Organizational Tools

Why should I do it:

  • Provides increased order for the student mentally and logistically
  • Improves student awareness of belongings, papers, supplies, etc
  • Increases student success and morale
  • Improves work completion and returning or handing in of work
  • Provides increased structure
  • Helps to develop and establish routines, schedules, etc
  • Increases student responsibility and follow through
  • Holds students more accountable
  • Improves student self-confidence
  • Decreases missing and lost assignments
  • Improves time management
  • Increases attending behaviors

When should I do it:

  • When students exhibit poor organization
  • When students chronically loose, misplace, and fail to turn in work
  • When students have trouble following the school/class procedures, schedules, and/or routines
  • When a students locker/desk is very messy and disorganized
  • When a student looses work, materials, and supplies in their locker/desk
  • When a student hoards work in their locker/desk

How do I do it:

  • There are numerous specific strategies and systems to help and teach students to become more organized, please click on links below to explore and choose some
  • Some basic strategies include keeping a planner or calendar, frequently organizing lockers, desks, and storage areas with the assistance of a teacher or peer
  • Checklists
  • Daily schedules
  • Keeping things in a crate and out of the desk or locker
  • Organizational folders with a “to do” and “done” side
  • Visual schedule
  • Parent assistance with daily helping student to organize and sort work, belongings, and materials
  • Turning in all complete work to one location and/or person
  • Etc.

Resources & Support for technique:
(Items with footnotes link to external websites)

  • Organizational Tools For Students1
  • Teaching Organizational Skills2
  • General Graphic Organizer Sheets3
  • Middle School Organization4
  • 7 organizational Tools For Students5
  • Organizational Skills for Students with Learning Disabilities: The Master Filing System for Paper6
  • Helping the LD Child with Organization7
  • Parents’ Guide to Organizational Skills for Students.pdf8
  • Teaching Organizational Skills9
  • Organization Interventions for the Disorganized Student10
  • Organizational Skills: Recommendations for Teachers of Students with Organizational Problems.doc11
  • Top 10 Skills for High-School Students12
  • Developing Kids’ Organizational Skills13
  • Homework Organization For Students (And Their Parents)14
  • 6 Simple Organization Tips for Students of All Ages15
  • Helping Special Education Students Get Organized16
  • Tier 2 intervention of Individual & Visual Schedules

Footnotes:

  1. Pleasant Valley Community School District. Organizational Tools (for Students). [
  2. Fattig, M. (2010). Teaching Organizational Skills – ADHD. [
  3. Teachnology, Inc. Graphic Organizers. [
  4. lifeorganizers. Middle School Organization. [
  5. Byrne. (2010) 7 Organization Tools for Students. [
  6. Newhall, P. W. (2008). Organizational Skills for Students with Learning Disabilities: The Master Filing System for Paper. [
  7. Watson, S. Helpling the LD Child with Organization. [
  8. Amity Region # 5. Parents’ Guide to Organizational Skills for Students. [
  9. Andries, D. (2006). Teaching Organizational Skills. [
  10. Casey, B. L. (2009). Study Tips: Organizational Interventions for Special Education Students. [
  11. Cash, A. ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TEACHERS OF STUDENTS WITH ORGANIZATIONAL PROBLEMS. [
  12. Page, C. Top 10 Skills for High-School Students. [
  13. Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities (CCLD). (1999).Developing Kids’ Organizational Skills. [
  14. Tyler, A. N. Homework Organization For Students (And Their Parents). [
  15. Russell, L. (2007). 6 Simple Organization Tips for Students of All Ages. [
  16. Webster, J. Helping Special Education Students Get Organized: Tips for helping students get organized. [