STRATEGIES TO HELP DISORGANISED STUDENTS

Many children find it difficult to be organised, with the result that they can misplace belongings and miss home learning deadlines.  Sometimes children become independent on their parents to organise and manage things for them. The following strategies support the development of organisation skills and encourage children to take responsibility for their belongings and their learning.

Together with your child organise a weekly/ daily schedule which should be displayed in a prominent place, for example, placed at your child's eye level on the front door.  When completing the daily schedule discuss a colour code/ symbol key to use so that your child has a sense of ownership for the schedule. Give your child a sense of responsibility for their belongings and learning by encouraging them to check they have everything they need for the day.

Model good organisation skills by regularly using a family calendar. (Weekly and daily schedules can be found and downloaded for free from the Internet). 

 

If possible, keep PE kits, school bags and instruments in a set location so your child can independently collect what they need for the day.

Have a designated place and time (written on the weekly schedule) for your child to complete their home learning.  This space, should be free from distractions such as mobile phones, and equipped with some essentials: paper, pencils, etc.  In the same way, encourage your child to prepare for this home learning time and have visited the toilet beforehand.  If you find that your child is constantly getting up and delaying completing or starting the activity it may be that they need support with it.  

Many schools have a home-school journal in which students record their home learning tasks.  Often schools put the home learning assignments online.   Encourage your child to share their journal and the school's website with you and together add any homework deadlines to the family calendar or schedule.   In addition, many schools run a Homework Club which gives a student an opportunity to complete assignments at school with the support of a teacher should require it.  

Essentially, follow Mrs Beeton's advice from 1861,

"A place for everything and everything in its place."

A STRATEGY FOR LEARNING THE 4 TIMES TABLES

Some students find learning the multiplication tables tricky.  The strategy of learning that the four times table is double the two times table i.e. double, double has supported students that I tutor. 
so 4 x4 can thought of as double 4 and double again .

4 x 4 
4 x 2 = 8 x 2 = 16

This strategy can also be used to learn the 6 times table to by doubling the threes.  so 6 x 6 can thought of as 6 x 3 and then double

6 x 6
3 x 6 = 18 x 2 = 36


It can even be used to learn the eight times tables by double, double, double.   

4 x 8 =
4 x 2 = 8 
8 x 2 = 16
16 x 2 = 32

 I frequently return to this strategy with students and use a variety of templates to practice with them.  This double, double flower has been popular.