Latest news

The Terrible/Terrific Teens

November 15, 2011 No comments

It seems like one of life’s cruel paradoxes. Right when school work becomes most demanding, and really starts to count toward future plans, teenagers typically begin to resist parental involvement, particularly in their schoolwork. How can a parent encourage adherence to the Thinking Organized strategies with a resistant teen? It’s not easy, but here are a few tips that our parents have found useful:

Create a system of external rewards. As much as we would all like our children to be intrinsically motivated to organize their backpacks, clean their rooms and study ahead of time for tests, the reality is that there are many other enticing options available. Having a system of rewards works well for many teenagers, as long as the reward is something the teen really wants. Work with your student to establish a list of expectations and incentives, and he will be much more likely to make an effort at meeting the goals.
Back off a bit. As difficult as it may be, parents need to understand that most teenagers will not allow Mom or Dad to micromanage their schoolwork. Chances are, you’re just not going to be able to help as much as you might think necessary. Set your priorities on a few major items to monitor, and then let your teen do his personal best on all other tasks without interference. Often, your involvement is seen by the teenager as a lack of confidence in his abilities. By stepping back and allowing your child his independence, you are actually reassuring him that you trust him to know what needs to be accomplished.
Negotiate a deal. For example, as long as you maintain “B’s” or better in your classes, I will not check your assignment notebook or backpack. If you fall below a B in any class, then you have to let me help you organize your materials and study for the next test in that class. All children want to earn high grades, and sometimes giving them this option sounds more helpful than nagging.

Many of the parents with whom I work tell me that managing their children’s school work is damaging their relationship. When this becomes the case, it’s often beneficial to hire the assistance of a third party. A tutor can be more than just someone to assist with academics. An educational mentor can be involved in helping the student maintain organization with paperwork and assignments and manage time effectively. If the resistance becomes too great, involving a therapist can often help the teenager manage some of the difficult issues of the trying years of adolescence.

No one will ever tell you that the teenage years are easy on parents. However, with a sense of humor and a calm demeanor, you can continue to be a good role model and a sound support system for your child during these years.

There’s No Place Like. . .

October 17, 2011 No comments

The issue of “Where to Study” is just as important as “What to Study” and “When to Study.” However, this longtime parental dilemma does not have a “one size fits all solution.” The number of places that fit the bill for optimal studying is as varied as each one of us. Additionally, studying needs change as the child grows older and what worked for elementary school may not be appropriate for middle or high school. Therefore, we’ve interviewed a few of our parents and students and bring you a few responses:

Bobby, Age 8 (response provided by mom): I spent a lot of time choosing the perfect desk for my left-handed son, and stocking it with every school supply that I thought would help him. However, if I send him into this work environment that would be the envy of most children, he will get busy rearranging his pens or using the colored pencils to draw amazing pictures or any number of other activities that do not relate to his academics. The only place where I can be sure that Bobby is doing his homework is right next to me. I save homework time for myself to do bills, open the mail or catch up on other paperwork. In this way, I can keep Bobby on task without driving myself crazy.

Jessica, Age 20: My dorm room is the worst place to study. My roommates always have something more exciting planned than schoolwork and between the snack breaks and catching up on the daily gossip – I get nothing done. The best place for me to study is in a quiet place in the library. The first floor of the library is for socializing (a great place to meet boys). However, you can reserve small study rooms which are completely silent, or venture to the corners of the higher floors where you will only find serious students who also do not want to be interrupted.

Michelle, Age 12: I like to study in my mother’s office. She doesn’t have T.V., but she does have a fancy computer and lots of different color pens. I don’t like to study where it’s too quiet, and in Mom’s office I can still hear the family in the rest of the house. It’s a great place for me to concentrate.

Jacob, Age 16: Rhona Gordon had a great idea that works for me – Starbucks! Their wireless internet is faster than my school’s, the coffee keeps me awake and I feel motivated to stay until I accomplish the goals that I have set for myself.

Ben, Age 10: (response provided by dad): Ben is a pistol! I love studying history with him because he has such funny and unique responses. Sometimes I find that I get him distracted because I get more involved teaching him what I remember instead of helping him stay focused on his homework. So generally, he goes in his room to work. When he has a test to study for, he will let me help him make a study guide or flashcards. When he has a project, he usually runs his ideas past me before sending me to the store. Other than that, I try to stay out of his way.

