Students with learning challenges often have difficulty keeping track of their books, homework and supplies. It is important to help our children learn good organizational skills at all ages. Having the materials they need to do their work or to show others what they have learned at their fingertips leaves more time for learning, builds confidence and a sense of control over their challenges.
Here are some organization tips and links to helpful websites for ideas on how to make your child’s back to school experience this year a good one!
Use COLOR!
If you have more than one child let each choose a color for school and everyday items like backpacks, lunchboxes, towels, hampers, pencil boxes, wipe off message boards and your family calendar. This can help them see at a glance which items they need to take care of.
Give each class/subject a color! This quick inexpensive way to organize things visually makes it easier to grab the right book, folder and note book to be sure they have everything for class or homework.
Studying, notetaking, and to do lists can be even more helpful with color coded highlighters and sticky notes. Parents and Teachers have many helpful ideas on Pinterest.
Scheduling changes can lead to chaos, stress and frustration. Building structure and routines can help a family gain control and get organized. For ideas on creating a “command center” check out My LIFE and Kids website.
Then there is the backpack! They can hold so much “stuff” and yet homework can still be lost. Watch this 2 minute video for some helpful tips from this parent who conquered the crinkled papers and smelly sock issues.
Parent Network’s “Tinker with Tech”
Visual organizers can help students with learning challenges feel more confident and become independent before and after school. Here are 2 options to check out…
Good Karma Applications has useful apps to create schedules that are available in both IOS and Android. First Then Visual Schedule allows you to use your own photos and sounds to create and share schedules with others.
The Trip Clip… Helping Busy Families Manage Lives website has easy to create and use activities that can be designed just for you child.
For more information… call 1 on 1 Support at 716-332-4175 and ask to speak to a media mentor.