Disorganized. How to start of the year for success

amother

OP ↓

Tue, Aug 20 2024, 5:09 pm

Hi I'm a trying to help dd going into seventh grade. My first girl.. She struggled in 5th and 6th grade and wants to start fresh this year but doesn't know how long she will last. She wants me to give her tips help her with supplies this year, shortcuts, habits. I offered to get her help but she refused it.

What's the best way to stay organized with notes? She shoves her notes into her backpack. she told me she doesn't have time to put the papers in the right section of her binder? She also hates schlepping her binders back and forth. Is their a good backpack or solution to this problem?is it better to write in notebook for each subject? The 5 subject type? I bought her a pencil pouch and 1 for her binder She always shoves her pen in her backpack together with her notes also no time. What should I buy her.

How can she keep her books straight and neat near her desk easy reach without others stepping over at recess. When recess start she's free doest want to be busy with it.

Are Seventh graders more studious? We live far from her friends. She doesn't want to give up her recess copying over missed notes. She doesn't find her classmates interested in helping her with missing information after school. She's always missing some lines of information. It takes her too copy over at recess. She doesn't want to call a friend everyday but some subjects get studied ever day.
She's smart. If she has all the information and supplies she does very well on her test.

teachkids

Tue, Aug 20 2024, 6:32 pm

My favorite method for kids who struggle is a folder with prongs for each subject. Regular Papers / notes packets go in the prongs, loose papers can go in the pockets till you deal with them. Have a big binder in her locker to empty old papers into when the folder starts to fill / at the end of each unit(reach out to the school about a weekly / bi weekly meeting with someone to help her with organization).

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Aug 20 2024, 7:01 pm

Teach kids, I like your idea for folder. She was offered help in 5th and 6th and she said it's humiliating. It's not like a subject that could be measured lots of kids are sometimes disorganized.

What about all her supplies that get thrown in. Highlighters, few color pens, white out, post it notes get used regularly.

amother

Lightcyan

Tue, Aug 20 2024, 7:38 pm

amother OP wrote:

In my school the kids who need it just go to the social worker once a week during gym or lunch to get organized, but if she doesn’t want to do it, you can’t force it.

She should have a pencil box or bag (you may need to try a few different ones to see what works for her) that she can throw in her bag or carry.

seeker ↓

Tue, Aug 20 2024, 7:39 pm

It's a pain in the neck but I think what you really need to do is check in daily or almost daily. Go through the papers with her and help her put them in the right places. Minimum once a week but daily is so much better.

Different systems work for different kids, it has to be something they feel comfortable with. One of my kids likes to write notes in notebooks and keep handouts in a binder, so for each subject she has both a notebook and a binder section. I could see this working even better with folders because you don't need to hole punch each handout before putting it in. They make these things that are like 6 folders in one attached with a spiral - I used that for my work one year and it was pretty smooth (I'm also always looking for a better system!)

For missing notes you should talk to the principal or special ed coordinator. Socially, it's not great for the giver or receiver to always be lending/borrowing/copying notes. The teacher or special services coordinator can get you a copy of their notes to slip to DD privately at home.

It does sound like she could use professional help with this but if she doesn't think so, at this age there isn't much you can do. It's also really hard to find a tutor or therapist who can really target these softer skills.

TwinsMommy

Wed, Aug 21 2024, 11:10 pm

https://www.amazon.com/Case-Cl.....psc=1

this was super popular at my daughter's middle school---- carry it over the shoulder and EVERYTHING fits inside---- organized papers in a file system, multiple notebooks, pencil case. All she had otherwise was lunch/water bottle. In high school she carries a computer and charger every day so she does a backpack with notebooks but this year she's doing notebooks that have built in folders which makes her happy. Computer, notebooks, pencil case, lunch, water bottle--- all in the backpack. My son is homeschooling so he's way more disorganized. Smile

Not sure about the no time to organize thing. Whatever class you're in, that notebook and/or folder is out. Pencil/pen back in case, papers in folder/notebook, zip up and go--- 30 seconds, no?