" The change from one primary teacher to multiple teachers that generally occurs as children enter middle school requires increased organizational skills. Most students benefit from preparation before this transition and explicit instruction in how to keep track of assignments, effectively use a locker, and coordinate daily schedules. "
- Joyce Cooper-Kahn, Ph.D. and Laurie Dietzel, Ph.D. authors of Late, Lost, and Unprepared: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Children with Executive Functioning
Using a Planner: The Homework Road Map
If your child’s school uses a Planner, you should spend some time first orienting yourself to their Planner and then sitting down with your child to have them explain to you how they should use their Planner. If your school system does not provide a planner, we recommend purchasing one. See below for recommendations of what a Planner should include.
Why aren't They Using It :Some children don't write homework assignments down in their Planner because they are confident that they will remember without writing anything down. Sometimes a child will not write down their homework because they are in denial or feel overwhelmed by the amount of homework they have.
Using the Planner : Teach your child to write down upcoming tests, quizzes, and projects, as well as daily assignments, to help your child schedule and plan ahead. Highlight Tests, Quizzes and Deadlines.
Make it Easy: Show your child how to use a binder clip as a bookmark in their Planner so they can easily flip to the right page.
Choosing a Planner: If your school doesn’t provide a Planner for your child, consider purchasing one or you can make a simple planner yourself. The sample that we’ve shown you above is a “Teacher’s Planner”. Click here for a template of My Weekly Planner.
Taking the Right Books and Binder Home: Create a system with your child of using the Planner at the end of the day to help your child know which books and binders to take out of their locker or desk and put into their backpack.
Class Schedule: Have your child tape a copy of their daily class schedule to the front of their Planner and highlight each subject with the same Color Coding system that they have created for their binders and textbooks.
©