These are a sampling of the ways our students study best. However, don’t let the list die here! Please click here to let us know what methods work well for you or your child. It’s possible that your ideas might help someone else find their perfect studying spot.

New Study Explores the Science of Auditory & Visual Learners (from NPR)

September 19, 2011 No comments

NPR recently aired a study entitled Think You’re An Auditory Or Visual Learner? Scientists Say It’s Unlikely in which psychologist Doug Rohrer from the University of South Florida claimed that there was no scientific evidence supporting the commonly-held belief that individuals can be classified as visual, auditory or kinesthetic learners. Wow, what an uproar! Hundreds of professionals, parents and teachers responded to this article with a variety of strongly worded opinions.

However, the article also quotes Dan Willingham, a psychologist at the University of Virginia, who emphasizes that it is important for teachers to instruct with each of the different learning styles in mind, “mixing things up” in order to maximize attention span.

Dr. Willingham’s philosophy is a concept that is very familiar to the staff at Thinking Organized™. The third “building block” of effective executive functioning in Rhona Gordon’s book and practice is “learning styles.” She has long maintained that no one is strictly a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner. In fact, to be a good student, it is necessary for an auditory learner to take notes from a text book, or a visual learn to listen to a lecture. While a student may have one learning style that he or she prefers, it is very important for parents and teachers to encourage the child to practice a variety of methods for understanding, organizing and remembering information.

But we’d like to know what you think? Are learning styles a valid and proven method for inputting information in the most efficient way possible, or do you believe that, like Dr. Rohrer states, “until such [scientific] evidence exists, they shouldn’t be used”? Click here to give us your thoughts on this on-going debate.

College Bound

August 15, 2011 No comments

This is what you’ve been working toward. Your baby is going off to college. The dream of a guest room or home office you always wanted is about to come true, and you’re going to have full-time access to your car again (not that it matters because you’ll soon be making the choice between tuition and gas).

If your student has executive functioning weaknesses, or just can’t seem to stay organized, it will be very helpful to have some systems in place before the big day. Aside from the lengthy list from the college of what to pack and not pack, consider helping your student with some of the basic structures for success.

A system for organizing papers: Reinforce the need for your student to keep up with all academic paperwork. Purchase a small sturdy file box and set up folders for each of your student’s classes, plus separate ones for important papers such as health insurance, meal plan, computer information etc…
A system for documenting assignments: Encourage your student to choose a way to track assignments before school begins. Some co-eds prefer the electronic method of a cell phone or computer. If this is the case, try to establish the structure now. Will they be using a software program that reminds you of obligations daily? Will they be able to print a schedule or list of requirements?
A system for transporting books and notebooks: Many college students want to move beyond the backpack to something more sophisticated, such as a big tote bag. The method is optional; the important thing is to decide how the student is going to carry materials to class, the library and back to the dorm.
A system for planning time: The choice of a calendar is an important decision, and sometimes two calendars are necessary. If the student wants a monthly or yearly calendar to see long term obligations, a second calendar for daily obligations may be necessary. Even if the student plans to use a software program to manage time, a second calendar to divide long term projects or future events will be helpful.

Like an Olympian preparing to compete on his first day, the planning and practice that takes place prior to the event can make or break the final outcome. With the right structures in place, next summer your child could be celebrating his very own academic “gold metal.”

New Study Implicates Environmental Factors in Autism (The New York Times)

July 15, 2011 No comments

The New York Time Article: New Study Implicates Environmental Factors in Autism

I recently came across this interesting article about a new study that focused on environmental factors and autism. While the study makes a few very broad statements, it is definitely food for thought and offers good advice by stating: “We need to not just study the environmental factors, but the relation between the genes and the environment.”

How do you feel about the implication of environmental factors in autism?

Boredom-Busting with a Bang!

June 15, 2011 No comments

During the summer, the temptation is great for children to spend hours watching television or playing video games, but these activities quickly lead to bored minds and sluggish bodies. However, with a little ingenuity and planning, summer can be an opportunity to stretch the mind, explore new hobbies and build on skills learned during the school year. Here are some great tips for reinforcing Thinking Organized strategies while having fun:

1. Grow your favorite vegetables.
What better way to learn the basics of science and how things grow than to plant your own garden? You can start with seeds or small plants. Talk about what plants need to be hardy: air, water, sunlight and nutrients. Take out books from the library about the soil in your area, photosynthesis and nutrition.

