Back to School Organization Tips for All Ages!

Back to School Organization Tips

Summer is flying by and believe it or not, back to school is right around the corner.

Here are a few back to school tips that I hope you will find useful. One thing to keep in mind is that parents or students can buy the finest school supplies but if there isn’t a schedule or organizational habits in place, students may not succeed to the best of their ability. Start this school year off with strategies in place and keep it going throughout the year.

Elementary School Age Children (Young Children)

Go through your children’s dresser drawers and closet and let go of clothes, shoes and jackets that are too small or worn.

Make a list of items that are needed and donate any items that are not too worn. Shop only for what is needed.

Make sure to get the list of school supplies from your child’s school ahead of time.

Go through the list and see what you already have and what you need to purchase. Remember to go shopping early. Don’t leave school supply shopping until a few days before school starts. You may not find what you are looking for, and you may be able to avoid those crazy line-ups.

Have your children go to bed earlier at least a week before school starts so they can get used to the routine of going to bed earlier.

Also, start waking your child up earlier so they can get used to the earlier morning routine.

Do a practice run of all the things you would like them to do before they go to school.

Getting dressed, making bed, eat breakfast, brush teeth etc. It will give you an idea of how long it will take your children in the morning to get ready for school.

Plan ahead lunches and snacks

Make up a schedule if you wish, make lunches ahead of time, or prepare snacks in zip lock bags. Do what works for you, but you will find it less stressful and such a time saver in the long run.

Enquire about school bus stops and times, immunizations, and any identification that may be required.

Make a note to update the school with any changes of information

change of address, phone numbers, emergency contact etc.

Label

Label your children’s belongings with their name to prevent loss. Here are some examples of items to label; lunch bag, backpack, shoes, jacket, mitts, hats etc.

Middle School Age Children and Older

Depending on the school, they may require the purchase of binders or duotangs.

When purchasing binders, I recommend purchasing the 1 or 1.5 inch and one per subject, rather than the larger ones that you can put several subjects in. The larger ones get too heavy to carry. Divide each binder into 4 sections. Label each section with the following:

•Notes
•Homework
•Handouts
•Tests/Quizzes

When the student is no longer working on a section of study and the test has been given, clear that section out of the binder. It will leave room for next section and won’t be too heavy to carry. If the notes are needed for final exam, put in a safe place to study later. Make sure to label the file!

Buy a Daytimer

And I am talking about the old fashioned hard copy daytimer. Yes, you can still schedule important dates on your electronic planners if you wish, but having a day planner that you carry with you at all times is great. You can grab it and write down assignment due dates, when tests are held, and you can make a plan on what homework you will cover each day of the week. It is easy to use and it works!

School Supplies

Here are a few items that you should always have on hand below:

Box of pencils – Sharpen the pencils ahead of time so they are ready to go.
Erasers
Box of pens Coloured pens/markers/pencils Highlighters
Hole punch & Hole reinforcement stickers – The hole punch and the stickers are important because pages can get lost when the holes rip.
Ruler – Not just for measuring – Underline important words or heading – Looks nicer and is a memory enhancer [/av_textblock]

Always have these on hand

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