My daughter just started the fourth grade.  She has struggled with organization in the past, and I guess I have, too.  I feel like after just a few weeks of school, we are already having the same problems.  Can you give us some tips on getting organized?

Educator Guru: Start by creating a central area in your home for calendars and schedules.  A bulletin board in the kitchen or entry room is ideal.  Use this area for lunch menus and sports schedules.  A calendar should be in the same spot to keep track of after-school activities, upcoming projects, and school programs or field trips. In a large family, color-coding entries by family member is helpful.  You may also want to place a basket in the same spot where your daughter can put permission slips, forms, or other papers that need to be signed and returned to school.


Set up an area for your daughter to do her homework, and be prepared to keep it consistent.  The kitchen or dining room table works fine, and you can keep needed supplies in a storage box nearby or under the table.  A desk works well, too, but many children this age might have trouble staying on task if they are tucked away in their room.  Others may find the lack of distraction easier to work around.  Either way, be sure your child’s work area is stocked with pens and pencils, a calculator, paper, scissors, tape, and a stapler.  You may also want to provide a lamp, reference books, a pencil sharpener, or a three-hole punch depending on your child’s individual needs.

Lastly, send your child off to school with all the tools she needs to be well organized.  Make certain she brings the assignment book that White Oaks provided back and forth to school each day.  Be sure to check it every day and help her to stay on top of her work.  Provide her with a binder equipped with folders for each subject area as well as an additional folder for take-home papers and to put completed homework in.  Double check that she has all the school supplies her teacher asked for and be sure to check periodically that she has a good supply of everything.