2. Get theatrical.
Children of all ages can have fun making their own puppet theater. Puppets can be made by cutting off the finger-ends of old gloves, coloring on old socks, decorating paper lunch bags or gluing onto popsicle sticks. Yarn, felt, scraps of old t-shirts or material and sequins all add drama to homemade puppets. Encourage your children to create a story that the puppets can act out.

3. Start a store. Children love to label things and be in charge of their domain. All you’ll need is some stickers or index cards for price tags, a good collection of coins for change, and a notebook for a ledger or a pretend cash register for the ch-ching! The products can be a collection of toys from their room, books or food containers (empty cereal boxes and canned goods work well for this). As long as the students make the change, they’ll be learning.

4. Become an investment guru. Older children will love learning about the stock market. A good way to get started is to investigate publicly held companies that teens are familiar with, such as Apple, Hollister or Nike. Hold a fantasy stock market contest in your family and see whose investment comes out on top.

5. Visit a different country every week. Use a globe or atlas and ask your children about different places they would like to visit. Next, hit the library for a collection of age appropriate books about the new country. You’ll want to learn a basic assortment of vocabulary (how to say “hello” and “thank you”) to use throughout the week. Learn as much as you can about the country, and then at the end of the week, make a meal with unique foods from the region.

Of course, there are many online games that can be played to keep up academic skills (such as sporcle.com or luminosity.com) and the library is an invaluable, free resource for every student. We’d love to hear your ideas for educational boredom-busters.

Supporting your child through final exams

May 17, 2011 No comments

Rah, Rah, Ray! Hip Hip Hooray!

You can pass your exam today!

Sounds corny, right? Yet, if you and your child are trying to follow the Thinking Organized steps of preparing for examinations to the best of your abilities, then your student will be as ready as possible for the sometimes grueling process of showing what she’s learned since January. Now it’s time to bring on the positive attitude and take the role of being your child’s cheerleader. Optimism leads to confidence and success and if strong enough, quickly becomes contagious. Here are some tips to help you cheer your child on to her personal best performance during exam week:

Stay calm. Don’t panic! A parent who paces around the house or voices concerns about failure can make a child a nervous wreck. However, a parent who exudes unwavering confidence will reduce the student’s stress, allowing her to fully focus on the task at hand.
Avoid the “we” mentality. Part of being an effective cheerleader is keeping the focus on your child. Helping create study guides and verbally quizzing her when requested is positive support. However, sometimes parents can become too involved in the process which takes the accomplishment away from the child. Keep the focus on your student’s efforts, while encouraging her every step of the way.
Provide Quality Work Time. Minimize TV watching during exam week and enlist the whole family in avoiding noisy distractions during study time. Parents can help by choosing quiet activities while the child is studying, such as reading a book or doing a crossword puzzle.
Encourage healthy habits. Serve nutritionally balanced meals and minimize the junk food, especially sugar before bedtime. Persuade your student to get enough rest each night. Remind everyone to release anxiety with some form of physical exercise daily, even just a short walk in the evening.

Nothing helps a child succeed like having a parent who believes in her. Let your child know that you understand that she’s under stress. Praise her for being such a conscientious student. Not only will being your child’s cheerleader help her through exam week, but it will also establish a positive attitude toward upcoming academic challenges. So are you ready Mom and Dad? It’s time to get in the game and cheer your budding scholar to success!

Testing Anxiety

April 19, 2011 No comments

Nearly everyone has felt nervous during a test. Anxiety is normal anytime we are being judged. Clearly, the best remedy for test anxiety is feeling well prepared. This involves all the different Thinking Organized strategies: material organization, time management, learning styles, memorization, note-taking and written language. Preparing for tests and exams is an important and weighty matter, and will be the focus of the May 2011 Thinking Organized Tip.

However, some students, no matter how well prepared, suffer from such a degree of anxiety during testing that their performance is adversely affected. Here are some suggestions that parents can encourage their children to try during a stressful test:

Being well prepared is the best remedy for nervousness. Studying well ahead of time will help your child feel certain that the information is secure in memory.
Change positions to help relax. Even a shoulder shrug or a different seating position may help relieve tense muscles.
Use positive reinforcement. Help your student remember to acknowledge that she is doing her best, which is all that is asked of her.
Remind her that some anxiety is normal. It’s just a reminder that she wants to score well. A reasonable amount of nervousness can be a good thing – it can provide extra energy and help students focus on the task at hand.
Don’t panic when other students start handing in their papers. There’s no reward for being the first done.

