in front of the television, or in an area of your home where you’re bound to be distracted. If a library is close to your home, ask if you can do your homework there, so distractions like siblings and technology won't ruin your success.
Take your binder out, once seated, and open the folders one at a time (according to the order of your planner; science first, then math, etc) so you can work on each subject. Once that subject's assignment is complete, place the folder back in your binder and move on to the next subject. Once all folders have been placed back into your binder, you know you're done for the day!
5. Prepare for the next day, the night before
Place your binder, textbooks, workbooks and anything else that needs to go to school the next morning, in your backpack the night before. Lay out the clothes that you are going to wear the next day as well. This will help lessen stress in the morning and, if you’re running late from something else, will eliminate being unprepared at school. If you bring a home lunch, make your lunch the night before so you can grab it and go the next day. Pictures, field trip, or important teacher/parent meeting the next day? Make sure you remind your caregiver and give them the required forms for permission, etc, before the due date as well. Getting to school in the morning can be tough, but it's even tougher when you forget your permission form on the day of an amazing field trip and you have to stay at school by yourself!
1: Use the planner the way it's supposed to be used.
A student planner is your child's "to do" list for each day. It should list what was done in class and what needs to be done at home whether it's study time or homework. Look over the planner starting with the first subject and work your way down checking items off as they are done. This way you don't forget what was finished and what still needs to be done.
2: Use your binder the way it's supposed to be used.
Binders are the student’s main way of transporting homework, finished assignments, class packets and parent communication. Binders should not have workbooks, tons of notebooks, toys or anything other than the assignments given to the student and the folders that hold those assignments. A "take home" folder should only have assignments that have been corrected and are ready to go home; and stay home.
Color coding your folders are a great way to stay organized and not forget where you place things.
Reading - Red
Math - Yellow
Science - Green
History/Geography - Blue
Language Arts - Purple
Electives (Foreign Language, Band/Orchestra, Health) - Orange, Black
Take Home - Manila (Beige)
Clean out your binder at the end of every week so it doesn't become over-stuffed and hard to deal with. Take the assignments that have been graded and place them in a folder at home for safe keeping until the end of that term. Although teachers are pretty amazing, they do sometimes make mistakes. It's always better to save the work and show them the graded assignment for credit, rather than do the assignment over again.
3. Keep your desk and backpack clean and clutter free Try having a "no loose papers" policy, which requires you to place papers in the right folders in your binders and keep them out of your locker or backpack. When loose papers are "floating" in a backpack, they can get torn, dirty, and lost, leaving it hard to do your homework and be successful. Check your backpack daily and remove any unnecessary items so it's easier to find what you need in the morning and when you get home from school. Using a binder as described in #2, will help eliminate clutter in both your locker and your backpack!
4. Choose an effective study area.
Choose a quiet, well-lit area for studying and doing homework. Don’t study in front of the television, or in an area of your home where you’re bound to be distracted. If a library is close to your home, ask if you can do your homework there, so distractions like siblings and technology won't ruin your success.
Take your binder out, once seated, and open the folders one at a time (according to the order of your planner; science first, then math, etc) so you can work on each subject. Once that subject's assignment is complete, place the folder back in your binder and move on to the next subject. Once all folders have been placed back into your binder, you know you're done for the day!
5. Prepare for the next day, the night before
Place your binder, textbooks, workbooks and anything else that needs to go to school the next morning, in your backpack the night before. Lay out the clothes that you are going to wear the next day as well. This will help lessen stress in the morning and, if you’re running late from something else, will eliminate being unprepared at school. If you bring a home lunch, make your lunch the night before so you can grab it and go the next day. Pictures, field trip, or important teacher/parent meeting the next day? Make sure you remind your caregiver and give them the required forms for permission, etc, before the due date as well. Getting to school in the morning can be tough, but it's even tougher when you forget your permission form on the day of an amazing field trip and you have to stay at school by yourself!
Mrs. Hall,
ReplyDeleteThis is so great and it helps me a ton! You are a fantastic blogger!
Thank your for sharing your expertise! You Rock Mrs. Hall!
-Brandon D. Byrge
(801) 997-0023 Mobile
brandonbyrge@gmail.com