Organisation and Planning Skills
KIDS for Families
Children and young people need to be taught how to organise themselves and their belongings for everyday tasks. Sometimes simple ideas can help make life easier at home and school.
It may be beneficial to place homework items into a central wallet/poly pocket and encourage them to check this is in their bag the night before school.
You could make a timetable detailing PE days for children and encourage them to check this the night before school and support them to pack this into their bag. Alternatively a visually planner may be simpler for a child to understand and follow i.e. Monday and attach a picture of shorts and t-shirt to symbolise a PE day etc.
Planning and Organisation at Home
Bedroom
Help your child/young person to organise their bedroom. Have a place for everything. Then add labels to help them . You could use pictures or words, whatever works best for your child/young person. Get your child/young person involved in keeping their room tidy.
Work Space
When your child/young person starts to get more formal homework from school it might be helpful to set up a work station where they can sit to complete their homework. By starting early this will set up good habits for when they move on to secondary school and need to study for exams.
Having a distraction and clutter free area to work can help with attention and concentration. Set up the work station wherever you have space. Ideally, you are looking for a quiet, calm area. If you can put a desk or table against a blank wall. If you need to you can then screen off the rest of the room. There should be nothing on the walls or table. Only have the things that they need for the task on the desk. Anything else should be near by but out of sight. They could use a visual planner or 'to do' list and in/out trays.
Timetable
Set up a weekly timetable. This will help prepare your child/young person for reading a timetable at secondary school and help them with planning too. You could mark P.E. days, any chores they are responsible for and any after school activities.
Timetable Example
Planning and Organisation for school
Packing your School Bag
It is important to choose the right school bag for your child/young person. Find out more about Choosing the Right School Bag on the Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists website.
Encourage your child/young person to plan ahead and pack their bag the night before. They might find a checklist helpful. You can use pictures, words or both on the checklist. You could try laminating the checklist, they can use a wipeable marker to tick off items as they pack them, or complete. They could also use a Use PE checklist on gym days (see below). Using a clear pencil case can make finding what they need at school easier.
If your child/young person often forgets to bring their belongings home from school you could put a checklist in their bag so that they have a reminder.
You could also use a plastic wallet to keep their homework in so that everything stays together.