All of the Thinking Organized strategies take time and practice. Learning to beat test anxiety is no different. Although test apprehension will not go away overnight, facing and dealing with these anxieties ahead of time will help your child learn valuable stress management techniques that will be beneficial far beyond her school days.

Remember to check our May 2011 Monthly Tip for more test preparation ideas and let us know if you have any anxiety-busters that might work for other students.

To err is human . . .

March 15, 2011 No comments

We know it’s true that “everyone makes mistakes,” but still, on March 1st when our monthly tip was emailed with a glaring typo in the heading, the staff at Thinking Organized was mortified. We were so careful! We check and recheck our email blasts before they’re sent. Yet, no one caught “self-advocacy” spelled incorrectly in the title. All we can say now is, “OOPS; we goofed; we’re sorry; we will definitely try to be more careful in the future.”

However, this reminded all our therapists and tutors of a very important point about working with children. Mistakes happen! We’re all human and even the most diligent of editors (hmmmm…) sometimes overlook an error.

So how do you help children accept the mistakes they make, regroup and continue to strive toward, if not perfection, at least academic achievement? Some children (and adults) become so overwhelmed and anxious by their blunders that they give up. Many of the students who come to our practice are afraid to try because they hate failing. What to do? Here are a few suggestions, but as always, we welcome our readers to submit their own ideas:

Gently remind children how true it is that everyone makes mistakes. You can humorously recount stories of personal slip-ups or refer to someone like Thomas Edison who failed numerous times before inventing the light bulb and said his process was “10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.”
Much of academic learning depends on making mistakes. Remind students about how they first learned to speak, count or read. It takes the natural process of blundering and persevering for true learning to take place.
The older we get, and the more responsibilities we take on, the more likely it is to make mistakes. People who are afraid to slip up cannot progress as students or individuals. Life is about taking risks, accepting one’s own fallibility and learning from our blunders.

So, looking again at the typo in last month’s Thinking Organized tip – we made a mistake, we agonized, we came clean, we revised our editing process and finally, we laughed. What else can you do?

Thank you to those readers who good-heartedly pointed out our error, and please let us know if you have any suggestions to help children regroup after making mistakes.

Rhona Gordon, M.S., C.C.C./SLP, Author?

February 15, 2011 No comments

How exciting! We just notified the winner of our first Facebook fan contest that they will be receiving an autographed copy of Thinking Organized for Parents and Children. I hope that it will be as helpful to them as it has been for many of my other clients.

After we kicked-off the Facebook contest, I realized that I’ve never really told the story behind the “story.”

When I began working as a speech and language pathologist and organizational specialist, traveling throughout the Washington DC and New York metro areas and starting my own business, Thinking Organized, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be able to add “author” to my list of accomplishments. When would I have time to sit down and write a book?

Seeing the needs of children, young adults and even adults in the business world, observing their difficulties and watching their struggles made me realize that if there was a way for them to understand the basis of executive functioning, a concept that has been the air I breathe for years, then maybe I could help them see that they didn’t need to struggle so much. There were so many people who I have been able to help by introducing them to the natural process of effective executive functioning; I wanted to share the story of how success can happen for everybody. If these people had a simple way to get the information they need, it could truly change the way they lived their lives – so I decided I needed to write it down.

At first it was a bit difficult to figure out how to make the book user-friendly for all kinds of parents. But as I moved along, I saw that my thoughts weren’t as hard to get out as I had anticipated. I drafted the book so that my readers didn’t have to read from cover to cover. The chapters are designed to act as a guide so you can skip from one to another in search of the information that you really need. A year or so later, I had successfully finished Thinking Organized For Parents and Children, my unimagined masterpiece.

I gathered my years of experience, my philosophies, and my practices and put them into words – chronicling the journeys of my real life students and letting parents know never to give up hope. This type of success takes time, especially as children get older and segue into their teen years, where they don’t even want to chat about their day at the dinner table, let alone talk about problems they’re having in the classroom.

Knowing that my book has actually made a difference in the lives of so many people, who were once struggling to get ahead, is more of an accomplishment than I could ever have imagined. In the end, students who learn these strategies cannot only manage their academic work independently, but also their everyday lives.