Some students naturally have strong executive functioning skills. They are well organized, stay on task with ease, and are always on time. Yet for other students, especially those with ADHD, organization is a challenge. Students with ADHD often struggle with time management, planning, task initiation, homework management, and other executive functioning skills. Help your child with ADHD develop stronger organizational skills with the ideas detailed below.
Organized Workspace
To help your child with ADHD build stronger executive functioning skills, help them set up an organized workspace. This may be a desk in their room or a spot on a kitchen or dining room table. Either option can work but make sure your child uses this space consistently to complete their homework. Also make sure they always have all the supplies they need at their workspace, including pens, paper, scissors, highlighters, and so on. If the supplies run low, help your child refill the supplies to make sure they don’t pause their homework session and wander around looking for more supplies. If your child works in a common room, like a kitchen or dining room table, help them put together a portable supplies bin. This bin should contain all the supplies they need to complete their homework, and they should carry this bin to and from their room for homework sessions at their designated work spot.
Color code!
Another way to help your child with ADHD become more organized is to help them color code their school materials. They should designate a color for each subject, like blue for math, yellow for science, purple for social studies, and so on. They should then use a folder and notebook for each subject in that designated color; for instance, they might have a blue folder and notebook for math, a yellow folder and notebook for science, and so on. When they write down their assignments in their homework book, they can even highlight each subject’s assignment in its designated color.
Consistent study time
You can help your child with ADHD become more organized with a designated study time. Some students prefer working right after school when they are still in “school mode,” while others prefer a snack or physical activity break before starting on their homework. Some students even like working after dinner or in the early evening hours. Any of those options can work; the key is being consistent. If you know your child will have an after-school activity or event on certain days that will conflict with the study time, help them come up with alternate times when they will complete their work - and make sure they stick with that plan.
Use an assignment book
Many students with ADHD think they can remember all their assignments and therefore feel they don’t need to write them down. However, as students move through school, they tend to receive many more assignments and remembering them all without writing them down can become nearly impossible. Instead, encourage your child to use an assignment book to write down their homework assignments each day (even if their school uses an online platform for posting assignments). Before they begin their homework, they should come up with an order for competing their assignments and write down the number next to the assignment they plan to do first, second, third, etc. Then when they complete each assignment and either turn it in online or put it in their backpack to be turned in the next day, they should cross it off in their assignment book.
Students with ADHD typically benefit from learning concrete tools and strategies for building their organizational skills. If your child continues to struggle you may want to consider ADHD tutoring or executive functioning coaching to help them further develop these skills. By improving their organizational skills, they will be well on their way to success in school!
