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.
September has arrived, and the school year is in full swing. The lazy, carefree days of summer have been replaced by a flurry of assignments and schedules that require solid time management and material organization skills in order to have a successful school year.
Students with weaknesses in their executive functions can find it especially difficult to keep these foundational skills under control, so implementing technology into their daily routine to assist with these tasks can be a lifesaver.
Apps are always available to use anywhere, and they make it very easy to input information. They also go beyond the scope of human error by offering features such as automated reminders and syncing with any device, which takes some pressure off of a person’s memory.
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Think back to the time when you were a young student. No matter how much time has passed, we can all recall the last few days of summer before the first day of school. Feelings of excitement, anticipation, and anxiety, can all resurface when we look at a back-to-school advertisement and transport ourselves to an age where we had a bedtime or carried a heavy backpack full of textbooks each day. Instead of waiting until the final days before the first day, why not ease into the back-to-school transition while continuing to enjoy all that the end of summer has to offer? Taking the last one to two weeks of August to slowly merge the hustle and bustle of the upcoming school year with the relaxation of summer vacation mode can help reduce stress and the end of summer blues. There are a number of items you can check off of your to-do list in advance to help the whole family sail smoothly into the new school year.
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Mid-summer is upon us, and many students have spent June enjoying a welcome break from any sort of schoolwork. Now that it is July, the time has come to start delving into that summer reading assignment. While some may feel reluctant to begin, there are many ways that parents can get involved to help their children get the most out of summer reading, and enjoy it, too! Here at Thinking Organized, we organize book clubs over the summer to help students build skills and enthusiasm for reading. We introduce them to various strategies that they can keep in their toolbox to use during the upcoming school year so that they feel confident in their ability to comprehend and analyze the books they read.
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It’s that time of year again, the time of year when only one thing is separating students from the final school bell and the promise of a relaxing, pleasant summer…exams. For most students, being assessed on a high volume of material across subject matters is overwhelming and stressful. When do you start? What and how do you study? How do you fit study time into a schedule already packed full of other academic and extracurricular activities? Luckily, there are some great task managers out there that are designed to streamline the planning and studying process for students at all levels.
There are many benefits of using online tools to manage study habits. One major advantage is accessibility. Students can have their study materials and schedule with them at all times so that they can use their free time wisely anywhere they go. Studying works well in short, focused bursts over an extended period of time, so having everything at the touch of a button can really maximize the quality and quantity of study time. Another plus of using technology is the advanced features that it can provide to help students visually track their progress and maintain a collection of tasks or study tools.
There are thousands of apps and websites out there to help students manage their study habits. Some are primarily geared toward task management, while others are designed more for assessing knowledge of the content. We found two newer programs that serve each of those purposes: GoConqr and My Study Life both help students stay on track and take an active role in the studying process as they look ahead toward finals.
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As the end of the school year approaches, many students find themselves inundated with research papers, projects and large-scale essays. Although these culminating assignments may be good methods for assessing progress, they can present many challenges, particularly for students who struggle with time management. A deadline that is several weeks away is an enticing invitation to procrastinate. Teenagers are especially prone to the feeling of having plenty of time ahead of them and often do not recognize the need to start early. However, long-term assignments can be time consuming, taxing and unpredictable endeavors. Often, at least one part of the process will take longer than planned, or require a different approach than originally envisioned.
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Assertiveness and self-advocacy are not always innate. Some children are naturally shyer than others, and many people (adults included) find it difficult to speak up for themselves. However, being a good self-advocate is an important skill at all stages of life. In school, children benefit from asking and answering questions, protecting themselves against bullying and learning to negotiate everything from the bus ride to the first date. When students practice assertive behavior, they learn life-long strategies that allow them to maximize their strengths, develop healthy relationships, and become successful, independent members of society.
Unfortunately, individuals who have learning disabilities, executive functioning weaknesses, ADHD or related disorders are sometimes least likely to effectively self-advocate. The ability to recognize a need, formulate a request and ask someone of authority a question is a difficult set of tasks for these children. However, practicing methods of self-awareness, self-determination, self-confidence and self-advocacy will provide students with the strategies necessary to achieve their personal and academic goals.
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Along with just about everything else, report cards have changed. Many schools are rolling out mid-year report cards that are more aligned to Common Core Standards. Parents who are accustomed to the traditional presentation of single grades in the basic subjects may be in for a surprise. With the evolution of universalized standards and increased rigor in education, how are parents supposed to determine if their children have achieved proficiency, or if they need some extra help and guidance?
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“If we teach today what we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.” – John Dewey
Parents and teachers are always on the lookout for new ways of using technology to enhance their students’ organizational and academic routines. While most of us know that technology offers a multitude of benefits, it can be a challenge for even the savviest techie to sift through the millions of options available. With all the websites, devices, and apps claiming to help students manage time and organize their lives, how do we know which truly provide some value?
After delving into the depths of the app store, we’ve arrived at a list of the top four criteria to use when considering a technological trend:
Accessibility
Organized display
Setting reminders
Centralized location
The myHomework App is a tried-and-true technological resource that meets all of these criteria, which parents can trust to help keep their tech-savvy students on track.
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Most parents appreciate the value of classroom learning to their children’s long-term educational development. However, the most successful students take the knowledge they’ve acquired in school a step beyond the classroom.
Parents can help their children extend their learning, which both reinforces the material they learn in school and encourages higher-level critical thinking skills that will make schoolwork meaningful and relevant.
There are many ways that parents can help students take that extra leap.
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Academic success comes easily for some students, but for most children, learning how to study is an educational process in itself. How can parents help their children study effectively and succeed in school?
Setting up some basic structures helps students know what is required, plan their time, and learn how to learn.
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