Each month, a Thinking Organized tip is emailed to our growing list of educators, parents and students who want to improve their executive functioning skills.
Toward the end of the academic year, many parents and teachers begin the all-important process of developing educational plans for the next school year. Whether or not your student has a formal Independent Educational Plan (IEP) in place, now is the time to begin…To read more, please subscribe to receive our monthly tips via email here: info@thinkingorganized.com.
smortoThe Pros and Cons of Accommodations for Students
Self-advocacy is the ability to negotiate for oneself. It can be as simple as answering a question in class or as complex as planning and implementing one’s IEP/ 504 plan. It is a skill that … To read more, please subscribe to receive our monthly tips via email here: info@thinkingorganized.com.
Every student wants good grades! This is a fixed foundation of the Thinking Organized program and one in which our staff firmly believes. So if it is true that all students want to get “A’s,” why don’t they all succeed in school? Although some children don’t know how to…To read more, please subscribe to receive our monthly tips via email here: info@thinkingorganized.com.
smortoMotivating Students Towards Academic Achievement
Most people associate the beginning of January with a list of New Year’s Resolutions. Setting broad and impossible goals on December 31st is tempting, but usually not very helpful. However… To read more, please subscribe to receive our monthly tips via email here: info@thinkingorganized.com.
smortoBuilding Blocks of Effective Executive Functioning Skills
The information children learn in school is extremely valuable to their long term educational development. However, most of the students who succeed in reaching their academic goals take advantage of strategies to enhance the instructional lessons presented during their formal classes. There are several ways that parents can…To read more, please subscribe to receive our monthly tips via email here: info@thinkingorganized.com.
As children, Thanksgiving is about a break from school, seeing out-of-town relatives and a really big meal. However, for the adults in charge of Thanksgiving dinner, the details of a perfect celebration involve as many aspects as that of a businessman planning an important project or presentation. In short, both require executive functioning skills! Getting your children involved in the preparation and execution of this year’s Thanksgiving feast will show them…To read more, please subscribe to receive our monthly tips via email here: info@thinkingorganized.com.
Now that the school year is back in full swing, many parents are experiencing deadline overload. When you or your children have organizational weaknesses (often known as executive functioning disorder), managing life’s day to day obligations can put you into overdrive – causing stress, anxiety, missed deadlines, poor performance and general crankiness. To put some order in your life, start thinking organized with these tips for basic executive functioning skills…To read more, please subscribe to receive our monthly tips via email here: info@thinkingorganized.com.
Do you remember your first year of college? Wow! What a feeling of endless possibilities: no curfew, no nagging parents, nobody notices if you’re not in class. Not to mention the parties, clubs, dates, fraternities/sororities, sporting events – did I mention parties?
Too much fun can be dangerous at any age. Sometimes young children are overscheduled in extracurricular activities. Although the pursuits may be enriching, educational, athletic or just plain…fun, an abundance of outside obligations can overwhelm students and negatively affect the learning process. Teenagers who are suddenly granted the freedom of driving a car can experience …. To read more, please subscribe to receive our monthly tips via email here: info@thinkingorganized.com.
The beginning of the school year elicits sighs of nostalgia from many parents. Clean, bright notebooks, sharpened pencils and new clothes all signify the onset of an exciting unknown – the time to launch a fresh start. Before school begins is the perfect time to solidify goals for the upcoming academic year for both parents and children. Here are a few step-by-step instructions to help your child buy into the concept of goal setting and establish specific, manageable objectives:
Start Positive: It is helpful to review strengths and weaknesses from the most recent school year. Everyone likes praise; therefore beginning the process of goal setting with a recognition and reinforcement of the student’s accomplishments will set a cheerful tone. For example, “Last year you did such an excellent job of organizing the papers in your binder. If you keep up the good work this year, I won’t have to check your backpack every night.”
Think Small: Help your child practice dividing lofty, long term goals into individual steps. If your student states, “I want to get all “A’s” this year, “you might respond with “What specific actions can you take to improve your grades?” Setting a goal of documenting all assignments and working on homework … To read more, please subscribe to receive our monthly tips via email here: info@thinkingorganized.com.
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