Teaching and Supporting Children's Use of Organization, Time Management, and Planning Skills Stephen J. Molitor, M.S. Virginia Commonwealth University.

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Presentation transcript:

Teaching and Supporting Children's Use of Organization, Time Management, and Planning Skills Stephen J. Molitor, M.S. Virginia Commonwealth University Promoting Adolescent School Success (PASS) Research Group

Why Teach OTMP Skills? Necessary for a child to be successful in the school (and life), but not always explicitly taught May use skills inefficiently May be getting by without using these skills now Likely will not be able to in high school or college Research shows link between use of these skills and school grades Learning these skills earlier in life can even predict future success later in life Reason: Even a small homework assignment takes more organization and planning than many students (and parents) think Middle school presents unique, first-time challenges Move to multiple classrooms/teachers Increased academic demands (e.g., more long-term projects and tests) Increased independence/autonomy

Ways Parents Can Help Adolescents Develop Organization Skills Set specific expectations and goals that help your child understand what needs to be done to become “organized” Monitor your child to help them make progress towards those goals Reinforce your child’s use of good organizational skills so they are more likely to use them

Establishing Expectations The overall expectation is to help your child become “organized” But what does that look like? Where should they store school supplies, textbooks, and homework? How should they document due dates for assignments? When should they start studying for an upcoming test? Take out the guesswork! Often, broad goals are based upon the final product (an organized life) Setting specific expectations helps your child know exactly what to do to reach the final product

Example Expectations for Organization Overall expectation: Keep track of all school materials Specific expectations: Identify where supplies should be kept All pencils/pens/erasers will be in pencil bag All papers will be in a folder that is designated for specific subject Homework to be completed/turned in will be kept in a special homework folder No loose pencils or papers will be kept in backpack Overall expectation: Know what homework is assigned each day Specific expectations: Define what system should be used to track homework Homework assignments and due dates will be written in a planner If no homework is assigned, then write “no homework” Upcoming test/exam dates will be written in the planner once test is announced Specific content covered on test/exam will be written in planner

Monitoring Progress Setting expectations is a great starting point, but need to monitor follow-through Need to establish specific plan about when and how these expectations will be checked Things to consider How often: Check daily? Weekly? What time: After dinner? After homework is done? Who initiates: Will parent ask the student to bring them backpack or planner? Establishing a document/checklist makes the monitoring progress easier Can base checklist on established expectations Reduces likelihood of arguments about whether expectation was met

Example Organization Checklist Expectation Mon (Yes/No) Tue (Yes/No) Wed (Yes/No) Thurs (Yes/No) Fri (Yes/No) No loose pencils or papers in backpack Homework to be turned in found in HW folder Homework for each subject recorded in planner Johnny will bring backpack, planner, and checklist to Mom or Dad at 7 pm each evening Checklist Tips: Post the checklist in a highly visible area (e.g., fridge, bulletin board) Get the expectations into a yes/no format Include the plan for when monitoring will occur Keep track of progress over time – it can be motivating for your child to see that they’re making progress

Reinforcing the Use of Skills Engaging in organizational behaviors is rarely reinforcing/fun in the short-term It takes a long time to see the benefits of the behaviors Lots of immediate reinforcement for not engaging in these behaviors (e.g., getting to watch tv, hang out with friends) Parents can establish a reward system that helps provide some immediate reinforcement Usually relies on a point system that sets a specific point value for each behavior Points are linked to a menu of rewards Reward systems can provide immediate and frequent reinforcement when used in conjunction with monitoring

A Crash Course on Reward Systems Balance short-term and long-term rewards Daily rewards are much more effective than weekly/monthly rewards When creating point system, make sure your child can have the possibility to earn a reward every day Have a reward system that is feasible for you and meaningful for your child Rewards must be delivered consistently (100%) Rewards must outweigh natural rewards for not engaging in organization behaviors Rewards do not have to be material items or money May use current privileges (TV, video game, or computer time) May use special choices (Decide what is for dinner/dessert) May use special activities (movie night, outing with parent, reduction in chores) The organizational reward system should only be affected by organizational behaviors Don’t withhold rewards or points because of problems/difficulties related to other behaviors

Example Reward Menu 20 extra minutes of video game time 2 Point Value 20 extra minutes of video game time 2 20 extra minutes of T.V. time Go to bed 20 minutes later Rent and watch a movie 8 Money to go to movies with friends Pick place for family dinner out 12 Go bowling with dad

Final Considerations Include your child in the process Getting buy-in can help increase likelihood of success Helps encourage sense of autonomy Make sure your child has lots of opportunities for early success Early struggles will hurt motivation to keep trying Taking time to simply establish a baseline can go a long way to setting realistic expectations Can always alter expectations as skills improve Be careful about trying to fix too many things at once Pick 2-4 behaviors that are most problematic to start Can always add behaviors as skills improve Be ready to do the work! Consistently monitoring and reinforcing your child’s behavior is key to success Eventually, the monitoring/reward system won’t be necessary

Interested in How Sleep Effects Your Adolescent? Current study opportunity for all interested families of 8th grade students Longitudinal study, beginning with a family visit to VCU Families receive a free mental well-being and academic achievement evaluation for their child Participants are compensated $75 for first visit and receive further compensation for follow-up visits Please call 804-827-1517 or see me after presentation if interested