Setting up your child for a productive school year

Schools will teach the required subjects like mathematics, chemistry and English but unfortunately they don't teach children some of the basic tools they'll need to stay ahead of the game, most importantly - Organization. Children often need to juggle many varied classes and all the study material needed (purchasing, storing, filing) along with athletics, hobbies and a social life. Teaching your children some organization keys that will help them succeed in class will not only raise their grades but spill over into the other aforementioned areas helping to develop a strong, well balanced, grounded individual.

One of the best places to start is a study. A quiet room, free of distractions where they can become as efficient as possible. Not all kids require the same atmosphere in order to be productive. Some will do fine in a kitchen while others may need the privacy of a spare room. Wherever you choose to locate the room you simply need to make sure it is well lit and has an ergonomically friendly environment. Make sure the cell phone is stored elsewhere and that all needed supplies are easily accessible.

Like any professional, a young student has a lot of paperwork to manage. This is an area that is rarely discussed and can go a long way in regards to productivity. Most kids will just scramble and waste a lot of time looking for things that have no proper home. A superior filing system will give your kids an advantage and it is very simple to implement. The only requirement is a nice archive box with lid and a few file folders. Personal items can be stored in the back and separate sections created for each class. Filing all of the child's paperwork at the end of each session will help them stay organized. And it's not all about the filing. The idea of being well organized and prepared will spill over to all facets of the child's life. He or she will be proud of the system they've created.

The next step beyond organizing ones physical environment is the organization of ones time. This is not as complicated as it may seem. A planner is a great tool for helping to record everything from practice times, social dates, homework hours and just about everything else. You need to find a nice day planner that is portable but not cheap looking. If the planner looks cool then they will be much more likely to put it to good use and not 'forget it' on a bus somewhere. Some new cell phones may also do the job and your child will see himself as an important, busy executive type. This may sound frivolous but it do wonders for an impressionable person's self-confidence. Don't rush into this though. As any parent knows, children have a very different idea about time. Still, the mechanics of scheduling can be taught and hopefully over time they will learn to respect the plan they've made for themselves. You just need to provide the tools and a little encouragement.

Like any project that you embark on, observation and revision are a requirement. Some ideas will work very well while others will need some adjustments or even complete overhauls. If you child uses the fancy new cell phone, that was meant to be a day planner, for sending out two hundred texts a day then perhaps looking at a leather bound planner may be a wise move. Perhaps the kitchen isn't the best study environment for this particular child. There is nothing wrong with some of your ideas going wrong. The important thing is to recognize what's working, what this child enjoys and then build on that in a productive way. The sky's the limit when it comes to productivity and it's up to you to teach this class. If the child is old enough add a little financial courses to your home study program and your child will be even that much more prepared. You'll see that the fruit that is gathered from this tree will be not only very sweet but the seeds gathered will last a lifetime.