Many parents find it hard to keep their dyslexic child organized. They come up with a plan, communicate it with their child, just to hear the words… “I forgot.”
It can be so frustrating and feel like nothing you do is ever change this part of your child’s personality.
I’m here to tell you, there is hope...
Your child can become organized, learn to follow through on tasks, and excel in the classroom.
But, it’s not going to be easy and it’s not going to happen over night.
You see, all children need help establishing routine and order. But for dyslexics, this task takes much more coaching and a lot more time to teach. Many parents give up thinking their efforts aren’t making any real change, but as you will discover there are specific things you can do that will make a lasting impact on your child’s ability to stay organized.
And if your child can stay on top of the basics, they can achieve great success.
Here are my top 10 tips to keep your child organized throughout the school year.]
1: Establish Systems:
Systems are small tasks that are repeated on a regular basis and do not change. Think about your child’s school week. There are things that happen on a daily basis that don’t change such as:
Brushing their teeth
Making their bed
Cleaning the room
Packing their backpacks for school
Turning in homework assignments
Bringing home assignments
These tasks happen every single day and so they need a system.
For example; packing their backpacks for school should be done the night before, at the same time, in the same place, and in the same way each time. Perhaps you create a checklist for your child to follow so he/she can memorize what goes into the bag each and every time.
When systems are in place, it frees their mind to focus on other tasks. Tasks that change from day from day and may require more effort.
2. Create a place for everything, and put everything in its place
Think about what your child needs from day to day. The important things:
shoes
lunch bags
backpacks
homework supplies
vitamins
Make sure these items have a home. In my home each child has a basket for their shoes. When my children come home the first thing they do is take off their shoes and place them in their basket. This ensures the next time we go to leave the house everybody can easily find and put on their shoes.
Additionally, they each have a cubby for their school items. When returning home from school, all items go into their school cubbies making it easy for all of us to find school related items quickly and easily.
Nothing increases the frustration level more than sitting down with your child to do homework only to discover you can’t find any pencils or paper. Avoid this pitfall by creating a homework caddy where all homework supplies stays in one place: pencils, paper, scissors, glue, etc.
This is so simple to implement and it makes a world of a difference.
Bonus tip: don’t use this caddy for crafts or anything other than homework. This ensures nothing ever gets misplaced.
3. Keep it simple
Organizing can be overwhelming at the beginning which is why you should focus on keeping things simple. Start with one area of life to organize for your child. Decide this month you will create a homework supply caddy and utilize it for a few weeks before you try and add anything else.
4. Have patience.
Rome wasn’t built in a day and your child won’t be organized in a day either. Have patience with yourself as you teach these new systems to your child. And have patience with your child because it will take much longer than expected to get him/her into this new routine.
5. Communicate with your child’s teacher(s)
It can be hard to stay in constant communication with your child’s teachers. It might feel like you’re bothering them or hovering over your child too much. But, in the beginning this is the only way to keep your child accountable for the important things.
Let your child’s teacher(s) know about the routines your are establishing. Perhaps you can make a plan with your child’s teacher(s) that will support your him/her in remembering the new routines you are putting in place. At least until it becomes second nature.
6. Get a planner
If your child doesn’t yet utilize a planner… start this today! Teach your child the life skill of writing things down. Nothing is farther from the truth than the words “I won’t forget” coming out of your child’s mouth. They will forget because there is just too much for them to remember on a daily basis. If they learn how to use a planner now, they will have this tool for the rest of their lives. It will make them much more successful at anything they choose to do.
Bonus tip: Have the teacher(s) sign the planner each day to ensure what they wrote down is correct.
7. Be consistent
None of these tips will work if you don’t do them every single day. Like I mentioned before, your child will not learn any of these organizational skills over night. It. Takes. Time. And for dyslexic children, it takes a lot of time. Be consistent. Don’t give up. You will be so glad you did!
8. Praise, praise, praise
Your child will not want to do any of these things. You might hear, “this is pointless” or “this is a waste of my time”. Don’t buy into it.
Encourage your child to keep at his routines and maintain his systems. When he/she does stick to the plan… provide a ton of praise. No matter how small the achievement was, praise your child greatly because for a dyslexic child to follow through on one of these tasks is huge! Be sure to recognize it!
9: Progress not perfection
Your going to have off days and so is your child. Remember… nothing has to be perfect and nothing needs to be implemented 100% of the time. If you can keep to your plan 90% of the time then it will still be very effective.
10. Remember… you are teaching life skills
Above all else, you are teaching your child skills to support his/her success throughout his entire life. Yes, you want tomorrows homework assignment to be turned in (with your child’s name on it). But, it’s less about the results you will achieve today as it is about the learning of these vital life skills that your child will have for a lifetime.
Take the time to establish the systems and routines that will work for you and your child. I promise you, with each new system that you create, you're unlocking more of your child’s potential. Start small, keep it simple, and stay consistent. You will be amazed at the impact these tips will have on your child’s ability to stay organized and achieve success.