Organization is a key to being successful in any area of life. It is one of the most important skills a child or adult can have. Academic challenges are often related to a child's not being organized. Becoming a list maker is one practical way to help with organization. Make a checklist of what your child should be taking to school each day. Put this list by the door and teach your child to look at it and check it over to be sure s/he has the necessary items before going out that door to school.
A good place to begin helping your child get organized is with his/her backpack. Sit down together and go through its contents. Discuss what is still needed, what to save, what to toss. By doing this, you are teaching your child a process. Use folders that are labeled (homework, parent pages, etc.) to organize all papers. Then show your child how to put things back into the backpack instead of just tossing everything in. Generally this process will take several times of doing it for a child to begin making a habit of it.
